RUSH: Toronto Shows To Be Professionally Filmed

Canadian rock legends RUSH will have both of their hometown Toronto performances — on June 17 and June 19 at the Air Canada Centre — professionally filmed and recorded. It is the first time the band will have filmed a hometown concert in almost 20 years — since the recording of RUSH's 1997 show at the Molson Canadian Amphitheatre on the "Test For Echo" tour. Prior to that, they recorded the legendary "Exit…Stage Left" at Massey Hall in 1980.

Fans who have their coveted tickets to the sold-out shows in Toronto are encouraged to represent and wear RUSH shirts, bring signs and come ready with their "outside" voices.

RUSH released its 20th studio album, "Clockwork Angels", in 2012 on Anthem/Roadrunner Records. The critically acclaimed collection debuted at No. 1 in Canada and No. 2 on The Billboard 200 chart.

The "R40 Live" tour will wrap on August 1 in Los Angeles, California at the Forum.

Asked how he is feeling about the idea of retiring from the road, RUSH guitarist Alex Lifeson told The Canadian Press: "I have such mixed feelings about it. In one way, I feel relief. I think that 40 years is a long time to be touring the way we tour. I really like being home with my grandkids. At 61, I don't feel there's anything we need to prove."

He continued: "I still love playing. But in [drummer] Neil's [Peart] case, for example, his job is really tough. Playing the way he does is very, very difficult on his body. He has chronic tendonitis in his arms and he's had problems with his shoulders.

"It's just getting to the point, no matter how much we love doing it, that it's much more demanding and much more difficult."

Lifeson added: "I've always hated the idea of being one of those guys who's just up there, old and barely able to move — just doing it for fear of not doing it, or not making an extra buck or whatever.

"If this is the last major tour that we do, [I want to] go out with flying colors, where everybody remembers the show they went to as the best RUSH they've [seen].

"That's a nice legacy to leave behind — rather than the worn-out shadow of something you once were."

Out now is "R40", a RUSH video box set on six Blu-ray discs or 10 DVDs. The collection includes live footage from all four decades of the band's career, including over two hours of previously unreleased material, a rare performance of "2112" in its entirety, three previously unreleased tracks from 1974, and more.