Geddy Lee said he was angered when fellow RUSH member Alex Lifeson once described a possible reunion as becoming a “tribute band”. Lee argued that the surviving members still own and embody the band’s music, while Lifeson later said playing together again made the project feel like RUSH rather than an imitation.

Lifeson made the original comment in January 2025, following drummer Neil Peart’s death and RUSH’s final R40 tour. He now says he may have used it to create emotional distance from a reunion, but changed his view after rehearsing with drummer Anika Nilles; the North American “Fifty Something” tour is scheduled to run until December.