Episodes
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Ep. 222: Neil Peart: No One's Disciple
This week we discuss "Neil Peart: No One's Disciple," a moving documentary about the life of one of the greatest musicians of all time told through the lens of iconic Rush songs. Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson invite Neil's "drum brothers" Stewart Copeland, Danny Carey, Chad Smith, and Gavin Harrison...
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Ep. 221: Our Fifty Something Tour Review
We've seem Rush's Fifty Something Tour 4 times--twice in New York and once each in Philadelphia and Toronto--and we have opinions! It's no surprise that, this being a Rush podcast, our reviews are positive, but how positive? That's for us to know and you to find out by listening! Follow us on...
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Ep. 220: Payton Rose Velligan
Payton Rose Velligan is in "Weird Al" Yankovic's band, but more germane to us is that she's a huge Rush fan. Her video singing all of Hemispheres in a bathroom in Missouri has tens of thousands of views and her appearance on Tiny Desk Concerts with Weird Al made her an instant icon. Payton joins…
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Ep. 219: Mitch Seekins, Geddy Lee's Vocal Coach
Geddy Lee sounds better than has in years, and it's due to Mitch Seekins. Mitch tells us all about helping Geddy get in vocal shape leading up to the Fifty Something Tour and how he continues to work with Geddy from show to show. You can learn more about Mitch's services at...
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Ep. 218: Dale Heslip, Bruce "Fenchie" French, and Tony "Jack Secret" Geranios, Live From Henderson Brewing, Pt. 2
Our second episode episode from Rush Day 2026 at Henderson Brewing finds us chatting with a trio of great guests: filmmaker Dale Heslip, chef Bruce "Fenchie" French, and keyboard tech Tony "Jack Secret" Geranios! Follow us on Bluesky: @rushfancast Follow us on Instagram: @therushcast Follow us on…
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Ep. 217: Rush Day 2026 Live From Henderson Brewing, Pt. 1
Our third straight year recording live from Henderson Brewing's Rush Day in Toronto was a great success! This episode we talk to Rush fans from around the world about seeing the band for the first of 4 sold-out shows at the Scotiabank Arena the night before. We're also joined by CFNY's Ivar...
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Ep. 216: The Xanadu Lounge
You've heard the whispered tales of memorabilia and appetizers in the Fifty Something Tour's Xanadu Lounge, and we have the inside scoop! Longtime friend of the pod Ray Wawrzyniak tells us about curating the exhibit and his Xanaduties as docent on many tour stops. We also welcome back Steve Bown...
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Ep. 215: David Calcano of Fantoons on his Contribution to the 50 Something Tour
Friend of the podcast David Calcano of Fantoons returns this week to tell us about his involvement in the 50 Something tour. I won't spoil it in the description in case you're still avoiding the setlists, but suffice to say Fantoons made a real cool video for a classic Rush tune! Follow us on...
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Ep. 214: Kevin Comeau of Crown Lands
This week, we talk with Kevin Comeau, guitarist, bassist, and keyboardist of the Canadian progressive rock duo Crown Lands. Kevin and his bandmate, drummer and singer Cody Bowles, are unabashed Rush devotees, a fact reflected in their ambitious multipart epics. Join us as Kevin discusses the best...
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Ep. 213: LA Confidential
Rush is back! Kicking off the Fifty Something tour with 4 shows at the Los Angeles Forum, Rush ripped through a different set each night. Our LA correspondent, Mark Irwin, went to all 4 shows and delivers his report. Plus, the results of our setlist contest!
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Ep. 212: Billy Sheehan
This week we're joined by one of our generations greatest bassists, the legendary Billy Sheehan! With us this week is also our resident bassist, Lex, who is such a huge fan we had to let him in on the interview action. Billy tells us about opening for Rush in the '90s, jamming with Neil and Alex...
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Ep 211: Do You Want to Build a Rush Setlist?
This week, we're holding a contest: guessing what songs Rush will play at the first 4 shows of the Fifty Something tour in Los Angeles in June! We've set up a form where you can choose 38 songs you think will make an appearance in any of those LA shows. Each song you can choose from has a point...
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Ep. 210: Sean Faust
This week we have our first guest who was recommended by two former guests of the pod, Ron Lipnicki and Brian Colburn! Sean Faust joins us to count down the top five songs we hope Rush plays on the upcoming Fifty Something Tour! Sean is a regular on the New Jersey music scene, playing in the Bon...
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SFN Counterparts: My Weekly Mixtape
Back in January of 2024, Steve appeared on an episode of My Weekly Mixtape, a great podcast from our friend Brian Colburn. The episode was alliteratively called "The Spirit of Rush: 20 Songs That Define a Band That Defied Definition." Brian and Steve build an amazing mixtape that is perfect for...
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Ep. 209: Paul Gilbert
For decades, Paul Gilbert has been tearing it up in bands like Racer X and Mr. Big and on his own solo material. Paul joins us this week to talk about his love of Rush, what it was like touring with them with Mr. Big, and his new album, WROC. Go to www.paulgilbert.com to learn more about the…
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Ep. 208: 40 Years of RUSH Fandom
40 years ago, we attended our first Rush concert. It's difficult to measure the impact of that show–and RUSH–on our lives. That's why, to celebrate this concert milestone, we asked the 2 other guys who went to the show with us to reminisce about that night: Tony Joslin and Ron Lipnicki. You might...
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Ep. 207: Dan Barracuda
Dan Barracuda has a knack for dissecting songs that makes difficult music theory seem easy. Across his social media presence, you can find Dan breaking down what makes songs by your favorite artists tick--including Rush! So we asked him to join us this week to unravel the mysteries of what makes...
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Ep. 206: Cory Marks
Cory Marks is a North Bay, Ontario, singer, songwriter, guitarist, and drummer who cites two seemingly disparate seminal influences on his music: Merle Haggard and Rush. To him, they're both outlaws who bucked conventions and stayed true to their spirit, something Cory does with his unique blend…
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SFN Counterparts: The Carr Stereo Podcast
Back in December, Steve and I appeared on The Carr Stereo Podcast to talk--as unbelievable as this might sound--about Rush! Terrie Carr is not only a New Jersey rock radio legend, having worked at the iconic WDHA as program director and midday host for decades, she's also a huge Rush fan. She...
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Ep. 205: Sebastian Bach
Sebastian Bach, formerly of Skid Row, is a huge Rush fan--so huge that he was member number 2 of the Rush Backstage Club. Sebastian joins us this week to tell us the amazing story of how he secured that place in the Backstage Club, the demo he recorded for Alex Lifeson's 1996 solo album, and the...
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Ep. 204: Backtracking Rush
Raf Bagdasarian and Dan Fiden are lifelong friends who share a deep love of Rush. On the first season of their podcast Backtracking, they poured over the Rush discography. This week, Raf and Dan join us to geek out on all things Rush. Check out Backtracking--now finished with its second season,...
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SFN Counterparts: Primus Tracks
And now for something completely different: an episode of the podcast Primus Tracks in the feed! Primus Tracks hosts Josh and Frankie invited Gerry to discuss Rush's influence on Primus, the general excellence of both bands, and how easy it is to kill a good party vibe by throwing on a Rush or...
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Ep. 203: Andris Pone on Rush's Tour Branding
Branding expert Andris Pone joins us this week to examine the branding of Rush's Fifty Something Tour. Andris first joined us way back in episode 123 to talk about his article "He Lived The Lives of 10 Men: Lessons I've Learned From Neil Peart." Now he joins us to give his unique perspective on…
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Ep. 202: Rush Covers, Pt. 5 (Tom Sawyer Edition)
This week, we're doing something we haven't done in 3 years: a Rush covers episode! But we're doing something different this time. We decided to focus our attention on one song, perhaps the most famous of all Rush songs, Tom Sawyer! We serve up 10 different versions of this classic tune, in…
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Ep. 201: Dean Budnick, Co-Author of "Ticket Masters: The Rise of the Concert Industry and How The Public Got Scalped"
We've been talking a lot about our frustration with Ticketmaster, so we thought it would be interesting to talk to someone who could answer our questions about the ticket-selling world. Dean Budnick, co-author of "Ticket Masters: The Rise of the Concert Industry and How The Public Got Scalped,"…
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Ep. 200: Trivia With Ray Wawrzyniak
It's our 200th episode, and what better way to celebrate than by having one of our favorite guests back for some Jedi-grade trivia! Ray Wawrzyniak, the preeminent collector of all things Rush, joins us to answer some of the toughest Rush trivia our listeners could muster. And Lex is here too, so...
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Ep. 199: Rush Ticket Frenzy
The moment we were all waiting for happened this week: Tickets for Rush's Fifty Something Tour went on sale! OK, there were 3 different sales in the span of 7 days: the Citi Bank credit card presale, the artist presale, and the general sale. This week Steve and Gerry talk about the frustrating...
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Ep. 198: The Fifty Something Tour Announcement
It's an emergency episode of the podcast! The unthinkable has been thought: Rush is going on tour! Today, Geddy and Alex announced a 7-city, 12-show tour, scheduled for summer 2026. Our excitement is unbridled! Let the fray begin! Follow us on Bluesky: @rushfancast Follow us on Instagram:...
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Ep. 197: Live From Henderson Brewing's Rush Day 2025, Pt. 2
This week in our second of two parts live from Henderson Brewing's Rush Day 2025, we speak with Ivar Hamilton. Ivar has had a long and celebrated career in the music business and is well-known as the man who Neil Peart delivered an advance copy of Permanent Waves to at CFNY--the station whose...
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Ep. 196: Live From Henderson Brewing's Rush Day 2025, Pt. 1
We were invited back to Henderson Brewing in Toronto for Rush Day 2025 to record live from our perch in the Crow's Nest, and this year we wanted to know your favorite Rush song! We met a lot of great people and had a lot of wonderful conversations with Rush fans from all around the world. Follow…
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Ep. 195: Maiah Wynne on Stygian Waves, Pt. 2
We're back with the second of two episodes with multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter Maiah Wynne breaking down the new Envy of None album, Stygian Wavz. This time we talk to Maiah about her solo album, Out of the Dark, and side B of Stygian Wavz: the songs That Was Then, Raindrops, New Trip,...
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Ep. 194: Maiah Wynne on Stygian Waves, Pt. 1
Maiah Wynne, singer/songwriter and the voice behind Envy of None, joins us for an in-depth examination of the band's sophomore album, Stygian Wavz. In this episode, we discuss the album's first 5 songs: Not Dead Yet, The Story, Under the Stars, Thrill of the Chase, and Handle With Care. Purchase...
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Ep. 193: The Real Rush Song Rankings With John Take of Rush Graphs
In episode 182, we detailed our failed attempt to rank all 165 Rush album tracks, and we put out the call for listeners to submit their own lists. This week, John Take of Rush Graphs (who first joined us way back in episode 32) analyzes the data--including the lists Steve and Gerry finally got...
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Ep. 192: Andy Faulkner, Author of ”Finding My Way: Half a Lifetime in Pursuit of Rush”
This week we're talking to author Andy Faulkner, who has recently published a travelogue called "Finding My Way: Half a Lifetime in Pursuit of Rush." Andy tells us about his early obsession with Rush, the impetus for traveling the globe to see the band, and what it has all meant to him. You can...
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Ep 191: Nick Raskulinecz
Nick Raskulinecz is a Grammy-winning producer who has worked with the Foo Fighters, Alice in Chains, Evanescence, and, of course, Rush. Nick produced Rush's 2007 album Snakes & Arrows and their final masterpiece, Clockwork Angels, in 2012. He joins us this week to talk about his first meeting…
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Ep. 190: David DeRocco With an Update on the Neil Peart Memorial at Lakeside Park
Back in episode 110, we spoke with David DeRocco, chair of the Neil Peart Memorial Task Force, about getting the project off of the ground. Now, 3 years later, sculptor Morgan MacDonald has been chosen to create the statues and fundraising for the project has kicked into high gear. We talk to…
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Ep. 189: Greg Russell
This week we welcome Greg Russell. Greg was a close friend of Neil Peart, and he's also the drummer of the Rush tribute band Natural Science. Greg tells us about the unusual circumstance that led to his friendship with Neil, designing Neil's first website, and working on Neil's later drum kits....
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Ep 188: Live From Henderson Brewing, Pt. 3
It's the last of our trilogy live from Henderson Brewing in Toronto! This week we welcome back our good friend Ray Wawrzyniak to stump us with Rush trivia. We also hear Rush Origin Stories from Bing from Houston, Texas, who also fills us in on a large language model he trained on the published...
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Ep 187: Live From Henderson Brewing, Pt. 2
It's the second of our 3 episodes live from Henderson Brewing in Toronto! This week we interview RushCon Creative Director Jillian Maryonovich; hear Rush Origin Stories from fans Jeff from Traverse City, Michigan; Ian from Kitchener, Ontario; Nyki from Honolulu, Hawaii; David from Toronto; and...
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Ep. 186: Live From Henderson Brewing, Pt. 1
In August, the SFN team--Steve, Gerry, and Lex--recorded live from Henderson Brewing in Toronto for Rush Day 2024. In the first of 3 episodes from Henderson Brewing, we talk with owner Steve Himel about the event and Rush lighting director Howard Ungerleider, and hear some Rush Origin Stories…
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Ep 185: Tyler Warren
We're rounding out our summer mini season with the incomparable Tyler Warren! Tyler is an incredible multi-instrumentalist and vocalist who tours with Queen + Adam Lambert, records with his band Flarelight, and has released full album covers of both Permanent Waves and, most recently, Grace Under...
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Ep 184: Top 5 Rush Riffs
This week we welcome back our friend Max Mobley to count down our top 5 favorite Alex Lifeson riffs. Max previously joined us on episode 97 to talk about his book "Rush FAQ," episode 122 to rank our top 5 Alex Lifeson solos, and again on episode 146 as part of our Hold Your Fire Redux series to...
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Ep. 183: Mike Gormley, Former Director of Publicity at Mercury Records
This week we're joined by Mike Gormley, who worked as the director of publicity at Mercury Records during the early days of Rush. After leaving Mercury, he was the artist manager for such bands as The Bangles, Oingo Boingo, and Concrete Blonde. He tells us about meeting the band, their early days...
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Ep. 182: Ranking Every Rush Song?
This week, we attempt the impossible: ranking all of Rush's original studio album tracks. And guess what? We found it was impossible. So join us as we discuss out methods and frustrations and offer our sincerest apologies to anyone who has ever published a list of ranked Rush songs. Follow us on...
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Ep. 181: Sculptor Morgan MacDonald
In April 2020, a task force was created to plan a memorial for Neil Peart in a place familiar to all Rush fans, Lakeside Park in Port Dalhousie, St. Catharine's, Ontario. Two years later, this week's guest, sculptor Morgan MacDonald, was chosen to create the bronze statues that will honor the…
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Ep. 180: Geddy Lee’s ”My Effin’ Life”
Slow down! We didn't talk with Geddy, but we did the next best thing: we read his best-selling memoir, "My Effin' Life." This week, we take a deep dive into the book and discuss the life and times of the one and only Geddy Lee!
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Ep. 179: Terry Brown
This week's guest needs no introduction: Terry Brown. Terry joined the Rush camp with the band’s debut, brought in to mix the final cut. He then co-produced with the band every release through Signals--one of the greatest album runs in rock history. What else need to be said?
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Ep. 178: Leoni Jane Kennedy, ”New World Woman” Covers Album
This week we welcome back singer/songwriter Leoni Jane Kennedy. Since she last joined us back on episode 163, Leoni has been busy recording a collection of acoustic Rush covers, "New World Woman." The album is chock full of Leoni's imaginative takes on Rush classics, and we talk to her about the...
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Ep. 177: Paul Wells, Professor of Jazz Drums at The Juilliard School
Paul Wells is a Professor of Jazz Drums at The Juilliard School in New York City who possesses an encyclopedic knowledge of Neil Peart's kits. He joins us this week to talk about Rush--obviously--and his efforts to restore Neil's original Rush kit, the famous Chromey! Paul has played with the…
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Ep. 176: Danny Peart
Danny Peart is a poet and the brother of Neil Peart, and he joins us this week to give his unique perspective on his famous sibling. He talks about his life with Neil, his poetry, and what it was like performing at the long-postponed Night for Neil benefit concert that took place in 2022.
About this show
Two lifelong friends discuss the albums of their favorite band, RUSH.
Hosted by
Something for Nothing
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