Two titans of progressive music came together on Monday night (November 20th) when RUSH guitarist Alex Lifeson joined Tool onstage during the latter’s concert at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena.
Tool notoriously don’t allow filming with cellphones during their concerts, but a few fans snuck footage of the historic moment, as seen in the clips below. Lifeson joined Tool for the 10,000 Days track “Jambi,” incorporating the intro and guitar solo of RUSH’s “A Passage to Bangkok” from the iconic 2112 album.
Lifeson grew up in Toronto, making the surprise performance a hometown gig for the guitar legend. It marked a rare appearance by the guitarist, who last year performed alongside RUSH bandmate Geddy Lee at Foo Fighters’ tribute concert to the late Taylor Hawkins in Los Angeles.
Just recently, Lee has been talking about the future of RUSH, who haven’t played a show since 2015. Following the passing of drummer Neil Peart in 2020, it appeared that RUSH was likely finished as a band, but Lee has opened the door to revisiting RUSH in recent interviews promoting his new book, My Effin’ Life.
“It’s very hard for [Alex] to get his head around the idea of doing a tour, you know,” Lee told Rolling Stone, “so I just keep working on him.” He added, “Does Alex want to write some more music with me? Yes, he does. He’s made that very clear. And that’s something I will try to do with him over the coming year.”
Lifeson has had a couple of health issues in recent years, including arthritis and a serious stomach condition that required surgery.
Tool, meanwhile, have a jam-packed touring schedule slated for 2024. The band ends its 2023 run with another show in Toronto tonight (November 21st), but will be back on the road in January for another US leg, followed by a spring UK/European run. Tickets for the US shows are available here, while tickets for the UK/European gigs can be purchased here.
Watch Alex Lifeson performing with Tool in the clips below, followed by a photo gallery of Tool’s September performance at Louder Than Life.
Photo Gallery: Tool at Louder Than Life 2023 (click to expand and scroll through)