Rush Switches Up Setlist On Night 2 Of Fifty Something Reunion Tour

Rush's Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee returned to the Kia Forum in Los Angeles last night for the second show of their Fifty Something Tour with drummer Anika Nilles and keyboardist Loren Gold. The band made many changes to the setlist used on opening night as a whopping 14 tour debuts were trotted out on Tuesday.

The Fifty Something Tour marks Rush’s first tour since 2015 and first to follow the 2020 death of drummer Neil Peart. Nilles has won raves for her work behind the kit in a way that honors Peart while still showcasing her own musicality. Geddy Lee revealed in a recent interview with Rick Beato that the band would be pulling from a repertoire of 38 different songs for the tour.

Night two began with the same “Where’s Rush?” video and “Xanadu” opener played at the tour launch. After the ensuing “The Spirit Of Radio,” Rush revisited Signals gem “The Analog Kid” for the first time since 2013.

Neil Peart was the focus of multiple tribute collages broadcast on the screens behind the band. The initial video aired before a performance of “Bravado” dedicated to the late drummer. “Bravado” was followed by “Leave That Thing Alone,” which led into fellow tour debuts of “The Trees” and “Headlong Flight” ahead of the set-closing “Limelight.”

Rush kicked off the second set with the overture from their 1976 studio album 2112 as they did on Sunday. The band followed with all six additional portions of the “2112” suite last night after performing just three movements at the first show of the tour. Parts II, V and VI hadn’t been played by Rush since 1997.

Tour debuts of “Animate,” “Closer To The Heart” and “A Passage To Bangkok” were up next ahead of another montage in tribute to Peart and a reprise of the “Time Stand Still” duet with special guest Aimee Mann initially performed on Sunday. The rest of the second set mixed beloved favorites “YYZ,” “Red Barchetta” and “Tom Sawyer” with tour debuts of “Anthem” and “Witch Hunt.”

Rush started their encore with “Finding My Way,” the opening song from their self-titled 1974 debut album. The band previously played “Finding My Way” at the Juno Awards in March for the first time in full since 1976. The concert ended in the same fashion as the tour opener with “Working Man.”

The inclusion of all the tour debuts meant several songs were dropped on night two. “Far Cry,” “Caravan,” “La Villa Strangiato,” “Vital Signs,” “Distant Early Warning,” “Dreamline,” “Natural Science,” “Red Sector A,” “The Garden” and “By-Tor & The Snow Dog” each were played on Sunday but not on Tuesday.

Eighty-six shows remain to be played through 2027. Rush closes out their run at Kia Forum with concerts on Thursday, June 11 and Saturday, June 13.

Watch highlights from Rush’s Tuesday night show at Kia Forum via fan-shot video below: