Rush is making good on a promise to expand their lineup. Loren Gold has been confirmed as touring keyboardist for the band, led by legacy members Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson.
They just extended a reunion that began with a surprise announcement last year. The Fifty Something tour now extends into 2027 with new dates in South America, U.K. and Europe.
“We also have hired a keyboard player who’s going to be coming on the road with us,” Geddy told Planet Rock. “He’s played with the Who for the last 12 years or more and also Chicago, and he’s a real veteran. So we’re excited to bring him on board and our first rehearsal with him starts very soon.”
Who Is Rush’s New Keyboardist Loren Gold?
Anika Nilles is filling in for Rush’s late drummer Neil Peart. Their previously announced run of more than 50 scheduled shows begins in June. These shows are Rush’s first in 11 years. Lee and Lifeson previously said they were disbanding the group after Peart’s death in 2020.
Gold’s association with the Who began with dates backing up their co-founding frontman. “I started touring with Roger Daltrey in 2009 and with the Who in 2012,” the keyboardist told Mainly Piano. “It’s been an amazing ride, playing some of the greatest music ever composed in stadiums and arenas all over the world.”
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He’s appeared on a string of live Who projects, including 2014’s Quadrophenia Live in London, 2015’s Live in Hyde Park, 2017’s Tommy Live at the Royal Albert Hall and 2023’s The Who With Orchestra Live at Wembley, as well as Daltrey’s The Who’s Tommy Orchestral concert recording from 2019.
Meanwhile, Gold first filled in for Lou Pardini during Chicago’s 2021 tour, then was announced as his replacement in 2022. He appeared on one track from 2022’s Chicago XXXVIII: Born for This Moment. Gold said he’s also worked with Kenny Loggins, Don Felder, Taylor Hicks and Hilary Duff, among others. His first solo album dates back to 1998’s Reflections of Gold.
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When Does Rush’s Extended Tour Begin?
Rush moved keyboards to the fore at the dawn of the ’80s, memorably leading the single “Subdivisions” from 1982’s Signals with minor-key synths. But they poked a little fun at the idea of this new super-sized lineup. “It’s going to free us up to work on those dance moves as well,” Lifeson said. Geddy responded: “You’re creating an unrealistic expectation! … Well, we’re pretty good dancers. I’ll be your J-Lo to your Beyonce.”
The 2026 shows end on Dec. 17 in Vancouver before the 2027 concerts pick up again on Jan. 15 in Buenos Aires. The reunited Rush then appears in Paris, Berlin, Glasgow, London and Copenhagen, before wrapping up on April 10 in Helsinki.
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