MIKE PORTNOY Says He Is 'Kind Of Glad' He Wasn't Asked To Play For RUSH On 2026 Tour: 'That Would Be Way Too Much Pressure'

In a new interview with Chile's Futuro, DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy was asked for his opinion on last year's announcement that RUSH's surviving members Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson had recruited award-winning fusion drummer Anika Nilles to fill in for the late Neil Peart this year as the Canadian rock legends embark on their surprise "Fifty Something" reunion tour. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's extremely exciting. I, as a fan, can't wait to see how they do this and what it's gonna be like. Neil Peart was not only one of my biggest drum heroes, but he was somebody that I was honored to become friends with in the last decade or so of his life. So, yeah, as a fan of the band and as a friend of Neil's, I'm very happy to see them doing this, and I can't wait to hear what they do."

Portnoy went on to say that he has "never seen" Anika play in person, "but like everybody else in the world, as soon as the announcement was made, I started pulling up videos on YouTube and saw her playing with Jeff Beck and doing the jazz fusion kind of stuff she does," he said. "She's obviously a tremendous drummer, so I'm really curious to see how it sounds."

Regarding how many times he had gotten asked about his own hypothetical involvement with RUSH prior to last year's announcement, Portnoy said: "Before [Lee and Lifeson] announced their return, it's a question that I would get asked in almost every single interview for the last decade: 'Would you ever play with Geddy and Alex? Would you ever?' Of course. Those guys are my heroes. But in all honesty, I'm kind of glad that they didn't even ask me, because that would be way too much pressure, way too much pressure. So, it's much better this way. I get to enjoy it like a fan."

Five and a half years ago, Portnoy spoke to World Prog-Nation about how Peart influenced him on a musical and personal level. He said: "I spent 20, 30 years idolizing him and being his biggest fan. And all those years, it was mainly the drum kit — the drum kit was such a fascination for me. He always built such amazing kits and put so much thought into it. I'd always get the tour programs where he'd write about the kit and what the new things were on it, and I would just look at those photos. Most other kids were looking at Playboy centerfolds; I was looking at Neil Peart drum kits. And then, obviously, his playing — it goes without saying. I learned how to really develop parts and orchestrate drum parts to build and change and develop within the song. So that was the biggest stuff for me as a fan. And then later on, once I got to know him, I was so inspired by what a gracious person he was."

Mike added: "He had this reputation that he was sort of quiet and isolated and private, and he was, and it was very important for him to guard that. But once you were somehow allowed into that inner cicle, he was always so sweet and kind and generous. He'd always send me holiday e-mails and he would always send me his new books and stuff like that. It was a relationship that I'll always cherish and I was honored to have."

During an October 2021 interview with TWISTED SISTER bassist Mark "The Animal" Mendoza's Internet show "22 Now", Portnoy once again spoke about a hypothetical scenario in which he would be chosen to tour with Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson as the replacement for Peart. Asked if he would be interested in taking that gig, Portnoy said: "Of course. That would be a dream to play with those guys. But I don't wanna see the Blabbermouth headline right now, me thinking that I deserve the gig. I'm not saying that. You're asking me a question. Hypothetically, of course, it would be a dream come true. Neil was my hero, and always will be, and Geddy and Alex are as well.

"I don't think in a million years they'll play [as RUSH] without him; I really don't," he continued. "But in a hypothetical dream scenario, I mean, come on — of course. But I don't think in a zillion years it will happen. But it's a nice dream to hypothetically wonder about. But I honestly don't think it would ever happen. But who knows? You never know.

"As much as hypothetically it would be fun, it would be amazing, it would also be an impossible role to fill," Portnoy added. "It's a no-win situation. Really, it would be impossible, 'cause his fans are as obsessive as they get — and count me amongst them. So, yeah, that would be a tough one."

Mike also talked about RUSH's final tour which concluded at the Forum in Los Angeles on August 1, 2015. Peart indicated at the time that he wanted to retire while he was still able to play well, along with a desire to spend more time at home with his young daughter.

"They went out on such a high," Portnoy said. "Their last tour was a farewell tour. I don't think anybody expected Neil to pass, but they wanted to stop touring, so they really went out with such an amazing tour. That tour was just so well done, so perfectly executed, and they went out with all three of them still at the top of their game. So I give them all the credit in the world for that. It's just sad that Neil didn't get many years to enjoy the retirement before he got sick. That saddens me."

RUSH will perform multiple shows in cities across Canada, the United States and Mexico, beginning June 7, 2026 at The Kia Forum in Los Angeles. These special "evening with" shows will find the band playing two sets each night. Each show will feature a distinct selection of songs and RUSH will build each night's setlist from a catalogue of 35 songs including their greatest hits and fan favorites.

After Lee and Lifeson announced RUSH's initial 2026 tour dates in early October, they instantly sold out. They then doubled the tour's length due to increased demand before adding even more dates to the trek.

At the moment, the "Fifty Something" tour is scheduled to stretch into the fall and early winter, with sold-out shows in Chicago, Cleveland, Fort Worth, Los Angeles, New York and Toronto, as well as dates in Atlanta, Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C., to name a few.

Peart died in January 2020 after a three-year battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. He was 67 years old.

RUSH waited three days to announce Peart's passing, setting off shockwaves and an outpouring of grief from fans and musicians all over the world.

Since Peart's death, Lifeson and Lee have not recorded any new music or performed live under the RUSH name, although both of them confirmed that several drummers reached out to them in the days after the legendary drummer's passing about the possibility of stepping in for Neil.