We’ve been rolling out some episodes the last few months (a soft launch) and are ready to present our new podcast devoted entirely to RUSH—Why Rush Matters—with 6 episodes ready for your consumption!
Welcome friends, to “Why Rush Matters.”
I'm a musician, music journalist, and since a January evening in 1980 at the Palace Theater in Albany, a devoted Rush fan who has never once looked back. Joining me is my friend and collaborator Ray Wawrzyniak, educator, collector, historian, and one of the most passionate Rush scholars on the planet.
Ray and I met through our shared love of this band, and the kinship was immediate. If you've ever encountered Rush liner notes, tour books, or the documentary record of the band's history, there's a real chance you've already encountered Ray's work without knowing it.
So: why does Rush matter?
That's the question we set out to answer in Episode 1, and it turns out, for Ray and me, the answer runs pretty deep. We talk about our origin stories with the band, the albums that hit us hardest, and what it means, decades later, to still feel the music the way we did the first time. We also dig into the recent deluxe reissue of Grace Under Pressure, and we discuss Rush's landmark performance at the Juno Awards, the first public appearance of the new lineup featuring drummer Annika Niles, which left both of us, frankly, a little undone.
Ep 2: With the Rush Fifty Something tour officially underway and the accolades rolling in, Jeff and Ray discuss the first run of shows, Ray’s first-person recollections of nights 1 and 2 in Los Angeles, the incredible grace under pressure exhibited by Anika Nilles, the Xanadu Lounge (honeydew and milk of paradise for all!), and the abundant surprises in the tour’s setlists so far.
Ep 3: As the Fifty Something tour rolls on, and Geddy, Alex, Anika and Loren navigate a bump in the road or two, Jeff & Ray look back on the Rush concerts from years past that formed and fostered their love for the band, reflect on”spontaneous relations and the long enduring kind,” and highlight through-lines in the trio’s illustrious tenure as a premier live band.
Ep 4: As the 2026 edition of Rush continues to roll across the country, claiming one (not so) little victory at a time, Jeff & Ray dig through decades of intense fandom, personal experiences, and close listening, to defend their Rush top 10 lists. Interesting and sometimes intense discussion ensued!
Ep 5: We spend some time with Steve Himel, co-founder and General Manager of Toronto’s Henderson Brewing Company, and creator of the Rush line of brews. Steve tells us about his plans for the 4th annual Rush Day, which welcomes an international community of Rush freaks to Henderson’s Toronto brewery on August 8th; Jeff tells Steve that he’s his personal hero for combining the two things he loves the most - Rush and beer; and Steve tells us about the roots of the partnership with Alex and Geddy that led to the creation of Rush beer.
Ep. 6: While Geddy, Alex, Anika and Loren - as well as thousands of grateful fans - recover from an epic 4-night run in Toronto, Jeff and Ray present their recent conversation with legendary CFNY DJs Ivar Hamilton, Scot Turner and Liz Janik, who were in town to promote their new documentary on the history of that fabled station, which will open in Buffalo this fall.
As any self-respecting Rush-head knows, the band wrote “The Spirit of Radio” to pay homage to CFNY and the power and impact of free-form radio. During our chat, Ivar and Scot share their Rush related memories, and Liz recounts the story of Neil Peart traveling over the Niagara escarpment and hearing her spin the Genesis epic “Watcher of the Skies”, an experience he cited as an inspiration for the writing of “The Spirit of Radio.”
Apple Podcast:
Spotify Podcast:
Amazon Podcast HERE.
Produced by 678Main Studio and Creative Services
In Partnership with Pantheon Media
Audio Engineer: Joe Jacobs
Videography/Editing: Harry Jones
Graphic Design: Kim Miers
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https://instagram.com/whymusicmatterspodcast
Jeff-on the latest episode, you seemed to indicate you had done a write up on your experience seeing Rush in Toronto. Is that somewhere we can read it?