OMG, you guys! 🤯 Anika Nilles is playing drums for RUSH’s 2026 and 2027 tours! I mean, I’m not surprised or anything, but it’s not every day you see a jazz/fusion drummer stepping in for the legendary Neil Peart 🙌. I’m sure it’s not a big deal or anything, but I’m just casually freaking out over here 😂. So, let’s get into it. In a recent interview with Thomann’s Drum Bash, Anika talked about the task of sitting behind the drum kit for RUSH’s comeback trek, dubbed “Fifty Something”. Because, you know, it’s not like she has big shoes to fill or anything 👠.
Apparently, Anika was familiar with Neil Peart as a drummer, especially when it comes to the song “Tom Sawyer” 🎸. But, surprisingly, she hadn’t really listened to RUSH music before being approached to play with Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson 🤔. I mean, who needs to listen to the band’s music before joining them on tour, right? 🙄 It’s not like it’s a big deal or anything. Anika said: “Actually, I was familiar with Neil as a drummer, especially in combination with the song ‘Tom Sawyer’. That’s a classic in the drum community, of course. But I haven’t really listened to RUSH music, even if I was growing up with rock music and progressive music. But for some reason I never stumbled into the RUSH catalog.”
The Preparation
So, how did Anika prepare for the “Fifty Something” tour? Well, she treated the music with great respect, of course 🙏. She said: “I treat the music with great respect to the guys and also to Neil’s parts, because Neil is a big part of the music. And so I try to make careful decisions with a great deal of sensitivity of what I’m playing original and where there is room for me to play more free or more me or more improvising.” I mean, it’s not like she’s trying to fill Neil Peart’s shoes or anything 💁♀️. Anika also talked about learning the songs and making decisions about what to play originally and where to improvise. She said: “Every RUSH song is complex and difficult to learn. It’s so rich of details in every way. I mean, the arrangement itself is full of details, but the drum parts are full of details, so it’s complex and a lot of things to learn and to memorize.”
The Chemistry
But, you know, it’s not all about the music 🎶. Anika also talked about her personal and musical chemistry with Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson 🤜🤛. She said: “If you know those two guys, they are so funny and they’re so human. And that made it really easy to connect to each other. So they treated me immediately, from first minute on, on the same level. I mean, they are legends. They could be whatever — whatever, arrogant or whatever. They are not. They are funny. They are so human.” I mean, who wouldn’t want to hang out with Geddy and Alex? 🤩 They seem like a blast 🎉. Anika also said: “I love energetic music. I love when someone is really focused on music and working on details. These are all points where I see myself also with my music. So it’s a way, I think, which made it all easy for us to connect with each other.”
So, why did Geddy and Alex choose Anika to play drums for RUSH? 🤔 Well, according to Geddy, they wanted someone fresh, someone with a story, someone whose story would be welcomed by their fans 📚. He said: “We never really talked about that, because that was never really a concern or an issue. As far as I was concerned personally, I went back and forth on the idea of going back on the road. I did other projects, and I kept pretty busy. And I just didn’t know if I wanted to go through the whole thing of touring and being on the road.” I mean, it’s not like they chose her because she’s a talented drummer or anything 🙄. Alex also said: “We were just having so much fun playing the songs, and after not having played them for a while, they were challenging to play. So that made it even more fun.”
Anyway, RUSH is performing multiple shows in cities across Canada, the United States, and Mexico 🎟️. Each show features a distinct selection of songs, and the band builds each night’s setlist from a catalog of around 40 tracks 📝. I mean, who needs a fixed setlist, right? 🤷♀️ It’s not like the fans will be expecting to hear certain songs or anything 🙄. The band has also added more dates to the trek due to increased demand 🚀. Because, you know, the fans just can’t get enough of RUSH 🤩.
In conclusion, Anika Nilles is playing drums for RUSH’s 2026 and 2027 tours, and I’m just casually freaking out over here 😂. I mean, it’s not every day you see a jazz/fusion drummer stepping in for Neil Peart 🙌. But, hey, I’m sure she’ll do just fine 🙏. After all, it’s not like she has big shoes to fill or anything 👠. 🎸👏
Chord F. Discord, the Beethoven of Buffoonery, is a self-taught expert in music who once claimed he could “play the kazoo in four languages.”
Born in Crescendo, Indiana, Chord’s first brush with fame came when he accidentally entered a yodeling contest thinking it was a pie-eating competition—and won both categories.
Chord F. Discord: proving that laughter, much like a poorly tuned ukulele, is truly universal.
