Taylor Hawkins didn’t cause Rush to reunite, but the 2022 tribute concerts for the Foo Fighters drummer helped Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson imagine playing Rush music together again. Lee later described the London show as an early moment when they considered touring; the reunion came only after further conversations, informal playing and changed circumstances.
How the Taylor Hawkins tribute concerts brought Rush back into the conversation
Rush’s last show with drummer Neil Peart was in 2015. Peart died in 2020, leaving Lee and Lifeson to face a difficult question: could they play as Rush without him? The two musicians appeared together at the 2022 Taylor Hawkins tribute concerts, performing Rush songs alongside other musicians.
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In a 2026 interview with Guitar World, Lee recalled the atmosphere backstage at the London concert: “there was such an easy, happy, loving environment backstage between the musicians”. Musicians encouraged the pair to tour, and Lee said the experience was their first attempt to think seriously about doing so.
A Guardian retrospective described the two tribute performances as giving them “a shot of adrenaline.” The shows offered Lee and Lifeson a chance to reconnect with Rush’s music in a welcoming setting—and to consider performing together again.
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Why the tributes were a catalyst, not the whole explanation
The concerts did not immediately turn into a reunion plan. Lee and Lifeson continued talking and playing informally. The Washington Post also noted that Lifeson’s health was improving, changing what seemed possible. In the Guardian interview, Lee recalled reaching a decision point with Lifeson: “we’re either doing this or we’re not doing it.”
That sequence matters: the accounts describe the Hawkins tributes as an early spark and source of encouragement, not as the sole cause of Rush’s return. Nor do they establish that Hawkins himself organized or prompted the reunion. The connection comes from Lee and Lifeson’s participation in the tributes and their later reflections on what the experience meant to them.
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What Rush’s return meant for Neil Peart’s legacy
Lee and Lifeson ultimately chose to play together again while honoring the music they had made with Peart. They announced a reunion tour with drummer Anika Nilles; the return was framed as a tribute to Peart, not an attempt to erase his place in Rush. The Associated Press and Los Angeles Times reported the announcement in 2025.
The original announcement described 12 dates across seven cities. That figure refers to the initially announced itinerary, not necessarily the tour’s later total.
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