Annika Niles is a BADASS
June 8, 2026
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Hawk and his brother were at the LA Forum on June 7, 2026, for Rush's first concert in 11 years — and the night delivered. The legendary venue was the site of the band's final show with Neil Peart on August 1, 2015, making the return both historic and emotional.
The conversation that made it happen? Paul McCartney told Geddy Lee that performers perform — and pointed to his own decision to keep playing after losing John Lennon. Rush listened. When the reunion was announced, speculation ran wild about who would take over on drums. Rush went with Anika Nilles, a German drummer who previously played with Jeff Beck and who many Rush fans, including Hawk, had never heard of before.
Hawk breaks down what he witnessed: a visibly nervous first set, a 25-minute intermission that seemed to reset everything, and then a second set where Nilles came out loose, free, and absolutely locked in. Geddy's voice was strong, his bass playing was off the rails, and Alex Lifeson was deep in his zone all night.
Three hours of Rush. Three people on stage. One hell of a night.
#anikaNilles #rush #neilpeart #geddylee #alexlifeson #paulMccartney #jeffbeck #livemusic #drums #rockmusic #laforum #rushband #concertreview #classicrock #prog
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