Fans of iconic Canadian rock band Rush will enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime chance to pose for a picture behind legendary drummer Neil Peart’s one-of-a-kind, Collector’s Series® Drum Workshop (DW) hockey-themed drumset on the band’s upcoming R40 Live Anniversary Tour. Highly recognized by hockey fans and Rush fans alike, Peart was featured playing his percussion-focused rendition of The Hockey Theme on the drum set in the opening sequence of hockey telecasts on The Sports Network (TSN) and has been on display in the Hockey Hall of Fame along with the Stanley Cup since 2010. Peart’s iconic drum set will be displayed on the Canadian dates of the R40 tour alongside a signed, limited edition Neil Peart Icon Snare from DW and a signed Sabian cymbal which will both be auctioned on eBay. 100% of the photo donations and auction proceeds will go to The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation.

“This drum set has brought a lot of excitement to hockey fans and Rush fans all across Canada,” said Drum Workshop vice president of marketing, Scott Donnell. “It’s only fitting that these fans be afforded the opportunity to get behind this special kit as part of Rush’s R40 Canadian tour dates. We also felt it was fitting that Neil’s drums of choice could raise dollars and awareness for The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, Neil’s charity of choice.”

Photo opportunities with Peart’s iconic hockey kit will be available on the Canadian R40 Live Tour dates including:

June
17 – Toronto, ON – Air Canada Centre
19 – Toronto, ON – Air Canada Centre
21 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre

July
15 – Calgary, AB – Scotiabank Saddledome
17 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena

For a minimum $10.00 donation to The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, photo opportunities with Neil Peart’s DW hockey drum set will be available when doors open one hour prior to the start of each show and will be available until the end of the band’s scheduled intermission. A valid concert ticket is required.

From July 18 – July 27, Rush fans from around the world can bid in the eBay charity auction for a Neil Peart Icon Snare Drum autographed by Rush. An exact replica of the snare drum on Peart’s one-of-a-kind #R40 drumset, this limited edition snare is made from 1500-year-old Romanian River Oak salvaged from the bottom of the Olt River. Inlaid with intricate, laser-cut exotic woods, and complimented by gold-plated hardware -- only 250 of these drums were ever produced. A signed and numbered certificate of authenticity and deluxe carrying bag will accompany each drum. In addition, fans will also have the opportunity to bid on a 17” Paragon Crash Cymbal from Sabian autographed by Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart. 100% of the proceeds from the auction of these items will go to Peart’s charity of choice, The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. For more information, visit this location.

“We are absolutely thrilled to be partners in this amazing touring event,” stated Paul Alofs, president & CEO of The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. “As a long-time fan, to have Neil Peart select The Princess Margaret as his charity of choice is a real honor, and will help us in our mission to conquer cancer in our lifetime.”

The iconic hockey kit was created for Peart in DW’s custom shop in 2009 featuring airbrushed, lacquer graphics of 30 NHL logos and custom ice blue hardware. The kit was used in the recording of Peart’s recording of The Hockey Theme written by Dolores Clamen which was made available on iTunes with a portion of proceeds benefitting Hockey Fights Cancer and was also featured in the 2010 DVD “Fire on Ice: The Making of the Hockey Theme.”

The kit will make its final stop in Calgary, where it will permanently reside at Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre, and join over 2,000 artifacts in NMC’s collection, which represent the history of music technology and tell the story of music in Canada.

Rush announced that both hometown Toronto performances on June 17 and 19 at the Air Canada Centre will be filmed. It is the first time the band will have filmed in their hometown in almost 20 years with the recording in 1997 at the Molson Canadian Amphitheatre on the Test For Echo tour. Prior to that they recorded the legendary Exit…Stage Left at Massey Hall in 1980.

 

Fans who have their coveted tickets to the sold out shows in Toronto are encouraged to represent and wear Rush shirts, bring signs and come ready with their ‘outside’ voices.

On May 8, Rush's R40 Live 40th Anniversary Tour kicked off in Tulsa, OK at the BOK Center. Here's a taste of some of the surprises fans witnessed. Will you be one of them?

Rush's setlist in Tulsa, OK was as follows:

Set 1:

"Clockwork Angels"
"The Anarchist"
"Headlong Flight"
"Far Cry"
"Main Monkey Business"
"One Little Victory"
"Animate"
"Roll The Bones"
"Distant Early Warning"
"Subdivisions"

Set 2:
"Tom Sawyer"
"Red Barchetta"
"The Spirit Of Radio"
"Jacob's Ladder"
"Cygnus X-1 Book Two: Hemispheres - Prelude"
"Cygnus X-1 Book One - The Voyage: Part 1"
- drum solo -
"Cygnus X-1 Book One - The Voyage: Part 3"
"Closer To The Heart"
"Xanadu"
"2112 Overture/Temples of Syrinx/Presentation/Grand Finale"

Encore:
"Lakeside Park"
"Anthem"
"What You're Doing"
"Working Man"

R40 Live runs until August 1st in Los Angeles, CA. These not to be missed concerts will highlight four decades of the band's music. Complete tour details can be found here.

(Photo: Rob Shanahan)