Following Rush’s highly anticipated first live performance in over a decade, frontman Geddy Lee has shared his enthusiastic reaction to the band’s new drummer, Anika Nilles. In an emotional and reflective statement, Lee praised Nilles as the perfect fit for the legendary progressive rock band while honoring the irreplaceable legacy of late drummer Neil Peart.
“We’ve been rehearsing with her, on and off, for about a year now,” Lee explained. “And now it’s very comfortable, and she’s expressing her personality, which is nice to see, because she’s a fantastic person, lovely, easy to work with and really deeply talented.”
Lee emphasized that Nilles was the only drummer the band considered for the role. “So we consider ourselves so fortunate, because she was really the only drummer we tried to work with, and she’s just been perfect for us. And she fires us up too. She’s a bonus,” he said.
The frontman also reflected on Peart’s enduring influence on the band. He acknowledged both the irreplaceable nature of his contributions and the emotional weight of moving forward. “Neil is irreplaceable. And if he had something to say to us right now, he’d probably say, ‘You guys are idiots.’ But music lives beyond tragedy, beyond anything that can happen in your life,” Lee shared.
Lee concluded his remarks with a poignant tribute to Peart. He expressed confidence that the late drummer would have approved of their choice. “One thing we’ve learned over the last 10 years is that music is still a part of us, and so to play it now with someone as young and exciting as Anika, it’s just another tribute to him. I think he’d be very pleased with our choice of drummer, and I think he would have a bit of a smirk on his face. A thumbs up, I hope,” he said.
Rush’s comeback performance marked a significant milestone for the band and their fans worldwide. Revolver Magazine reported that Rush made their live debut with Anika Nilles at the 2026 Juno Awards on March 29 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. This was their first live show since 2015 and their first public performance with the new drummer. The performance was a carefully planned return, with the band selecting “Finding My Way” from their 1974 debut album as their showcase piece.
The choice of song held special significance for the band. Guitar World noted that Lee explained the decision: “If we have to choose one song, it’s almost impossible. We have so many. So we just asked management, and they said first song, first album.” The performance featured Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson alongside Nilles. Keyboardist Loren Gold completed the lineup for the historic event.
