“Gordon’s daughter said to us, ‘Leave it to Rush to make The Way I Feel sound prog,’ so I think we succeeded”: Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee reunite for Gordon Lightfoot tribute

Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson and bassist Geddy Lee made a surprise appearance at last Thursday's (May 23) Gordon Lightfoot tribute concert at Toronto’s Massey Hall. Lifeson and Lee were billed under the nom de plume “L+L” before revealing their identities and joining Canadian alt-country band Blue Rodeo on stage. 

To the audience's surprise, Lifeson and Lee put their own spin on the Canadian songwriting great's The Way I Feel. The Rush duo also took the stage for an ensemble performance of Summerside of Life.

Geddy Lee & Alex Lifeson w/ Blue Rodeo - The Way I Feel - LIVE - YouTube

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“It was important for us to pay tribute to Gordon,” Lee tells Variety. “Not being folk or pop artists, Alex and I were looking for one of Gordon’s songs that might better suit our style of play and we found that in The Way I Feel. Its structure was loose and more open to interpretation than many of his more popular tunes.

“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.”

In addition to this surprise performance, Alex Lifeson recently revealed that he's been jamming with Geddy Lee.

“It’s funny because we sound like a really bad tribute band for the first three or four run-throughs on these things,” he said.  “It’s 'Oh, my God, what did I play there? Why did I play that so hard?

“And then muscle memory kicks in, and we’re having a ball doing it. It’s good for the fingers. We’re together in a room like we’ve always been. That’s been really good, but there’s no chance that we’re going to get a drummer and go back on the road as the rebirth of Rush or something like that.”

In a recent Guitar World interview, Lifeson set the record straight on the prospect of a Rush reunion as well as his his recent gear endeavors under his Lerxst banner.

Blue Rodeo & Friends - Lightfoot Celebration Finale (Massey Hall 2024) - YouTube

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