Nary a power trio has triumphantly carried on after the death of a core member. But in the years following the passing of Neil Peart, often hailed as the greatest drummer who ever lived, his surviving comrades—oenophilic bassist-slash-frontman Geddy Lee and often-overlooked guitar whiz Alex Lifeson—slowly but surely came to grips with how performing the material they birthed together is what they live for.

A tipsy Paul McCartney encouraged them to do just that, and Lee’s bass tech John “Skully” McIntosh—who spent the latter bit of 2022 on the road with Jeff Beck and Johnny Depp—couldn’t stop raving about the Yardbird’s new German drummer, Anika Nilles.

It goes without saying that when a Beatle tells you to do something, you fucking do it. But in the world of Rush, if there’s anyone you can trust, it’s your bass tech, and Nilles proved that Monday night in Tampa for the first of two concerts at Benchmark International Arena.

Following a quick video showing a trio of friends seeking a far older Geddy and Alex in a literal castle, Geddy and Alex both rocked double-neck axes (Lifeson a Gibson SG and Lee a Rickenbacker) to ease their way into “Xanadu.” And it was a first for almost everyone in the room. For some, it was the first time seeing their beloved Canadians perform without Peart. Others had discovered Rush sometime after its most recent R40 tour, and may have believed just over a year ago that they’d never get to witness their genius live.

Anika Nilles Credit: Photo by Josh Bradley

But no matter your story, by the end of the A Farewell to Kings track, any remaining skepticism in the room (not that there was much to begin with) had disintegrated, and you’d think that Nilles had been backing the guys up for years. All night, she hardly broke a sweat behind her kit, which was just about as massive as her predecessor’s, and though she brings a different aura to the stage than Peart ever did, our girl was intensely locked in. Throughout the night, Nilles’ performance never overshadowed the many tributes to Peart, whether they came from Geddy’s mouth or were up on the video screen. Nilles knows that there will never be another Neil Peart, and everyone in the room knew that she wasn’t aiming to directly imitate him.

As for the two sausages up front, the thought of them sounding a bit rusty even at their very first rehearsals back together seems absurd. Having been besties since middle school, their onstage chemistry is almost enough to make you jealous of their bond.

You can find Lifeson on most “top 50 guitarists of all time” lists, but he’s almost always placed a little too low. He effortlessly shredded the crap out of every guitar he picked up all night, particularly on “La Villa Strangiato,” where he wielded a white Gibson ES-355. And on “The Trees,” he used his self-invented Omega Stand to help transition from playing an acoustic for the first 45 seconds to one of his Les Pauls for the remainder of the beloved Hemispheres track.

Respectfully, Geddy’s voice still bears a resemblance to the first-mentioned titular character from “Pinky and the Brain,” but remains as dynamic as ever, with little sign of deterioration. He’s obviously gotten older — no shit. But he nailed his intensely high parts on “Freewill,” which was only the fourth song dusted off in a three-hour odyssey. And of course, his heavy-yet-bouncy bass work at the end of “Red Barchetta” was a reminder that even Les Claypool had to get his inspiration somewhere.

But there was another elephant in the room: Our guys are no longer presented as a power trio.

Touring keyboardist Loren Gold, who has spent time on the road with Chicago and The Who, respectively, joined the fold this year, allowing Geddy to spend more time up front with Lifeson instead of having to dash over to his keyboard rig in between bass parts less often. He did take on some synth parts though, including his iconic bit on second set closer “Tom Sawyer,” and on the vast majority of “Subdivisions.”

In a world of Simons & Garfunkels, Gallagher brothers, and Jane’s Addiction, Geddy and Alex seem to have the secret to staying together. They’ve brewed beer together, shared the same sense of humor (which really showed in the on-screen graphics that went along with the pot-inspired “A Passage to Bangkok”), and have been through every trial and tribulation together. Even when you throw the death of their friend-slash-lyricist into the mix, their friendship has stood the test of time just as much as the material has.

The elder race still learn and grow, and Rush definitely isn’t the worst source.

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