![]() Rush bandmates Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee pose together at the Tribeca Film Festival. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images) |
Yes, you read that right.
The ever-popular musicians are being introduced to a whole new generation thanks to a new Canuck rock doc, Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage. Directed by self-confessed obsessive fans Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn, the film is receiving rave reviews for its inside look at the group's 40-year career and recently won the Heineken Audience Award at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival (netting the helming duo a hefty $25,000 prize) as well as an Audience Award at Toronto's own HotDocs fest.
"The best documentary films are just great stories with characters who jump off the screen, and that is certainly the case with Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage," said Tribeca's executive director Nancy Schafer.
Featuring never-before-seen archival footage, interviews with the band members themselves and one-on-ones with some of today's most respected rock artists including Gene Simmons (Kiss), Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins), Sebastian Bach (Skid Row), Kirk Hammett (Metallica), actor Jack Black, the extensive documentary explores the forty-year career and phenomenon behind what frontman Lee likes to call "the world's biggest cult band."
Whether they can truly be called cult is a debate best left up to their devoted fanbase but you can't really argue the fact that they've experienced the kind of success that other bands only dream of. In fact, the group is often named by many as one of rock's most influential and they actually rank third for most consecutive gold or platinum studio albums behind legendary rockers The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. How's that for an impressive stat?
And don't make the mistake of thinking that this comprehensive retrospective signals Rush's retreat from the rock landscape either. These guys as about as far from retirement as the ever-present (and youthful) Justin Bieber. The trio is currently in the midst of writing and recording new material and will be heading back out on the road this summer for their "Time Machine" tour.
But what could possibly keep them going after all these years? What's the driving force behind their longevity? Lifeson takes the time to break it down for us all during a quieter moment in the film.
"Chicks."
Spoken like a true rock star.
Check out Lifeson and his bandmates in full on Rush-mode in these stills from the film:
Check out the trailer now:
Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage screens for one night only on June 10 at the Scotiabank Theatre in Toronto. Click here to buy tickets now!
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