Drummer Anika Nilles is ill
Rush had postponed tonight’s (Sat, Oct 17th) San Jose concert due to drummer Anika Nilles contracting the flu. The band says they plan to return to play on December 6th, after performing on Thursday, October 15th.
“ So sorry everyone! Anika is too ill to perform tonight. Tonight’s Rush show in San Jose is not happening – now rescheduled for Dec 6, 2026. All previously purchased tickets will be honoured for the new date,” they share in a statement. “Thank you for your understanding and we look forward to coming back and putting on a fantastic show for you!”
Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson shared a video message explaining the situation.
“Hi, it’s Lerxst. So this really sucks. The other night, when we played the first show in San Jose, Anika was ill. She was in the early stages of a flu, but she managed to get through the gig, which was really quite incredible and is a testament to her willpower. But over the last couple of days, she’s gotten a lot worse, and, unfortunately, we’re gonna have to cancel the show tonight,” Lifeson says.
He continues, “It’s a real bummer. We’re crestfallen. We were really looking forward to it, but it is what it is.
“So she’s gonna recover hopefully within the next — oh, who knows? — four or five days probably. And then we’re gonna try to come back on December 6th to do the makeup gig here in San Jose.
“Again, really, really sorry. These things happen. It’s flu season. We’ll do our best to get back in shape and return and put on a fabulous show for all of you. Thank you for understanding.”
The band was forced to postpone two Dallas-Fort Worth concerts earlier this year due to frontman Geddy Lee being ill.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees kicked off the highly anticipated Fifty Something Tour earlier this month with four sold-out shows at Los Angeles‘ Kia Forum, marking the band’s first tour performance in 11 years. The show launched a landmark run celebrating more than five decades of Rush music and legacy, bringing the band full circle, as Kia Forum was also the site of Rush’s final R40 Tour performance on August 1, 2015, with longtime band member Neil Peart, who passed away in 2020.
Co-founders Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson are joined by acclaimed drummer Anika Nilles and keyboardist Loren Gold. The Fifty Something performances have featured two sets of Rush classics and complete album jams with an alternating set list for each show.