Rush

Rush formed in 1968 in Willowdale, a neighbourhood in North York, when teenagers Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson began playing together in what became a decades-long musical partnership. Drummer and lyricist Neil Peart joined in 1974, just before the band's first American tour, completing the lineup that would record the bulk of Rush's catalogue over the following decades, built around intricate musicianship and Peart's literate, often philosophical lyrics.

A Toronto band that never left

Unlike many Canadian acts of their era who relocated to the United States for their careers, Rush's three members kept Toronto as their base throughout the band's active decades, and the group became one of the best-selling rock bands in history, particularly known for progressive rock albums like 2112 (1976) and Moving Pictures (1981). The band retired from touring in 2015 and effectively ended with Peart's death in 2020, but remains one of Toronto's most commercially successful musical exports.

Sources

• The Canadian Encyclopedia — Rush
• Wikipedia — Rush (band)

Continue reading

North York

Almost single-handedly reshaped by one 25-year mayor, North York built its own downtown along Yonge Street —…

Leslieville

Named for a 19th-century nurseryman, Leslieville spent a century as a working-class brickmaking district…

Black Creek

Black Creek, a tributary of the Humber River, lent its name to both Black Creek Pioneer Village and the Jane…

Toronto's Airports

Canada's busiest airport, and — a fraction of its size but a straight shot to the downtown core — the small…