Rush perform in London (Ontario) on the 2007 Snakes & Arrows Tour. Photo by Brad Moon.
Last week was a pretty good one to be a member of Rush, the Canadian band that is ‘closer to the heart’ of many a geek rock fan (see Dave’s excellent post railing against their continual omission from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for full details on Rush’s geek cred). The prog rock trio hit the news not once, but twice.
The most important mention was yet another recognition of the band’s cultural significance, with the announcement that the members of Rush will receive the 2012 Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement (an award that is desperately in need of an acronym). It’s not quite a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, but it’s a big deal in Canada and they will join a group of past inductees that includes William Shatner. And the medal should look pretty good beside the Order of Canada that band members received in 1996 — recognition for their musical accomplishments and efforts to raise money for charities.
The other reason they made headlines last week? Rush attorneys served Rush Limbaugh with this cease and desist letter, demanding he stop using their music as part of his radio show. I’m not going to stick a toe into US politics, but I did find that one amusing.
One final tidbit, a link went live on Amazon last week to preorder the forthcoming, steampunk-inspired Rush album Clockwork Angels, which is due to drop on May 29th.
And now, as March Break has official begun (at least here in the Great White North) so they don’t have to do homework, I’m going to go and play a little Rock Band with the kids — an activity that got a little bit sweeter on New Year’s Eve when another Rush DLC pack was released, including “2112: Overture, The Temples of Syrinx.”
