Rush Bring Back “A Farewell To Kings” For The First Time Since 1979 During Fourth Kia Forum Comeback Show

The TapeheadToo channel on YouTube has shared footage of RUSH‘s complete fourth show from the “Fifty Something” comeback tour at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California. The June 13 concert delivered several major surprises, including the return of the title track from RUSH‘s classic fifth album, “A Farewell To Kings”, which had not been performed live since 1979. The set also featured “The Pass” from 1989’s “Presto” for the first time since 2013 and “The Anarchist” from 2012’s “Clockwork Angels” for the first time since 2015. RUSH also performed the full seven-part “2112” suite once again and brought Aimee Mann back to the stage for “Time Stand Still”.

Featured songs in video below:

0:00:00 Where’s Rush?
0:06:55 Xanadu
0:19:36 Limelight
0:24:21 Subdivisions
0:30:52 The Pass (first time since 2013)
0:36:01 Freewill
0:41:35 Neil Peart Tribute 1
0:42:56 Bravado
0:48:49 The Camera Eye
0:59:42 The Trees
1:05:35 The Anarchist (first time since 2015)
1:12:27 The Spirit Of Radio
1:18:06 2112 (full suite)
1:40:37 Far Cry
1:46:16 Distant Early Warning
1:51:21 New World Man
1:55:56 Vital Signs
2:01:41 Neil Peart Tribute 2
2:02:51 Time Stand Still (with Aimee Mann)
2:08:30 YYZ
2:13:18 A Farewell To Kings (first time since 1979)
2:19:49 The Garden
2:27:44 Tom Sawyer
2:34:37 Finding My Way
2:39:26 Working Man
2:46:28 Neil Peart Tribute 3

The “Fifty Something” tour marks RUSH‘s first run with its updated lineup, featuring classic members Geddy Lee on vocals and bass and Alex Lifeson on guitar, joined by German drummer Anika Nilles, who toured with legendary guitarist Jeff Beck in 2022, and newly added keyboardist Loren Gold, known for his touring work with THE WHO and CHICAGO.

RUSH‘s “Fifty Something” setlist is drawn from a pool of nearly 40 classic songs, with the band performing two sets each night while honoring the life and legacy of late drummer Neil Peart.

Speaking with Rolling Stone last October, Geddy said RUSH intended to change the setlist from show to show, explaining that a large portion of the songs would rotate between nights. He noted that fans attending multiple concerts in the same city would hear different sets, while the biggest favorites would still remain part of the nightly experience. The goal, he said, was to keep the performances fresh.

In a recent issue of U.K.’s Classic Rock magazine, Lee addressed why he and Lifeson chose to tour again under the RUSH name in 2026 without Peart. He admitted the decision sparked serious debate within the camp, but argued that after more than five decades and with dozens of RUSH songs being performed, using any other name would have felt unnatural.

After receiving the blessing of Peart‘s family for Lee and Lifeson to perform again as RUSH, Geddy said it made sense to return to the name they had carried for most of their lives.

Lee said they had been twisting themselves into knots trying to avoid using the name RUSH, even though it had been their identity for 50 years and existed before Neil joined the band.

He added that presenting the tour as “Lee And Lifeson Present The Music Of…” felt unnecessary, saying it was better to be direct and simply stand behind who they are and have been for more than five decades.

The 2026 leg of the “Fifty Something” tour, covering Canada, the United States and Mexico, originally included 22 dates, all of which sold out immediately. More shows were later added, bringing the tour to 58 concerts across 24 cities, with more than half a million tickets sold for 2026.

In February, RUSH also announced South American and European dates for the “Fifty Something” tour in early 2027. Those shows will mark the band’s first European performances since 2013 and its first visit to South America in 17 years.

RUSH performed publicly with Nilles for the first time at Canada’s Juno Awards in Hamilton, Ontario, in late March. The group played “Finding My Way”, the opening track from RUSH‘s debut album and the only album in the band’s catalog not to feature Peart.

The Juno Awards appearance marked Lee and Lifeson‘s first performance as RUSH since the band completed its 40th-anniversary tour in 2015. Since then, the two had appeared under their own names on select occasions, including tributes to Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot and FOO FIGHTERS drummer Taylor Hawkins.

During an interview with producer and YouTuber Rick Beato, Geddy and Alex confirmed that across four shows in a single city, RUSH would perform 38 different songs from its catalog. Geddy said not every album may be represented, while some records are naturally featured more heavily. He also explained that one reason he wanted to tour again was the number of messages he had received from younger fans and musicians who discovered the band after its final show and never had the chance to hear those songs live.

Discussing preparations for the “Fifty Something” tour, Alex said this run required a very different process from past tours. Previously, the band would rehearse individually for several weeks, narrow down a long list of songs, rehearse together for about a month, then enter full production before hitting the road. This time, the group benefited from around four months of preparation, especially because Anika had to learn such a large and complex body of music.

Geddy added that preparing for this tour was unlike rehearsing with Neil, because in the past the band already knew the older material and focused mainly on new songs. For “Fifty Something”, they were essentially starting from scratch, helping an exceptionally talented drummer from a different musical background understand nearly 40 songs from what he called a very unusual and idiosyncratic band. He said the process was difficult but exciting, especially once the feel came together and the chemistry began to click.

Alex said the band had bonded deeply during rehearsals, explaining that it was not only about playing the songs correctly but also about building a strong personal connection. He described the atmosphere as joyful and said the experience kept becoming more rewarding as the songs developed and the group found its pacing.

Geddy also revealed that when they added one particularly complicated song late in rehearsals, Anika felt overwhelmed because of the amount of material already in her head. He said they eventually traded two songs out in exchange for the new one. Still, he praised her courage, confidence and respect for Neil, emphasizing that her role does not diminish Peart‘s greatness in any way.

Nilles, who has more than 275,000 subscribers on YouTube, toured with Jeff Beck in 2022 and was praised by Lee in 2023, when he told The Guardian that he thought she was terrific after seeing her perform on Beck’s final tour.

Nilles‘s official Instagram account, filled with drumming clips and performance videos, has grown to more than 485,000 followers.

In a recent Classic Rock interview, Anika spoke about Neil‘s playing, praising its energy, melodic quality and wide range of tonal colors. She said Peart had signature sounds that came not simply from his equipment, but from the way he played, making him instantly recognizable and especially challenging to study.

Nilles also noted that Neil rarely repeated himself exactly, often adding something different when a song section returned. She said those details are part of what give RUSH songs their identity, but also make them difficult to memorize and perform properly, because every part matters.

Peart died in January 2020 after a three-year battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. He was 67.

RUSH waited three days before announcing Peart‘s death, a moment that sent shockwaves through the music world and led to an enormous outpouring of grief from fans and fellow musicians around the globe.