I've been a huge fan of the Canadian group Rush since about 1989, shortly after the release of their Presto album. During my teen years, I had come to know Rush through their album-rock radio hits such as Tom Sawyer and The Spirit Of Radio, but after buying Presto I investigated the band further, borrowing some Rush tapes from friends as well as buying a few CDs and attending a Rush concert. The virtuosity that Rush displayed stunned me, and I slowly started collecting the rest of the band's catalog...
Prior to 2003, I'd had no notable urge to sing in a Rush tribute band. Singing like Geddy Lee is no walk in the park anyway, and my musical experiences up to that point had been satisfying enough despite the fact that they had all lacked Rush material.
But after playing a show with The Real Deal on New Year's Eve 2003, I reluctantly faced the reality that I wouldn't be performing as often as I would like in the months -- and possibly years -- ahead. So I set about looking for another band to join that could keep me busy and happy during the times that The Real Deal would be inactive.
Perusing the internet for possibilities, I happened upon a group of guys soliciting a singer for a Rush tribute in the North Bay Area. After an extended back-and-forth without an actual get-together the project opted not to carry a fourth musician for vocals, and blew me off. That project ended up becoming Trilogy, the Bay Area's other Rush tribute...
Undeterred, I kept looking for something interesting, but nothing surfaced until June. I showed up for a Rush jam in San Francisco and instantly took to both the drummer and the bassist at the jam. Ernie seemed to have a solid handle on Geddy's bass-playing, and Dan was very impressive filling the daunting task of Neil Peart's drumming. After the jam I asked about inviting a seasoned guitar player to a future get-together, and a few weeks later, Mike showed up and convincingly assumed the role of Alex Lifeson. Dan relocated the project's rehearsals to South San Francisco, and the four of us began building a catalog of Rush songs.
From the outset, The Rush Project was more or less intended to be a casual situation - albeit a situation involving four very solid players. Throughout the last half of 2003, and all of 2004, the band played a number of club dates alongside a few private events. Singing in the style of Geddy Lee was definitely a learning experience, but I tackled the challenge enthusiastically, slowly figuring out difficult mid-range songs like 'Red Barchetta' and 'The Trees'. By early 2005 I had pretty much unlocked many of Geddy's most challenging vocal tactics.
Just as I was mastering this style of singing, I decided to take my voice to Las Vegas and make an attempt to sing at a professional level. I made the move to Vegas in April 2005, but for the rest of 2005 I returned regularly to San Francisco to rehearse and play the occasional show with the band.
The Rush Project remained active in 2006, despite my absence. They're a great group of guys, and I'm confident they'll eventually find another singer to tackle the formidable role of Geddy Lee's voice in their fun project.
Please take a moment to visit The Rush Project Website. Thanks!
ROSTER OF MUSICIANS
August 2003 - October 2006
Alan A.M. Rush - Lead Vocals
Mike Fresquez - Guitars, Backing Vocals
Ernie Taira - Bass, Bass Pedals, Keyboards
Dan Chapman - Drums
Shane Otis (Substitute Guitarist)
August 2003 - October 2006
Alan A.M. Rush - Lead Vocals
Mike Fresquez - Guitars, Backing Vocals
Ernie Taira - Bass, Bass Pedals, Keyboards
Dan Chapman - Drums
Shane Otis (Substitute Guitarist)
