Mike Portnoy, the Dream Theater drummer frequently touted as a possible replacement for the late Neil Peart should Rush tour again, has shared his thoughts after attending two shows on the band’s Fifty Something reunion tour.
Portnoy, who shared a picture of himself standing backstage with Anika Nilles, the drummer whom Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson selected to fill Peart’s seat behind the kit, clearly enjoyed himself.
“Went and saw Rush again last night for the second time on this tour (NYC #2 & Philly #2),” says Portnoy. “Absolutely amazing show once again! I got lucky as the sets were very different, last night’s being a new, unique variation which had them playing both La Villa Strangiato and A Farewell To Kings back to back (the two songs I was hoping to hear the most!)
“Was able to spend some time with the Queen before the show! Thank you so much, Anika, for the hospitality. I cannot express enough how happy I am for her and the band. She is absolutely perfect for this gig! Handling most of Neil’s nuances while still bringing her own style and swing to the music (but always with the utmost respect). You can feel the whole audience rooting for her through the whole show, and I love that!
“Congratulations to her and Geddy and Alex on this tour. The amount of time and dedication they’ve put into the show(s) is incredible, and I think they’ve gone above and beyond anybody’s expectations, delivering a show that is worthy of the band’s legacy and also honours Neil’s memory with the utmost respect. I am so proud to be a Rush fan!”
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The next show on Rush’s Fifty Something tour is tomorrow (August 26) at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, MI. Full dates below.
Rush: Fifty Something Tour 2026
Aug 26: Detroit Little Caesars Arena, MI
Aug 28: Detroit Little Caesars Arena, MI
Sep 02: Montreal Bell Centre, QC
Sep 04: Montreal Bell Centre, QC
Sep 12: Boston TD Garden, MA
Sep 14: Boston TD Garden, MA
Sep 17: Cleveland Rocket Arena, OH
Sep 19: Cleveland Rocket Arena, OH
Sep 23: San Antonio Frost Bank Center, TX
Sep 25: San Antonio Frost Bank Center, TX
Oct 05: Denver Ball Arena, CO
Oct 07: Denver Ball Arena, CO
Oct 10: Seattle Climate Pledge Arena, WA
Oct 12: Seattle Climate Pledge Arena, WA
Oct 15: San Jose SAP Center, CA
Oct 17: San Jose SAP Center, CA
Oct 25: Washington Capital One Arena, D.C.
Oct 27: Washington Capital One Arena, D.C.
Oct 30: Uncasville Mohegan Sun Arena, CT
Nov 01: Uncasville Mohegan Sun Arena, CT
Nov 05: Hollywood Hard Rock Live, FL
Nov 07: Hollywood Hard Rock Live, FL
Nov 09: Tampa Benchmark International Arena, FL
Nov 11: Tampa Benchmark International Arena, FL
Nov 20: Charlotte Spectrum Center, NC
Nov 22: Charlotte Spectrum Center, NC
Nov 25: Atlanta State Farm Arena, GA
Nov 27: Atlanta State Farm Arena, GA
Dec 01: Glendale Desert Diamond Arena, AZ
Dec 03: Glendale Desert Diamond Arena, AZ
Dec 10: Edmonton Rogers Place, AB
Dec 12: Edmonton Rogers Place, AB
Dec 15: Vancouver Rogers Arena, BC
Dec 17: Vancouver Rogers Arena, BC
Rush: Fifty Something tour dates 2027
Jan 15: Buenos Aires Movistar Arena, Argentina
Jan 22: Curitiba Arena da Baixada, Brazil
Jan 24: São Paulo Allianz Parque, Brazil
Jan 26: São Paulo Allianz Parque, Brazil
Jan 30: Rio de Janeiro Estádio Olímpico Nilton Santos. Brazil
Feb 01: Belo Horizonte Estádio Mineirão, Brazil
Feb 04: Brasília Arena BRB Mané Garrincha, Brazil
Feb 19: Paris La Défense Arena, France
Feb 21: Berlin Uber Arena, Germany
Feb 23: Amstersam Ziggo Dome, Netherlands
Feb 25: Munich Olympiahalle, Germany
Feb 28: Cologne Lanxess Arena, Germany
Mar 02: Hamburg Barclays Arena, Germany
Mar 04: Stuttgart Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle, Germany
Mar 08: Glasgow OVO Hydro, UK
Mar 10: Glasgow OVO Hydro, UK
Mar 12: Manchester Co-op Live, UK
Mar 14: Manchester Co-op Live, UK
Mar 16: London O2 Arena, UK
Mar 18: London O2 Arena, UK
Mar 21: London O2 Arena, UK
Mar 27: Kraków Arena Kraków, Poland
Mar 30: Milan Unipol Dome, Italy
Apr 01: Basel St. Jakobshalle Basel, Switzerland
Apr 04: Copenhagen Royal Arena, Denmark
Apr 06: Oslo Unity Arena, Norway
Apr 08: Stockholm Avicii Arena, Sweden
Apr 10: Helsinki Veikkaus Arena, Finland