EPISODE · Oct 26, 2025 · 1H 44M
Episode 88. A drink and a friend
from Rush Rash with Chaz N Schatz
This week, Chaz and Schatz welcome Greg Russell—drummer, designer, and longtime friend of Neil Peart—back into the Haggis Shack for a deep-dive episode that’s equal parts tribute, therapy session, and celebration of all things Rush. With the band’s reunion and the addition of a new drummer making headlines, Greg shares his unique perspective as both a torchbearer in the tribute scene as drummer in Natural Science, and someone who rode thousands of miles with Neil himself.The conversation rockets from the emotional impact of Rush’s return (and what it means to the community) to Greg’s stories of life on the road with Neil, the art of playing Rush’s music, and the challenges and joys of keeping the spirit alive in tribute bands. Chaz and Schatz dig into the fan experience, ticket drama, and the bittersweet excitement of seeing Rush 3.0 take shape. Greg opens up about Neil’s legacy, his playful side, and the importance of honoring the music while embracing change.🔥 In This Episode:Greg’s memories of designing Neil’s iconic drum risers and sharing the open roadThe emotional rollercoaster of RUSH’s return and the choice of a new drummerWhat it means for tribute bands as the real band hits the stage againReflections on Neil’s character, humor, and approach to life and musicThe future of RUSH fandom, RushCon, and the evolving tribute communityA soft launch of “Rushathon”—Greg’s vision for a festival uniting tribute bands to play the entire Rush catalog liveTHIS WEEK’S SONGWe didn't spin the wheel this week, as it just seemed like the right thing to do, to pause the games (most of them) and spend an evening with a drink and a friend to talk about what it feels like to be a part of this time, in this place, with all that's our effin reality. Effin deep man...pass the bong...tune in, turn on, and enjoy this very special Hallmark, Disney, one-time, special to Blue-Ray, DVD and US Cass-ingle event: an episode recorded just a week and 2 days after the announcement of the RUSH Reunion - before the additional dates were announced! Still fresh! - Special from RushRash to you.And please welcome our newest sponsor - Peart Family Coffee to the Rush Rash Haggis Shack of "you scratch our back, we'll scratch yours" sponsorship! Go grab yourself a big ass cup of the most excellent cup of coffee you can have today and listen to some more R U S H with us - Hot Damn, eh!SCHATZ'S SCRATCH LIST - RUSH TRIBUTE BANDSScratch your itch to hear RUSH music played live by going to check out any of these great RUSH Tribute Bands - these bands are keeping the community and the music alive - the most current, curated, and rockin' list of RUSH Tribute Bands in the world! Yeah!Click here: Schatz's Scratch List (And say it 5 times fast!)GO BONELESSCertified boneless in the state of Ohio by the Boneless Podcasting Network. Go Boneless. Boneless Makes a Better Podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What this episode covers
This week, Chaz and Schatz welcome Greg Russell—drummer, designer, and longtime friend of Neil Peart—back into the Haggis Shack for a deep-dive episode that’s equal parts tribute, therapy session, and celebration of all things Rush. With the band’s reunion and the addition of a new drummer making headlines, Greg shares his unique perspective as both a torchbearer in the tribute scene as drummer in Natural Science, and someone who rode thousands of miles with Neil himself.The conversation rockets from the emotional impact of Rush’s return (and what it means to the community) to Greg’s stories of life on the road with Neil, the art of playing Rush’s music, and the challenges and joys of keeping the spirit alive in tribute bands. Chaz and Schatz dig into the fan experience, ticket drama, and the bittersweet excitement of seeing Rush 3.0 take shape. Greg opens up about Neil’s legacy, his playful side, and the importance of honoring the music while embracing change.🔥 In This Episode:Greg’s memories of designing Neil’s iconic drum risers and sharing the open roadThe emotional rollercoaster of RUSH’s return and the choice of a new drummerWhat it means for tribute bands as the real band hits the stage againReflections on Neil’s character, humor, and approach to life and musicThe future of RUSH fandom, RushCon, and the evolving tribute communityA soft launch of “Rushathon”—Greg’s vision for a festival uniting tribute bands to play the entire Rush catalog liveTHIS WEEK’S SONGWe didn't spin the wheel this week, as it just seemed like the right thing to do, to pause the games (most of them) and spend an evening with a drink and a friend to talk about what it feels like to be a part of this time, in this place, with all that's our effin reality. Effin deep man...pass the bong...tune in, turn on, and enjoy this very special Hallmark, Disney, one-time, special to Blue-Ray, DVD and US Cass-ingle event: an episode recorded just a week and 2 days after the announcement of the RUSH Reunion - before the additional dates were announced! Still fresh! - Special from RushRash to you.And please welcome our newest sponsor - Peart Family Coffee to the Rush Rash Haggis Shack of "you scratch our back, we'll scratch yours" sponsorship! Go grab yourself a big ass cup of the most excellent cup of coffee you can have today and listen to some more R U S H with us - Hot Damn, eh!SCHATZ'S SCRATCH LIST - RUSH TRIBUTE BANDSScratch your itch to hear RUSH music played live by going to check out any of these great RUSH Tribute Bands - these bands are keeping the community and the music alive - the most current, curated, and rockin' list of RUSH Tribute Bands in the world! Yeah!Click here: Schatz's Scratch List (And say it 5 times fast!)GO BONELESSCertified boneless in the state of Ohio by the Boneless Podcasting Network. Go Boneless. Boneless Makes a Better Podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
NOW PLAYING
Episode 88. A drink and a friend
No transcript for this episode yet
Similar Episodes
No similar episodes found.