Rock and Roll Hall of Fame welcomes fans for ‘Rush Day’ at the museum
Even the threat of a blizzard could not keep the faithful Rush fans away from the Rock and Roll Hall and Fame and Museum for “Rush Day.” Mother nature smiled on Cleveland as the snow mass did a temorary swirle around the city in an unusual vortex of clear weather that lasted long enough for everyone to get safely home.
The quickly sold out event (the ticket purchasing system crashed three minutes after tickets went on sale) allowed Rock Hall members and non-members to visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to welcome 2013 Inductees Geddy Lee as he was interviewed on the Klipsch Audio Stage by fellow Rush band mate Alex Lifeson both of Rush. Fans unable to attend could watch a life stream of the interview on the Rock Hall’s Facebook page and submit questions during the Question and Answer period. The two talked about their Induction into the Hall of Fame as well as Lee’s bass guitar collection which it is rumored at last count totals over 600 bass guitars.
With this much gear it was only natural for a book to come out of the collection. Thus “Geddy Lee’s Big Book of Beautiful Bass” was born with 250 photos specially commissioned by Richard Sibbald of the wildly variant instruments. The book also features interviews with Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones, U2's Adam Clayton, Metallica's Robert Trujillo, Jeff Tweedy, Les Claypool and more.
A pair of forewords for the title were written by Lee's band mate Alex Lifeson and vintage expert Terry Foster. The book includes a timeline concerning the history of the bass guitar as well as a look at Lee’s live performance and studio instruments from 1968 to 2017. The 408-page coffee table style book documents the history and characteristics of Lee’s basses and includes such brands as Fenders, Gibsons and Rickenbackers to more obscure and lesser-known treasure in his collection.
Each ticket holder (member $100, non-member $125) was allowed to stand in during the onstage interview followed by getting their free copy of Lee’s book personally autographed by him. They could also tour the entire Rock Hall facility that includes the new display of Lee’s top eight bass guitars as well as a rebroadcast of Rush’s Hall of Fame Induction in the Museum’s Forest City Theater.
The group Rush was formed by Canadian high school friends in 1968 who played at local school dances and the local bar circuit before breaking out into the international arena. The group has undergone several music genre changes from early on blues inspired to hard rock into progressive rock along with a period that featured heavy use of synthesizers. The group finally returning to guitar driven hard rock in the early 90s. They are known primarily for their musicianship, complex compositions and eclectic lyrical motifs that draw on themes of science fiction, fantasy and philosophy.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s mission is to engage, teach and inspire through the power of rock and roll. The facility shares stories of the people, events and songs that have shaped the world through the use of exhibits, innovative programs and concerts. Rock On!