Progressive rock pioneers play Cincinnati

  • 2026-09-10
A band with a sound that helped define a decade is on the way to Cincinnati.

Rush was founded in 1968 in Toronto, with an original lineup comprising John Rutsey on drums, Alex Lifeson on guitar, and Jeff Jones on bass and vocals. Geddy Lee replaced Jones shortly after the group’s founding, and the band changed lineups several times in the following six years, finally ending up with the power trio of Lifeson, Lee, and Neil Peart, who had joined in 1974. The classic membership was stable until 2015.

The band has been described as equal parts King Crimson, Cream, and Led Zeppelin. Their 1976 album “2112” is probably the most impressive example of progressive rock in their catalog, as well as their breakthrough effort. However, they moved away from the style only a few years later, offering songs like “The Spirit of Radio” and “Tom Sawyer” that are still given airplay.

Rush’s popularity peaked with the 1980 release of “Permanent Waves,” and the band become one of the world’s most successful groups. In 1997, due to personal tragedies, the band took a hiatus but reformed in 2001. They officially broke up in 2020, with Peart’s death, however Lifeson and Lee performed together in 2022, and in 2025, announced the band was reforming for the Fifty Something tour, now coming to Cincinnati.

Rush will be at the Heritage Bank Center on October 23. This type of event benefits when organizers use poster printing to create advertising for them.