Rush brings two complete albums to its Sphere concert series
Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson have announced five Las Vegas performances in May 2027 under the name Elevate From the Norm. Lee says Rush is preparing to play 2112 and Moving Pictures in full, with Anika Nilles and Loren Gold joining the founders in a programme that also commemorates Neil Peart.
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Five Las Vegas dates are announced
Rush, the Canadian rock band, will bring its Elevate From the Norm concert residency to Sphere, the entertainment venue in Las Vegas, in 2027. The announcement adds a run of performances in one city to the band’s current return to touring.[1], [2]
The five concerts are scheduled for 21, 23, 26, 28 and 30 May 2027. Co-founder Geddy Lee says the musicians are working on playing both 2112 and Moving Pictures from beginning to end, alongside other songs. He connects the idea with special programmes that the group has used in selected cities on the current tour. The announcement provides the complete-album plan without listing each additional song for each night.[1]
The touring musicians share the stage
Lee will handle bass, keyboards and vocals, with fellow founder Alex Lifeson on guitar and vocals. German drummer, composer and producer Anika Nilles joins them alongside keyboardist Loren Gold. Those four musicians also work together on the Fifty Something tour, so the Sphere dates carry the touring lineup into the Las Vegas programme.[1]
The concerts also celebrate the life of Neil Peart, the band’s late drummer and lyricist. Peart died on 7 January 2020 after brain cancer; with Lee and Lifeson he formed Rush’s long-established trio. The touring period surrounding the residency spans Canada, the United States, Mexico, South America, Europe and the United Kingdom, according to the venue’s announcement.[1]
Sphere adds a new setting for the programme
Lee recalls spending months developing visual effects for earlier shows and says the group is expanding its touring ideas for Sphere. The venue surrounds the audience with a display and uses its Sphere Immersive Sound audio system. The announced musical programme places the two full albums within that setting. Rush’s career has brought membership of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. The band also received the Canadian Governor General’s Performing Arts Award in 2012.[1]
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