Rush's Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson Reunite to Pay Tribute to Gordon Lightfoot at Massey Hall: Watch
The singer and guitarist of the immensely popular Canadian trio joined house band Blue Rodeo for a performance of "The Way I Feel," honouring the iconic singer-songwriter Lightfoot, who died last year at 84.
Performers at the Gordon Lightfoot tribute concert at Massey Hall, May 23, 2024
A legendary Canadian band reunited at Toronto's Massey Hall in tribute to a fellow iconic Canadian performer, the late Gordon Lightfoot.
Canadian music fans at the sold-out hall on Thursday (May 23) knew they were in for a star-studded tribute event for the folk singer-songwriter, but there was one major act they weren't expecting: Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson of rock trio Rush, billed in advance as 'L+L' made a surprise appearance to honour Lightfoot.
The two surviving members of Rush, who have only performed together a handful of times since drummer Neil Peart passed in 2020, took on Lightfoot's 1966 song 'The Way I Feel,' joined by folk-rockers Blue Rodeo (in very spiffy suits). Their six-minute version of the song featured vocals from Lee and closed with an acoustic solo from Lifeson.
“It was important for us to pay tribute to Gordon,” Lee said in an interview with Variety. “After the gig, Gordon’s daughter Meredith [Moon] said to us, ‘Leave it to Rush to make ‘The Way I Feel’ sound prog,’ so I think we succeeded,” he added.
Lee and Lifeson also came out for the closing performance, "Summer Side of Life." The ensemble number featured the rest of the tribute concert's lineup, including a mix of classic Canadian musicians like Burton Cummings and Sylvia Tyson, as well as contemporary artists like Aysanabee, Allison Russell, William Prince, and Julian Taylor, who all put their own spin on Lightfoot's melodic work throughout the show. Serena Ryder also made a surprise appearance, duetting "If You Could Read My Mind," with Moon.
In his career, Lightfoot performed at Massey Hall a record-setting 170 times, earning the venue the nickname "the House that Gord built." Lee and Lifeson also have a history with the venue, recording Rush's 1976 live album All The World's A Stage there. They most recently appeared there in December, promoting Lee's memoir My Effin' Life.
