Rush In Pop Culture

"Art as expression, not as market campaigns, will still capture our imaginations"

A chronological listing of all known occurences of Rush references in pop culture, including television, movies, and the occasional printed word. Please feel free to email any suggestions, but please note this list does not include references made during talkshows, gameshows, sporting events, news programs, etc., as they are too numerous to list.


  1. Reefer Madness, 1938 (Special Addiction, April 20, 2004)
    An anti-pot propaganda film originally released in 1938, this film was colorized and reissued in 2004 with an audio commentary by Mike Nelson of Mystery Science Theater 3000. During a scene where one of the young pot heads is talking to the principal in his office, Nelson says in the commentary, "You know, I could have gotten away with so much more in highschool if I thought to wear the tweed jackets and the sweater vests and the bow ties, you know, maybe slick my hair back. It was my feathered hair and RUSH t-shirts that pegged me as a trouble maker."

  2. American Hot Wax, March 17, 1978
    The true story about Cleveland disc jockey Alan Freed, who introduced rock'n'roll to teenage American radio audiences in the 1950's, is reported include a Rush song.

  3. Long Live Rock 'N Roll by Rainbow, 1978
    Not exactly a tribute... Polydor Records used an altered version of an original Rush photo this album's gatefold art. Without Rush's knowledge, the photo of a crowd holding a Rush starman banner was mirrored and airbrushed to read "Long Live Rock 'N Roll" and printed on the album's inside gatefold. Rush photographer Fin Costello had used the original Rush picture in a mock up demonstrating a shot he intended taking at the next Rainbow concert which would then be used in the actual album art. Polydor rejected his idea, then later retouched the Rush photo without his knowledge. The original Rush photo has been included in various Rush literature, such as The Words And The Pictures, Vol. I (1979) and Brian Harrigan's Rush (1982).

  4. Over The Edge, 1979
    In the opening scene of the film at the rec. center, a quart of beer is taken away from a teenager who is wearing an A Farewell To Kings tour shirt (the teen is escorted out past a young Matt Dillon, starring in his first film, click the image to enlarge). Ironically, although "Subdivisions" would not be written for a few years yet, this movie is about teenage angst while growing up in a subdivision/planned community, and of course includes a scene in a basement bar.

  5. Return of the Secaucus 7, September 5, 1980
    Rush is mentioned during the bar scene in this movie which inspired The Big Chill. Two of the main characters, Jeff and J.T., are discussing music and flirting with two women at the bar – one of them a music critic. When asked what she listens to, the music critic replies, “Oh, progressive rock mostly: King Crimson, Yes, Genesis, Rush.” Country singer J.T. dismisses such fare as “heavy metal goes to college,” but the woman defends her tastes, saying “It’s the only thing playing now with any kind of sophisticated melody line that still has its...you know, innocence.” She’s later impressed with Jeff when he waxes philosophic about the complexities of the genre.

  6. Gas, July 24, 1981
    This Canadian movie includes a scene where a TV helicopter is circling a busy gas station as "Limelight" is played in the background.

  7. Gregory's Girl, 1981
    The male lead, who also has a drumkit in his room, has two Rush posters on his bedroom wall: a poster of Rush live during the Hemispheres era as well as a promotional poster for All the Worlds A Stage featuring cover images of the first five albums (Rush through All The World's A Stage).

  8. Ultima II: Revenge of the Enchantress, the video game, June 1, 1982
    2112 sighting: during the game there are doors which lead to different time periods, the future one being the year 2112, in which the world has been devastated by the evil enchantress Minax.

  9. The Last American Virgin, July 30, 1982
    A character in this teenage comedy is reported to have a Rush sticker on her notebook, seen as she is seen walking down the stairs.

  10. Fast Times at Ridgemont High, August 13, 1982
    During the scene in the record store (35 minutes into the movie) where Mike Damone is giving Mark Ratner his five point plan on dating ("When it comes down to making out, whenever possible, put on side one of Led Zeppelin IV."), there is a row of Exit Stage Left albums in the racks under the "Licorice Pizza" sign (they are between Ted Nugent's Great Gonzos and The Cars' Shake It Up ).

  11. The Young Ones, the British television series, aired November 23, 1982
    During the episode titled "Boring", Vyvyan wears a 2112 t-shirt.
  12. Strange Brew, August 26, 1983
    Starring Bob and Doug McKenzie (Dave Thomas and Rick Moranis), who drive a red van with a Rush bumper sticker. Previously, Geddy Lee sang on "Take Off", the single from the McKenzie Brothers' comedy album, Great White North.

  13. Synchronicity Concert, music video by The Police, filmed November 3, 1983
    A fan in the crowd can be seen wearing a Rush Signals t-shirt right after "De Do Do Do De Da Da Da".

  14. Teachers, October 5, 1984
    Three minutes before the end of the move, as the school is evacuating during a fire alarm, Ralph Macchio asks Nick Nolte "So are you gonna stay or are you gonna go?" Nolte exits the frame and coming up behind him is a short kid with long hair and sunglasses reportedly wearing a Grace Under Pressure t-shirt. [This needs verified, as this movie was released during the p/g tour, and was filmed in Columbus, Ohio, where the Rush p/g concert had played just three months before.]

  15. A Nightmare on Elm Street, November 9, 1984
    Glenn, played by Johnny Depp, has a Grace Under Pressure album cover poster on the wall above his bed.

  16. MacGyver, the television series, 1985-1992
    In Brazil, this television program about a modern day warrior used "Tom Sawyer" as its theme music.

    "...we were told 'Tom Sawyer' was used on Brazilian television as the theme song for 'McGyver'. That's what we said, 'What?'" - Neil Peart, Flying Down To Rio, Leaving Vapor Trails Behind
  17. Mach Rider, the video game, October 18, 1985
    2112 sighting: the game takes place in the year 2112, and Earth is being invaded ("we have assumed control?"). First released on October 18, 1985 for the Nintendo Entertainment System, as one of the 18 initial launch games, in July 2007 a modified version was released on the Wii's Virtual Console.

  18. 1986, the television news program, 1986
    This American television news program used "Mystic Rhythms" as its theme music.

    "I don't know how they came to hear the song, but the show approached us and asked if they could use it. Of course, they didn't pay us anything, but they said they'd give us a credit. How did we feel about it? We thought it was nice." - Neil Peart, Backstage Club Newsletter, March 1990
  19. Incident at Channel Q, 1986
    This movie, directed by Storm Thorgerson (the man responsible for most of the Pink Floyd covers), is about a quiet suburban neighborhood which declares war on a heavy metal music video jockey. He then locks himself in the station and plays hard rock videos, one of which is "The Body Electric". "The Camera Eye" is played during a chase scene, and one character is seen wearing a Rush t-shirt.

  20. The Gate, May 15, 1987
    This Canadian movie reportedly includes a Rush poster hanging in the bedroom of one of the characters.

  21. Degrassi Junior High, the Canadian television series, aired ~January 1989

    • During the episode "He Ain't Heavy", as Joey takes the demo tape from his band, the Zit Remedy, to the local radio station (C-RAZ) in hopes of that they will play it on the air, "Force 10" is reportedly heard playing 'on the air'. Then, as Joey is trying to give the DJ his demo tape, the very end drum fills of "Limelight" are head.
    • During the episode "The Whole Truth", as Joey is going through records at the radio station (C-RAZ), after he gets fired and Dr. Sally comes and tells him his tape was good and to keep working, he is listening to his walkman and "Lock And Key" is playing through his headphones.
    • During a third episode, name unknown, when Joey goes to see the 'Gourmet Scum', he gets in his car and as it pulls away you hear "Fly By Night".

  22. The Mighty Quinn, February 16, 1989
    As the credits are still rolling at the very beginning of this movie starring Denzel Washington, a live reggae band is performing at a wedding reception. A man in the crowd, watching the dancers, is wearing a faded black Signals t-shirt.

  23. "Same Ol' Situation", music video by Motley Crue, 1990
    In the video a fan is clearly seen wearing a Presto tour t-shirt.

  24. Mystery Science Theater 3000, the television series, 1989-1999
    Rush acknowledges "MST-3K" in the Counterparts linernotes. This sci-fi series featured three characters from the future, who would sit in a theater (we would see their silhouettes from behind) and discuss bad sci-fi movies. Here are some Rush references, although there is no doubt others exist.

    "...MST3K, I mean, that's forever. I was a huge MST3K fan, by the way. I still have a bunch of them on tape. I have a friend in New York who turned me on to that show, because we weren't getting it up here in Canada. She would send me these tapes and we'd watch them on the bus. They're just fantastic." - Geddy Lee, Sporting News, April 13, 2007

    • Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster, 1966 (#213 aired February 2, 1991): Commenting on a letter, Joel says "Very trippy, and I bet you listen to Rush, don't you?" and later Tom Servo notes that Joel identified "The Rush Guy".
    • Pod People, 1984 (#303 aired June 15, 1991): Tom Servo listening to the soundtrack: "Neil Peart on Drums"
    • Time of the Apes, 1987 (#306 aired July 6, 1991): Tom Servo notices "Neil Peart on drums."
    • Secret Agent Super Dragon, 1966 (#504 aired August 7, 1993): A long-haired brunette spy-lady draws this riff from Joel Robinson: "In this light, she looks like Geddy Lee."
    • Operation Double 007, 1967 (#508 aired September 9, 1993): A dead body is wearing headphones. Tom: "He died listening to Rush." Joel: "2112."
    • Alien from L.A., 1985 (#516 aired November 20, 1993): Mike sees three guys who kind of look like the boys and says "Hey, it's the band Rush!".
    • Girls Town, 1959 (#601 July 16, 1994): Someone in the movies calls for "Mary Lee", who isn't there, so Crow says "Well, then, is GEDDY Lee there?"
    • San Francisco International, 1970 (#614 aired November 19, 1994): A shipping crate of vital serum is marked "rush." Crow T. Robot: "Hey, guys, it's a crate of Rush albums!" All: "Whooo!" Later, over another shot of the crate, Tom says: "Serum: the new CD from Rush."
    • The Deadly Mantis, 1957 (#804 February 22, 1997): Mike says "Man, I'm so baked right now. You gotta hear this Rush tape." Mike also reads Peanut's letter, talking about his "miraculous escape" to the year 2112.
    • Hobgoblins, 1985 (#907 aired June 27, 1998): Someone is air-drumming when Tom Servo says "The true story of Neil Peart."
    • The Touch of Satan, 1970 (#908 aired July 11, 1998): Mike starts the opening verse of "The Trees" but Crow stops him.
    • The Final Sacrifice, 1990 (#910 aired July 25, 1998): Crow: "Geddy Lee's birthplace" when an abandoned cabin is found in the Canadian wilderness. Also the robots make fun of Canada, but Mike counters by saying "They gave us Ed the Sock and Rush!"

  25. Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge, the video game, 1992
    During the game, a group of pirates say that while they were stranded on a tiny desert island, they came across a philosopher who told them something that changed their lives: "all the world is a stage, and we are merely players." This may be a reference to "Limelight", which was in turn inspired by William Shakespeare's As You Like It.

  26. Ultima VII: The Black Gate, the video game, 1992
    In the game, one of the books found in a library opens to show "'THE TRIO' by Leepeartson, Compiled from the music of three master bards, this full volume contains a collection of songs for a variety of stringed and percussion instruments."

  27. "Rocket", music video by Smashing Pumpkins, July 1993
    At the beginning of the video there is a close up of Billy Corgan's guitar on which a Rush sticker is clearly displayed. Corgan has always referred to Rush as a major influence and along with verbally giving thanks to Rush, performed a live, unplugged version of "Limelight" during a Smashing Pumpkins' concert in Toronto, Canada, in March 2000,

  28. Warcraft, Orcs & Humans, real-time strategy computer game, January 15, 1994
    In this first installment from the Warcraft universe, some of the cheat codes are lines from Rush songs. For example, for extra wood you type "Hatchet, axe, and saw", and for more gold type "glittering prizes."

  29. Spider Man 2099, #19, by Marvel Comics, June 1994
    2112 sighting: the character "Discord" tells Spider-man he has predicted the end of civilization in the year 2112.

  30. Chrome Circle, by Mercedes Lackey, July 1, 1994
    It is reported that this novel's main character, Tannim, comments on Rush's "Roll The Bones" and the importance of the lyrics. Rush is mentioned in other Lackey novels as well.

  31. Star Wars: Champions Of The Force, volume 3 Of The Jedi Academy Trilogy, by Kevin J. Anderson, September 1, 1994
    In this Star Wars sequel authored by Neil Peart's friend, Kevin J. Anderson , a stormtropper on page 13 has the service number "twenty-one twelve".

  32. Airheads, August 5, 1994
    During the scene where the band is raiding the radio station's CD archives, on the partition of one of the desks is a blue Rush bumper sticker with the Hemispheres logo.

  33. Beavis and Butt-head, the animated television series, aired December 19, 1994
    During the episode "Plastic Surgin'", Beavis & Butt-head go to a plastic surgeon to get "wiener implants". The episode includes Rush's "Stick It Out" video; when Beavis realizes its Rush, he starts singing "Invisible airwaves crackle with life, bright antenna bristle with the energy".

  34. Microserfs, the novel by Douglas Coupland, May 10, 1996
    One page 12 of this novel about geeky computer programmers who are searching for real lives, "Michael" lists his "Jeopardy categories" (main interests) which includes "Neil Peart (drummer for Rush)."

  35. The Grave, 1996
    In this film about two escaped prisoners searching for treasure supposedly found in the grave of a dead millionaire, the funeral director, played by Anthony Michael Hall, reportedly wears a 2112 t-shirt throughout the entire movie.

  36. Brass Eye, the British television series, 1996
    A spoof documentary series where British Celebrities were fooled into endorsing false products. It is reported that during the original airing of the episode "Animal", the character Bernard Lehring ("a pompous Londoner who makes a living from fighting otters") pulls up to a nightclub with "The Spirit of Radio" emanating from his Jaguar's stereo. Writer Chris Morris reportedly often includes his favorite musicians in the credits of his programs, and Geddy Lee and Neil Peart have both appeared in the credits as cameramen, etc.

  37. Roseanne, the television series, 1988-1997
    Possible Rush sighting...during the episode "Roseanne-Feld" (aired March 4, 1997): While Mark and Jackie are outside making a phone call, the words "I LOVE RUSH!" are reportedly written on the wall behind Jackie.

  38. Orgazmo, September 6, 1997
    Written and directed by South Park's Trey Parker, includes a scene where "Dave The Lighting Guy", played by South Park collaborator Matt Stone, takes a picture of the cast of a porno film. He says, "say Geddy Lee" to which one of the stars responds "Who's Geddy Lee?". He replies "Geddy Lee, best bass player, ever!" (Click here for a video clip). On the DVD release, in the bonus features blooper reel there is an outtake of this same scene where Matt says "Okay, now everyone say, 'Neeeeil Peart'!" (pronounced 'Pert')...Neil Peart! Only the greatest drummer ever, duh."

  39. South Park, the animated television series, 1997-

    • "Timmy 2000" (#404, aired April 19, 2000): Timmy (the handicap kid) is asked to sing for Skyler's band "The Lords of the Underworld". The music to their big hit, "Timmy", is thought by some Rush fans to include a sped up riff from "The Spirit of Radio" (the first riff after the intro). The song was later released as a cd single, Timmy & The Lords of the Underworld, Sept. 5, 2000.
    • During the special biography of Chef, "Behind the Menu", there is an interview with a recording engineer wearing a Rush starman t-shirt.

  40. Small Soldiers, July 10, 1998
    "Tom Sawyer" is playing in the background during the scene where Christy, played Kirsten Dunst, is on the telephone with Alan, played by Gregory Smith (a Led Zeppelin poster is hanging on her wall). A remix of the song was included on the soundtrack album, and two separate remixes were included on a promo cd.

  41. Whatever, July 10, 1998
    "Tom Sawyer" is played at a party and is included on the soundtrack album.

  42. Free Enterprise, October 23, 1998
    This film is about two dysfunctional Trekkies that meet their hero, William Shatner, who in reality is not the Captain Kirk of their childhood. The film contains a scene 27 minutes into the movie where the two main characters (one of whom is played by Eric McCormack of "Will and Grace") go to "Toys 'R Us" with their other two friends to buy action figures. While there, the other two friends have this conversation: "What did you think of 'Christian McBride?'" "Oh, I didn't listen to it yet." "Dude, you did the same thing when I gave you Tales From Topographic Oceans." "That's that Rush album that you lent me?" "Dude, it's Yes! Ughh!" Not exactly the most glowing reference, but there it is.

  43. Waterboy, November 6, 1998
    "Tom Sawyer" is played during the movie's climactic final game and is included on the soundtrack album.

  44. Mars 2112, the restaurant, opened November 1998
    Other than the obvious 2112 sighting, this future space travel themed restaurant in New York City bears no relationship to Rush.

  45. SLC Punk, January 22, 1999
    Near the end of this movie about punk rockers in Salt Lake City in 1985, a flashback scene shows the two main characters discussing Dungeons and Dragons while listening to "The Trees".

  46. American Movie: The Making of Northwestern, January 1999
    A documentary film about the making of the independent short-horror film Coven, 1997, from which it is hoped would yield enough profit to finish another, full length independent feature film, Northwestern. 1:33 into the film, in a scene which was recorded in June, 1997, after spending three years to create his 39 minute short film Mark Borchardt asks his stoner friend Mike Schank "Would you buy this movie for $14.95?". Mike answers "Yeah, hell yeah, man...course man, shit that's what Rush tickets were." In a scene five minutes later, Mike is seen wearing the tie-died Test for Echo tour t-shirt. This is an actual documentary film which takes place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from which we can assume he had just seen the June 13 concert at the Marcus Amphitheater. Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

  47. EDtv, March 26, 1999
    Ed, played by Matthew McConaughey, wears a 2112 starman t-shirt under his unzipped gray sweat-shirt in the scene where he visits the hospital.
  48. ReBoot, the computer animated television series, aired May 6, 1999
    During episode 39, "End Prog", a "binome" character appears dressed wearing clothes and a hairdoo very similar to the woman on the Permanent Waves album cover, and pulls the curtain back to allow the camera in as on the cover of Exit...stage Left.

  49. Prayers for Rain, the novel by Dennis Lehane, June 2, 1999
    At the bottom of page 61 of the hardcover edition, as the character Patrick Kenzie is narrating, he tells us, "I think Warhol is to art what Rush is to rock music, which is to say, I think he sucks." Not a glowing endorsement for the band, but a Rush reference all the same.

  50. Magnolia, December 8, 1999
    On the DVD version, in the special features, there is a "Frank T.J. Mackey Infomercial", with a scene of Frank, played by Tom Cruise, calling a girl (Janet). Hanging on the wall of his apartment is a HUGE Chronicles poster.
  51. Star Trek Starship Creator, the video game, 1999
    This computer game reportedly has starships named "USS Syrinx" and "USS Lamneth". In addition, in the crew roster bios, included under the hobbies and interests of Commander Kyle is "Works of early 21st century Canadian poet Neil Peart."
  52. Freaks and Geeks, the television series, 1999-2000
    Set during the 1980-1981 school year, this television series had many Rush references, music samples, and characters wearing t-shirts during its 21 episode run. Not surprising, the Freaks And Geeks: Original Soundtrack And Score includes "The Spirit of Radio".

  53. Avalon, the online comic strip, November 8, 1999-
    This comic has referenced Rush on more than one occasion, one of which included Geddy Lee during the segment "Live with Regis and Geddy Lee", which appeared on January 24, 2000.

  54. Front Mission 3, the video game, February 29, 2000
    2112 sighting: this mech battle strategy game is set in Japan in the year 2112.

  55. Primus tour t-shirt, Feb.-April 2000
    Known to be Rush fans, for their 2000 Antipop tour, Priums sold a concert t-shirt with artwork similar to the 2112 cover. For more on Primus, click here.

  56. Backyard Baseball 2001, the video game, March 15, 2000
    After clicking a few times on Randy Johnson in the "Cards" section of the game, Randy, who is known to be a Rush fan, says "If baseball doesn't work out I'm going to play drums in a rock band like Neil Peart (mispronounced as Pert) from Rush." [Also, see below entry for Backyard Baseball 2003].

  57. High Fidelity, March 17, 2000
    During the first scene in the record store (8 minutes into the movie), Barry, played by Jack Black, arrives late for work singing the instrumental section of "Jacob's Ladder". The films credits confirm this by giving credit to Neil Peart, Gary Weinrib, and Alex Zivojinovich.

  58. Planet Reverb by Jetpack, May 5, 2000
    Perhaps one of the most subtle yet humorous Rush tributes ever, in the linernotes photos by surf duo Jetpack, guitarist Dan Standiford is striking the same pose as Alex Lifeson in the Permanent Waves album art, right down to the guitar, shipping crates and coffee cup! The credits of include the statement "Apologies: Alex Lifeson and Stewart Copeland-we stole your poses!" (as the drummer posed like Copeland).

  59. The Onion, satirical newspaper

    • Issue 36-27, August 9, 2000: "Congress Debates Coolness of Rush"
    • Issue 38-18, May 15, 2002: "U.S. Protests Mexi-Canadian Overpass", includes a quote from a Texas resident who says "the sound of thousands of cars going back and forth to Canada and Mexico is more than I can take. I can hear those goddamn radios blaring Mariachi music and Rush all day and night."
    • Issue 38-47, December 18, 2002: Included in the Infograph: Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers, which asks "Why is there so much excitement?" over the films' release, is the bullet item, "Are Neil Peart; need new lyrical inspiration"
    • Issue 40-07, February 18, 2004: "Day Job Officially Becomes Job", while discussing giving up one's dreams for reality, an author states "But, hey, we can't all be the next Geddy Lee, right?"

  60. 2001 Nissan Maxima, television commercial, Fall 2000
    The first two measures of "Tom Sawyer" (repeating once) served as background music for the 20th Anniversary Nissan Maxima television commercial.
    "Yes, this was approved by both the band and Anthem. We really don't have a problem with it as it was tastefully done. In this day and age where there's no real rock radio left and video TV only plays pop music, we are trying other directions to get the music out there. I know the whole 'corporate sell out' lines. I just don't think they're applicable any longer." - Anthem Records, October 17, 2000.
    "We've never had a policy that's precluded that possibility and we've been offered situations in the past that we didn't feel were interesting or monetarily viable so we never had a hard rule about it and it seems it's such a common thing right now and over the last few years we've been offered so many things! So we just try to pick the best situations for ourselves." - Geddy Lee, Barnesandnoble.com chat, November 13, 2000
  61. People Get Ready by Mooney Suzuki, September 5, 2000
    This album's back cover artwork contains a variety of seemingly random and misspelled words interspersed between the tracklist and credits, including the phrase "snow dog is victoious".

  62. Strange Frequency, the VH-1 Original Movie, January 24, 2001
    From VH-1's "Movies That Rock", this movie is a four part anthology of the VH-1 "Twilight Zone-esque" series of the same name. In the opening segment, "Disco Inferno", Buck (Erik Palladino) and Randy (Danny Masterson) are in a car accident and go to metalhead hell: a disco. Buck survives after being revived by the song in his walkman: "Tom Sawyer".

  63. That 70's Show, the television series, 1998-2006

    • "Canadian Road Trip" (aired May 8, 2001): During a road trip to Canada the guys are questioned by two Mounties (played by Dave Thomas and Joe Flaherty of SCTV, i.e. "Bob MacKenzie" and "Count Floyd"). When asked why they are in Canada, Eric, played by Topher Grace, responds "We just came here to get the beer...and I love Rush. Fly By Night! Owww!"
    • "Eric's Corvette Caper" (aired April 9, 2002): When Red and Kitty go out of town, Eric, defying Red’s orders, goes joyriding in the Corvette with a girl he's trying to impress. Red stays convinced Eric didn't touch his Corvette, until he turns on the radio and hears "The Temples of Syrinx". [Webmaster note: repeats of this episode have alternate music in place of "Temples of Syrinx". Anthem Records explained via email that "That 70's Show" held the rights for a two year period which expired in April 2004, and passed on the option to buy the rights in perpetuity which would have allowed the use of the Rush snippet in all future broadcasts/DVD releases, etc. Accordingly, since they let the rights expire they simply chose to replace the Rush track altogether."]
    • "The Girl I Love" (aired January 7, 2003): This episode about a battle of the sexes begins as Donna and Eric are returning from a visit to an arboretum (a park where trees are grown for study and display), as the opening of the "The Trees" is heard.
    • "Hey, Hey What Can I Do?" (aired March 12, 2003): A few seconds of "Working Man" are heard in this episode where Eric must find work after Red and Kitty withdraw their offer of college tuition.
    • "On With The Show" (aired February 23, 2005): Reportedly about five minutes into the show Hyde, Eric, Kelso and his girlfriend are in a record store, and to the left of Kelso's girlfriend's head is a poster of the 2112 album cover.

  64. Wilson Quarterly, Summer 2001 issue
    Speaking of Pop Culture References, the Power Windows album cover is used on the front cover of this issue of the quarterly publication for the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in a cover story titled "Pop Culture: Only a Wasteland?". "Paul Cantor suggests that, like the ancient Greeks, Americans know themselves through their popular culture...". Other than the cover image, no other references to Rush were included in the article.

  65. Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, August 24, 2001
    At the end of the scene in the comic book store, two actors appear to 'sing' part of "La Villa Strangiato" (or possibly Raymond Scott's "Powerhouse", the song which inspired this same section of "La Villa Strangiato").

  66. UltraPlayer version 2.112, media player software, 2001
    When not playing a file, this player displays the text "UltraPlayer 2112...Attention all planets of the Solar Federation....We have assumed control...We have assumed control" (click for screen capture).

  67. Banzai, the British television series, 2001

    • "Jacob's Ladder" is played in an episode where the two old ladies play chicken in wheelchairs. Later, in the same episode, the intro to "Xanadu" is played to add tension to the guy who was trying to jump 10 cream pies in a shopping cart.
    • "Hemispheres: Prelude" was played during an episode (additional information is requested).

  68. Barenaked Ladies, bass drum during 2001 tour
    Known Rush fans, BNL have frequently performed "The Spirit of Radio" in their live show, and included short tributes to "Tom Sawyer" and "The Spirit of Radio" in their song "Grade 9" on the album Gordon, and drummer Tyler Stewart used a caricature of Rush's Star Man on his bass drum during their 2001 tour. Guitarist/singer Ed Robertson performed with Rush and Mike Smith of the Trailer Park Boys to record a special version of "Closer To The Heart" for the charity television telethon "Canada For Asia" in early 2005 (included on the bonus disk of Rush's R30 DVD). In addition, Robertson can be seen wearing a Rush t-shirt throughout the Talk to the Hand: Live in Michigan DVD.

  69. "Amber" music video by 311, 2001
    In the video, drummer Chad Sexton wears a Signals concert t-shirt.

  70. "Rockin' the Suburbs", music video by Ben Folds, 2001
    Ben Folds wears a white 2112 shirt in one of the shots of this video directed by "Weird Al" Yankovic. Ben Folds previously gave thanks to Geddy Lee in the linernotes Ben Folds Five album The Unauthorized Biography Of Reinhold Messner.

  71. Impostor, January 4, 2002
    2112 sighting: in a scene 27 minutes into this sci-fi movie which takes place in the year 2079, Spence Olham, played by Gary Sinise, calls his wife Maya, played by Madeline Stowe, on his video phone. In her message, she says "...please leave a message. If this is a medical emergency enter code twenty-one-twelve..."

  72. Futurama, the animated television series, March 1999 - August 2003
    Fox's animated series Futurama, by Simpsons creator Matt Groening, has included two Rush references:

  73. The Simpsons, the animated television series, December 17, 1989 -

    • During episode DABF06, "The Bart Wants What it Wants", aired February 17, 2002, two clips of Geddy's performance on Bob and Doug McKenzie's "Take Off" are used during the Simpsons' visit to Toronto.
    • A possible Rush reference, a comic book titled "RUSH comic" is seen on the wall behind the counter in the comic book store, both during various Spring 2004 episodes as well as the Simpson's Ritz Bitz "S'mores" commercial.

  74. Backyard Baseball 2003, the video game, March 15, 2002
    In the "Cards" section of the game is a card for Major League pitcher/Rush fan Randy Johnson, which says "Hobbies include photography, playing the drums, and listening to 'RUSH' albums." [Also, see above entry for Backyard Baseball 2001].

  75. Trudeau, the Canadian television miniseries, March 31, 2002
    It is reported that a clip from "The Spirit of Radio" is heard during the scene where Trudeau, played by Colm Feore, wins his final election.

  76. Gore, the video game, April 24, 2002
    The head map designer for this first person shooter PC game designed most of his work to the music of Rush (I know, because he told me!), including two game maps called "UMC Anthem" and "Stepps of Cygnus".

  77. Gilmore Girls, the television series

    • "Help Wanted" (season 2 episode 20, aired May 7, 2002), Lane discovers a new desire to become a rock drummer when a former New Yorker (played by singer/songwriter Carole King) opens the town's first music store. After obsessing over the store's candy apple red drum set, Lane calls Rory and says "I have found my calling...my future, my path, my destiny...I'm gonna be a drummer...I am Keith Moon, I am Neil Peart (pronounced "Pert"), I am Rick Allen, with and without the arm, because I am Rock And Roll baby!"
    • "Will You Be My Lorelai, Gilmore?" (season 7 episode 16, aired February 27, 2007), Geddy Lee and daughter Kyla made a non-acting appearance in the final scene; click here for a screen capture.
      "Sure enough, when I get to the production office to rehearse the song we perform in the episode, there in the flesh is Mr. Geddy Lee & his beautiful daughter Kyla! Turns out Kyla has impeccable taste & never misses an episode of her favorite show, 'The Gilmore girls', right beside Dad who watches every one with her! Geddy told us that he was in LA listening to mixes of the new Rush CD, & set up a tour of the WB lot with Kyla, who had a great time meeting the cast & watching us work. I said to Geddy 'Well, hey ..... why don't you guys BE IN THE SHOW???'" - Sebastian Bach, (singer and Gilmore Girls regular for those not familar with the show) MySpace blog (click here for more), March 8, 2007

  78. Bubba Ho-Tep, June 9, 2002
    A small Rush sighting from another fan with a quick eye! On the DVD release during the "Making Of" documentary, there is a quick scene showing fans lined up to see the film at the Toronto Film Festival (September 7, 2002), with a glimpse of a placard that reads "Line for Rush tickets only" (during the Vapor Trails tour).

  79. Need for Speed - Hot Pursuit 2, the video game, July 9, 2002
    Two versions of "One Little Victory" play randomly during the game, both the original Vapor Trails track and an instrumental edit.

  80. Mr. Birch, the online comic strip, October 2002
    This online comic strip featured a Rush related storyline when Rush visited Rochester, N.Y., during the Vapor Trails tour.

  81. The Rules of Attraction, October 11, 2002
    2112 sighting: Sean Bateman, played by James Van Der Beek, receives love notes in a mailbox with number 2112.

  82. Roller Coaster Tycoon 2, the video game, October 14, 2002
    2112 Sighting; this sims-style game includes allows the designer to purchase a ride named "Escape Hatch", which costs exactly $2,112 dollars.

  83. Sealab 2021, the animated television series, aired November 3, 2002
    "The Policy" (ep. 15, season 2, aired November 3, 2002). One of the characters marvels at another's new jukebox, marveling "Check it out, every Rush album ever!". The captain replies "Yeah, Caress of Steel!, it's an import." Click here for a video clip.

  84. Sonny, December 29, 2002
    Set in 1981, during a scene 26 minutes into the film, "Limelight" plays as Sonny leaves his home and drives to his new life.

  85. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, 2002
    During the music loop for the in-game radio station "VROCK", shortly after Iron Maiden’s "Two Minutes To Midnight" is heard, the DJ takes a call from someone named "Snowdog". In addition, for the "Publicity Tour" mission, according to the official video game strategy guide written by Tim Bogenn, a limo carrying the fictitious band "Love Fist" is rigged with a bomb, and that the drummer is the smartest member of the band and "it takes the professor on the drum kit approximately 2 minutes and 20 seconds to defuse the bomb."

  86. Star Trek Enterprise, the television series, aired February 12, 2003
    2112 sighting: during episode 41, "Cease Fire", Captain Archer is called in to mediate an ongoing border dispute between Vulcans and Andorians, when he mentions "the border incursion of twenty-one-twelve".

  87. Hittin' the Note, by Allman Brothers Band, March 18, 2003
    Not exactly a tribute... Graphic artist Hugh Syme reused Dimo Safari's photo of the crowd from Different Stages in the Hittin' the Note album artwork. The image of the crowd viewing a gigantic tinkertoy was reimaged, with the tinkertoy replaced by giant mushrooms. This is not the first time that Rush album art was recycled by another artist; in 1978 a photo of a Rush crowd was reused in Rainbow's Long Live Rock 'N Roll gatefold art (see entry above). In both cases, the usage of the images was done without the knowledge of SRO/Anthem. Unlike the Rainbow usage, however, where Polydor retouched a mockup that they had originally rejected from Fin Costello, Hugh Syme was the graphic artist for both Different Stages and Hittin' The Note.

  88. Music in High Places (Live In Alaska), music video by the Goo Goo Dolls, released March 18, 2003
    During the performance of "Big Machine", one of the guitarists is wearing a red Hold Your Fire t-shirt.

  89. Trailer Park Boys, the television series

    • "Closer To The Heart" (season 3, episode 5, aired May 18th, 2003): "Bubbles is so devastated about not getting tickets to the RUSH concert that Ricky decides to bring Alex Lifeson (played by Alex Lifeson) to the park to perform a private concert." One scene of the episode was filmed during the October 22nd, 2002, Vapor Trails concert at Toronto's Air Canada Centre, as actor Mike Smith, who portrays Bubbles on the Nova Scotia, Canada, based comedy series, was filmed playing the part of a Rush roadie. As he walked on stage to hand Alex a new guitar, Geddy told the crowd "he is a new guy." The final scene of the episode features Alex and Bubbles playing "Closer To The Heart" on dual acoustic guitars.
      "I was a bit nervous up there. I mean, it's dark, and I can't see, and I'm stepping over cables and stuff...Alex is a big fan of the show...Alex came to us and asked to do a cameo. The director was like, 'No, but why don't we write a whole episode based around you?' And he was totally into that. So we flew him out to Halifax and we shot with him for three days and had really great times. He's a really amazing person." - Mike Smith ("Bubbles"), TorontoStar.com. October 28, 2002
    • "You Got To Blame The Thing Up Here" (season 5, episode #4, aired May 8th, 2005): At the beginning of the episode there are some people standing around Ricky's dad's burned down trailer. One of guys in the background is wearing the black Rush 30th anniversary "Party" t-shirt with the dragon on the front.

  90. King Of The Hill, the animated television series, aired May 18th, 2003
    Bobby finds new friends who believe in witchcraft and "The Trees" is heard [webmaster note: what "The Trees" has to do with witchcraft is beyond me!].

  91. "Voltage" music video by Mexican band Fancy Free, ~2003
    Seen on a Mexican video channel called Telehit, during the video one of the band members is seen wearing a black 2112 Starman t-shirt.

  92. Lara Croft Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life, July 25, 2003
    2112 sighting: when Lara (played by Angelina Jolie) travels to Hong Kong, during a shot of city traffic a large "2112-8888" is seen on the back of a bus.

  93. Train 48, the Canadian television series, June 2003-
    Taking place on a Toronto "Go Train" with 10 commuters riding home to Burlington, Rush is the favorite band of the character named "Johnny". Loosely scripted and filmed the day it airs, the actors improvise all the dialogue often including current events (such as Rush performing at the SARS benefit concert). The series has had at least three Rush references to date, original air dates or episode names are unknown:

    • Johnny tries to sell storage sheds to the other people on the train, one of which he has set up in his back yard as a "love shed" for he and his wife. Johnny says that he used the song "Closer to the Heart" (his wife's fave song) to entice her into the "love shed", and sings a few lines of the song in a pseudo-Geddy voice.
    • Several of the passengers are talking about famous people that they have met, and Johnny mentions that he once saw Geddy Lee in a 7-11, and says something like "Well, I was in a 7-11, eh? And I saw this guy, he looked kind of familiar. Then, he turned around, and I was like, 'Holy crap! That guy has an elbow on his face!' (they all laugh) So I said 'Hey Geddy!', and then he waved back at me and left, eh."
    • (Aired July 30, 2003): On the day of the Toronto SARS concert, Johnny was sitting with another passenger, Liz, telling her how upset he was because he was not able to go to the concert to see Rush. Liz remarks, "Yeah, they're probably on right now." to which Johnny sighs and sadly says "Yeah, I know". He then sings the first few lines of "Closer to the Heart", his hands raised in the air, praising the band he is unable to see live. Later in the same episode, Johnny is teaching Liz how to "rock", because he thinks that she needs a lesson in Rock'n'Roll. He recites the first few lines of some songs, and tells Liz to finish the line: Johnny: Okay, how about some Rush? (Liz nods) "A modern day worrier, mean mean stride, today's Tom Sawyer".....Liz: Oh, I know this one! (thinks) I know it rhymes....Johnny: "Mean, mean..."? Liz: "Pride! See, I knew it rhymed!"

  94. Reno-911, the television series, aired September 10th, 2003
    A spoof of "Cops", this is a faux-reality series which airs on Comedy Central. During the episode, while making a presentation to a high school class, Lt. Dangle plays a silly song on his guitar about the dangers of crystal meth. After he finishes, he asks if there are any questions, but simply gets blank stares from the students. As they have about 45 minutes left, he asks if there are any requests and says "I can play some Rush".

  95. School Of Rock, October 3rd, 2003
    During the scene where Jack Black's character gives the students music cd's for inspiration, he gives the drummer "Rush, 2112. Neil Peart [pronounced Pert], one of the great drummers of all time, study up." A later scene shows a close-up of a chalkboard displaying a "family tree" of rock, with RUSH listed under "Prog Rock". On the DVD release, there is an interactive feature of this same chalkboard titled "Dewey Finn's Chalkboard of Rock", with short biographies of each of the bands listed (and the Rush's bio has Lifeson's true last name misspelled as Zivojinowich and is written as if the band disbanded in the 90's!).

    "At last, after seeing that movie, my kid thinks her dad rocks." - Geddy Lee, Q Classic Prog Rock Special Edition, July 15, 2005

    "Shaking his hand, I...told him how pleased I had been by the reference in School of Rock. Jack said, 'That was my idea!' I also mentioned how we had originally wanted him to play the part of the 'awakening dreamer' in our opening film, the part Jerry Stiller had ended up doing ('What did they put in my tea?'). At the time, we had been told by Jack's people that he wasn't available, but typically, he had never even heard about it." - Neil Peart, Roadshow

  96. "El Caminos in the West" music video by Grandaddy, 2003
    Found on the DVD "Sumday - The Videos", in this video where the band is replaced by young girls who tour in their stead, one of the characters is wearing a black 2112 starman shirt.

  97. Duck Dodgers, the animated television series, 2003-
    This series starring Daffy Duck, part of The Looney Tunes Show airing every Saturday at 11:30 AM on Cartoon Network (in Canada, it airs weekends at 8:30 AM and Sunday nights at 7:30 PM), has had two Rush references:

    • "They Stole Dodgers' Brain/The Wrath of Canasta" (#8, aired October 11, 2003): Duck Dodgers uses Attack Pattern "YYZ".
    • "The Green Loontern" (#9, aired October 18, 2003): When Duck Dodgers enters the enemy base, the robots open "Red Sector A", allowing Duck to enter.

  98. Aqua Teen Hunger Force, the animated television series
    Part of Cartoon Network's Adult Swim lineup, which has frequently referenced Rush in various animated series.

    "Rush fans? Yes! Yeah, in a big way!...Yeah, we love them!...We tried getting Geddy on the show. But he had 'other obligations.'" - Aqua Teen Hunger Force creators Dave Willis and Matt Maiellaro, Readmag.com, issue #24
    • "Spirit Journey Formation Anniversary" (#34, aired October 19, 2003): During the episode, Master Shake puts together a metal version of the "Birthday" song, hoping to cash in on royalties, and says "it came to Geddy and I in a dream...Geddy Lee...lead singer of Rush" as Meatwad chimes in with "Rush! Geddy Lee!" and starts singing "Fly By Night". Master Shake later promises that Geddy would arrive in person, and when he doesn't show, denies this by saying "Geddy who?", to which Meatwad responds "Of Rush...of salesman?...Of SALESMEN!" In a later scene, Meatwad sings the keyboard solo of "Tom Saywer" as we see Geddy's jet airplane which is shaped like a bass guitar and has the Fly By Night owl on the nose, and Meadwad says "Hi Geddy - The River!". Click here for a video montage. This episode first aired two days before the release of Rush In Rio and was followed by the episode of SeaLab 2021 titled "The Policy" (see above, originally aired November 3, 2002), after which Adult Swim made the comment that they had just aired two shows in a row with Rush references, and no they did not plan that, yet they included in parentheses "Caress of Swim".
    • Aqua Teen Hunger Force Volume 3 DVD: As an added feature to the episode "Spirit Journey Formation Anniversary", the DVD includes Master Shake's million-dollar heavy metal Geddy Lee birthday song in three karaoke versions - one sung by "Geddy" (actually co-creator Matt Maiellaro), one by Master Shake and one without vocals.
    • "The Marines" (#508, aired March 16, 2008): When Meatwad unwittingly enlists the Aqua Teens into the Marine Corps, Frylock flees to Canada. In the ATHF universe, "Canada" is merely a red barn, where Jigsaw, the star of the Saw horror movie franchise, taunts and tortures people via a live video feed. In one scene, Jigsaw tries to lure Meatwad into the barn with "Want to play a game...I've got all the Rush records!". Click here for a video clip.

  99. Chilly Beach, the Canadian animated television series, aired November 5, 2003
    "Dale" refers to his "To Do" list which includes "Play Guitar for Rush" (as well as "Win The Stanley Cup").

  100. 24, the television series, 2001-

    • One degree from Rush reference: episode 1 of season 1, aired November 6, 2001: "Everything and Nothing" by Geddy Lee's nephew's band Rocketscience is heard.
    • 2112 sighting: episode 3 of season 3, aired November 11, 2003: Tony Almeida (Carlos Bernard) says "call Meteorology, extension two-one-one-two".

  101. Green Lantern #170, by DC Comics, December 2003
    This comic book opens with this conversation between the Green Lantern (who is reading a book) and the Flash:

    • Flash: 'I hear Neil Peart's new book's really good too - and you don't have to be a Rush fan to enjoy it.'
    • Green Lantern: 'Why am I not surprised you listen to a band called "Rush"?'
    • Flash: 'A buddy of mine calls their music "math rock" because of all the odd time signatures - but when you're the fastest man alive - basic 4/4 rhythm is pretty tedious.'

      "As the author of GREEN LANTERN #170, and a diehard Rush fan for the past 23 years, I was more than psyched to see that scene between GL & the Flash make your list of pop culture references! Thanks for including it! Stay tuned for more Rush references in the future...Great job on your website, by the way! Keep it up! Best, Ben Raab. www.benraab.com" - September 13, 2004

  102. Transworld Skateboarding Magazine, Volume 21, Number 12, December 2003
    As an acknowledgement that this was issue 21-12 of the popular skateboard magazine, the issue included a small "starman" from Rush's 2112 on the spine of the magazine.

  103. Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law, the animated television series, December 30, 2000-
    Part of Cartoon Network's Adult Swim lineup, which has frequently referenced Rush in various animated series.

    • "Blackwatch Plaid" (#10, aired Jan 1, 2004): The security level in Harvey's office building is raised to "Moving Pictures", their highest level, and displayed the Moving Pictures album cover. Click here to view a 1:29 segment from the episode.
    • "Peanut Puberty" (#17, aired June 6, 2004): When Peanut is called to the blackboard in class, he uses his binder to hide his "arising" event of "superty", and on his binder is a RUSH sticker - the logo from the first album.

  104. Cider with Roadies, by Stuart Maconie, Feb 5, 2004
    This autobiography by BBC Radio 2 DJ and TV “face” contains many references to Rush, including making love to his girlfriend to 2112. It is reportedly quite an interesting read with regard to the state of music journalism and music in general in the UK during the 70s and 80s.

  105. The Canadian Army Official Website, February 2004
    "One Little Victory" is heard on the website. Visit http://www.army.dnd.ca and wait for the flash presentation to load.

  106. Maroon 5

    • Sessions@AOL in-studio performance, original air date June 24, 2004: As seen in the videos for "This Love" and "She Will Be Loved", during this intimate in-studio performance for Sessions@AOL, guitarist James Valentine is seen wearing a Power Windows t-shirt.
    • MTV Cribs, episode 1002, original air date July 28, 2004: The guitarist of Maroon 5 is wearing the same Power Windows t-shirt (coincidence, or a closet fan?).

  107. WWE Summerslam 2004, aired August 15, 2004
    "Summertime Blues" from Feedback was the official song for this pay-per-view event. Besides being played as background music during the event, the song was also used during commercials promoting the event (which also promoted the Feedback release).

  108. Beck, sticker on guitar, August 16, 2004
    From Beck's website added August 16, 2004, in a publicity photo taken while in the recording studio, a Rush decal is plainly seen on Beck Hansen's guitar.

  109. Phil the Alien, September 11, 2004
    "Tom Sawyer" is heard in this Canadian comedy film about an alien who crashes to Earth and find himself alone in the wilds of northern Canada. "Tom Sawyer" is heard while the clueless alien wanders around in the woods; the individual band members as well as SRO are thanked during the credits. Note, non-Canadian releases do not include "Tom Sawyer", as the rights were only secured for Canada.

  110. Feels Like Today by Rascal Flatts, September 28, 2004
    One of the members of this country band is wearing a Signals t-shirt in the photo on the inside sleeve of the album artwork.
  111. Saturday Night Live, the television series, October 2, 2004
    2112 sighting: Rush on SNL? Not exactly, but during a skit where James Carville, played by Ben Affleck, visits then Democratic Presidential candidate John and Theresa Kerry in their hotel room, the room number on the door (which is left standing open throughout the skit) is '2112'.

  112. Second Hand Stories, the television series, October 14, 2004
    During the pilot episode of this PBS series, the hosts visit "Joe's Used Record Store" in Baltimore, thumb through the albums, and one pulls out a plastic wrapped copy of 2112.

  113. World Of Warcraft, massively multiplayer online game, November 22, 2004

    • On page 204 of the game's instruction manual, the "Additional Thanks" section includes "Happy 30th to RUSH".
    • During level 39, in the "Arathi Highlands" area you are required to retrieve a piece of stolen property during a quest named "Wand Over Fist," a possible reference to Presto.
    • During level 49, in the "Un'Goro Crater" area there is a quest one can reach named "Roll the Bones".

  114. "Sugarcube" music video by Yo La Tengo, December 2004
    This video has a theme similar to the film School of Rock (see entry above), where the band must learn to be rock stars. At 2:00 into the video, the teacher reads the lyrics to "Closer To The Heart" while holding the A Farewell To Kings vinyl album cover.

  115. Sally Forth, the comic strip, January 10, 2005
    When Sally says she saw someone at the store whose name "starts with an 'R' and ends with an 'H'", her husband responds "You saw the rock group 'RUSH' at Target?"

  116. The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction, the video game, February 7, 2005
    The first story mission of this video game is "The Enemy Within", which one might pass off as coincidentally sharing the name of a Rush song, until learning that the first password earned during the game is "OCANADA".

  117. It's the Whiskey Talking, DVD by comedian Artie Lange, February 8, 2005
    About ten minutes into this DVD by comedian Artie Lange (known as part of Howard Stern's radio show), in describing his attire, he remarks "I'm wearing the same jacket I wore to a Rush concert in 1981."

  118. House, the television series, aired February 15, 2005
    2112 sighting: during the episode titled "Detox", House is speaking with another doctor in front of a hospital directory which reads "Beds 2043 - 2112" on the bottom line, and for most of the conversation all that can be seen is "2112".

  119. Numb3rs, the television series, January 2005 -

    • "Sabotage" (#106, aired February 25, 2005): During the opening credits the words "2112 Derailments" are seen.
    • "Soft Target" (#206, aired November 4, 2005): A computer screename is shown as "'something'_2112" (first part of the screename was not remembered, feel free to email more info).

  120. Ghost In The Shell, the animated series, March 6, 2004
    During the episode "Inductance" (#31), original air date March 6, 2004, one of the characters makes a list essays and reportedly includes "'A Farewell To Kings' by Neil Peart".

  121. OverCompensating, the online comic strip, March 8, 2005
    The lead character writes a song about hacking to the tune of "Tom Sawyer".

  122. Red Sector 2112, the video game, March 15, 2005
    With a title taken from two Rush songs, this video game for the Pocket PC appears to be very similar to Doom. It of course takes place in the year 2112...

  123. Cheap Seats, the television series
    This comedic parody show, broadcast on ESPN's Classic Sports, features two twin brothers, Randy and Jason, who comment on old and crazy sporting events such as "Wide World of Sports", rodeo, spelling bee, skeet shooting, outdoor games, celebrity events, etc.

    • The episode which aired March 28, 2005 featured the 2003 "Scrabble Championship" and 1979 "Frisbee from the Rosebowl". During the Frisbee segment, when there's a drum break in the music one of the brothers says "and Neil Peart (mispronounced as "Pert") breaks it down on the drums."
    • The episode which featured the "1995 High School Slam Jam" and the "2003 NHL SuperSkills" had one of the brothers saying "play 'Subdivisions', eh?" during the NHL segment.

  124. According To Jim, the television series, aired March 29, 2005
    At the opening of the show, Jim and his blues band are in the garage practicing and Jim's brother-in-law, Andy, does a few extra slides down the keyboard to end the song Jerry Lee Lewis style. Jim looks at him and says, "Well, that really blew" to which Andy replies, "Yeah, like we're going to open for Rush!"

  125. Speed - The Ride, promotional video, May 2005
    Visit americancoasters.com to watch the Quicktime video for "Speed - The Ride", a rollercoaster at the Sahara Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Rush's "Driven" serves as the video's soundtrack.

  126. Out Of The Gene Pool, the comic strip

    • June 5, 2005: Rush fans with a knowing eye noticed one of the characters in this syndicated comic strip is wearing an R30 tour shirt.
    • February 5, 2006: The same character is seen again wearing his R30 tour shirt!

  127. Pray For Us Sinners, the novel by Kathryn Lively, June 2005
    The protagonist of this murder mystery is a Rush fan, and a few Rush references are dropped throughout the book.

  128. Dying to Live, 2005
    During this one hour skateboarding video starring Zero Skateboards' team Zero, skater Jamie Thomas skates to "The Temples Of Syrinx".

  129. Playboy Studio West, 2112 Broadway, Santa Monica
    2112 sighting: "Playboy Studio West" is located at 2112 Broadway Avenue in Santa Monica, California. Its exterior with its highly visible street number, 2112, were frequently shown in episodes of the E! Reality television series The Girls Next Door (debuted August 7, 2005) throughout its run. It is one of Playboy's key studio facilities for Playboy photographers to shoot centerfolds and playmate pictorials. Many models had their test nude shoots taken at this facility prior to being considered for a playmate pictorial in Playboy.

  130. The Posies, 1986 - present
    This photo of Posies guitarist Ken Stringfellow taken in 2005 shows the band's name printed on the bass drum with the identical pink and black logo style used by Rush on their debut album.

  131. Doom RPG, the mobile phone game, September 2005
    2112 sighting: at one point in the game a civilian in Junction 4 says "Welcome! This is the oldest part of the base. Built in 2112..."

  132. Supernatural, the television series

    • "Wendingo" (Season 1, Episode 2, aired September 20, 2005): "Fly By Night" was heard during the very last 30 seconds of the episode.
    • "Phantom Traveler" (Season 1, Episode 4, aired October 4, 2005): "Working Man" is heard as the main characters are in search of a demon.
    • "It's The Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester" (Season 4, Episode 7, aired October 30, 2008) Dean introduces he and his brother as agent Geddy and agent Lee.

  133. Squidbillies, the animated television series, aired October 16, 2005
    Part of Cartoon Network's Adult Swim lineup, which along with Sealab 2021, Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Harvey Birdman: Attorney At Law have all referenced Rush. During the Squidbillies pilot, "This Show Is Called Squidbillies", the main character starts hallucinating and says "I'm in that band, Rush," as a slightly off tempo version of "Tom Sawyer" is heard in the background. He has a flashback where he is onstage jamming out with Rush, and we see the squid on stage with two guys who are only seen from the chest down. In the end, however, he recalls it never really happened.

  134. Batman Begins, October 18, 2005
    In the special features of the deluxe edition DVD, during some of the interviews actor Christian Bale (Batman/Bruce Wayne) is seen a black Rush starman t-shirt (it takes a quick eye to notice, only the very top of the star is seen!).

  135. Corner Gas, the Canadian television series, aired December 12, 2005
    YYZ sighting: Details are sparse, but during the episode "Merry Gasmas" (season 3, episode 44), Lacey, played by Gabrielle Miller, mentions YYZ. Whether she is referencing the song or the airport is unknown (additional details are welcome!).

  136. Kenny vs. Spenny, the Canadian comedy reality TV series, aired December 12, 2005
    2112 sighting: during the episode "Who Can Sell More Bibles?" (episode 11, season 2), as Kenny is seen reciting mock Bible excerpts, a caption credits the verse to as the Book of Jean-Luc Picard 21:12.

  137. Comedians Of Comedy, the series, December 2005
    During episode 4 of season 1, comedian Brian Posehn wears a Rush T-shirt.

  138. Slowpoke, the online comic strip, February 27, 2006
    Includes an eggplant that looks like Geddy Lee.

  139. SWAT 4: The Stetchkov Syndicate expansion pack for the video game SWAT 4, February 28, 2006
    During one mission from this first person shooter, the player is directed to go to "2112 Geddy Avenue".

  140. Supergroup, the VH-1 reality television show, Spring/Summer 2006
    A pseudo-reality show "with the premise being to lock several musicians in a house for 10 days and get them to write and record some new original music", stars included Scott Ian (Anthrax; guitar), Ted Nugent (guitar), Evan Seinfeld (Biohazard; bass), Sebastian Bach (ex-Skid Row; vocals) and Jason Bonham (Bonham, UFO, Foreigner; drums). During episode 103, lead singer Sebastian Bach is seen wearing a Moving Pictures t-shirt; later, during episode 105, he is seen wearing 2112 boxers. Sebastian Bach previously recorded "What Your Doing" with his band Skid Row, and also performed on two Rush tribute albums: Working Man and Subdivisions.

  141. Bang Cartoon, online cartoon, June 19, 2006
    In an online cartoon which makes light of one time NFL great Ricky Williams' signing with the Toronto Argonauts (where Marijuana is legal), a caricature of Geddy Lee makes a plea for more US football talent.

  142. PvPonline, the online comic strip, June 30, 2006
    In this online comic strip, a 2112 poster is seen on the wall behind the artist, Scott Kurtz.

  143. Saxondale, the British television series
    Comedian/actor Steve Coogan plays Tommy Saxondale, an ex-roadie who now runs a pest control business.

    • Original air date July 24, 2006: a competitor who has sold out to a big corporation invites Tommy to join him. Tommy replies "Glittering prizes and endless compromises shatter the illusion of integrity!" The competitor is confused, and Tommy continues "You know nothing, do you? Track One Side One of the Hemispheres [webmaster note: "Hemispheres?!"] album by Rush. Download it and scrap one of your Dido albums."
    • Original air date September 28, 2007: The opening of "The Necromancer, Part III, Return of the Prince" was played a few times. Then toward the end of the episode, Mags wants to make out and says to Saxondale, "Bugger this, I want to listen to a bit of RUSH, so put on Caress of Steel, the Necromancer part III, Return of the Prince". Saxondale replies, "SHHHH, you had me at Caress of Steel, the Necromancer part III, Return of the Prince".

  144. Alice I Think, the Canadian television series, aired July 28, 2006
    During the episode "Pit Stop" which first aired on The Comedy Channel, July 28th, 2006, Diane, Alice's mother, invites her friend Geraldine and her daughter to stay with them after a house fire. Geraldine upsets John, Alice's father, when she accidentally spills her drink on his favorite Rush shirt. When he confronts her about it, she replies that she has a case of the same shirts at home because she used to date a Rush Roadie. After this bit of information, he decides he likes her again, and they eventually get drunk together. When his wife walks in, John plays a riff on his guitar and says, "Honey, Geraldine told me Alex Lifeson showed her this, well actually his roadie." Later, Geraldine begins telling a story about "this one time on the tour bus, Geddy grabs his guitar and..." but stops as Diane is obviously unimpressed that her friend is getting hammered with her husband. In a later scene, even more drunk, John and Geraldine begin a poor rendition of "Subdivisions" accompanied by an even worse performance on the guitar.

  145. Dead Rising, the video game, August 8, 2006
    During the Xbox 360 game, while fighting with prisoners on the jeep in the leisure park, the song "Gone Guru" by the rap band Lifeseeker plays. From their self titled debut album, the song includes a sample of the main guitar riff from "A Passage to Bangkok"; click here for a sample; the Bangkok riff begins at 1:07.

  146. Beer League, September 15, 2006
    Artie, 37, who lives at home with his mom, brings a girl back to his bedroom. She is concerned that the walls are too thin, and that Artie's mom will hear. Artie says "These walls are completely sound proof...you could play drums in here! You could do the solo from 'Tom Sawyer'!" The girl replies "Who's Tom Sawyer?".

  147. Hunters Of Dune, by Brian Herbert & Kevin J. Anderson, August 22, 2006
    In this Dune sequel co-authored by Neil Peart's friend, Kevin J. Anderson , the chapter leading epigram on page 427 reads:

    A choice can be as dangerous as a weapon. Refusing to choose is in itself a choice. -Pearten, ancient Mentat

  148. Trailer Park Boys: The Big Dirty, October 6, 2006
    The TPB's scheme to rob a change machine, named the "Quiznoid 2112", from inside the local theater, whose marquee lists "Bastille Day", "The Temples of Syrinx", "Cygnus X1", "Red Barchetta", "La Villa Strangiato", "The Trees" & "Return of the Prince" among the films now showing. The movie also includes a cameo by Alex Lifeson in the role of a policeman, as of course it also includes the obligatory Rush t-shirt. Click here for details regarding the soundtrack.

  149. Heroes, the television series, October 23, 2006
    Fly By Night sighting: Possibly coincidental, as the phrase certainly was not invented by Rush, but still worth a mention: during the episode titled "Hiros", the name of the dinner outside Las Vegas where time-traveling Hiro Nakamura first witnesses Nathan Petrelli fly out of the sky is the "Fly By Night". Perhaps there is a Rush fan in the production crew...?

  150. Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent, the video game, October 24, 2006
    2112 sighting: at two points during the video game, access codes are given as 2112. One of them are found when you interrogate a crew member on a cruise ship and he gives the access code to the navigation room as "2112". The location of the second code is apparently found during the eight mission, "JBA, Headquarters 3".

  151. Wolverine: Road of Bones, the novel by David Mack, October 31, 2006
    A character who assists Wolverine on his mission is named Alex Zivojinovich, and a cab driver is named Gary Lee. The back of the book states that author David Mack is a Rush fan and has seen them on every tour since 1982.

  152. Once Upon a Lifetime, the book by Vincent M. Jeffries, November 3, 2006
    The author references Rush frequently in this book about divorce, family and friendship.

  153. "Guitar Hero 2", the video game, November 7th, 2006
    During this interactive guitar playing game, players perform to 55 songs, including a cover of "YYZ".

  154. Tenacious D Rush Star Merchandise, Fall 2006
    Items available via the official Tenacious D website include a t-shirt, keychain and magnet with their take on the Rush Star. Singer & backup guitarist Jack Black was Rush's original choice to act in the opening film of the R30 Tour, a part which Jerry Stiller ended up doing. Black is a longtime Rush fan, and can be seen 'singing' the music of "Jacob's Ladder" in the film High Fidelity, calling Peart "one of the great drummers of all time" in School of Rock, and even did his laundry on stage during one show of the R30 Tour. Note, while Rush's star has been mistakenly called a pentagram, well...

  155. Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip, the television series, aired November 13, 2006
    During the episode "Nevada Day Part 2" (#108), a Neil Peart poster for Paragon Cymbals is seen hanging on the door of "Dillon's" dressing room.

  156. Family Guy, the animated television series

    • Aired November 26, 2006: During the episode "Chick Cancer" (#87), after Stewie says he is "cooler than that cheetah from the commercials", it flashes to Chester Cheetah sitting in his living room which has a Rush starman poster on the wall while listening to "Tom Sawyer". He opens a bag of Cheetos, chops them with a razor blade, snorts the powder, and then says "Ah God there is no f(bleeped out) drummer better than Neil Peart (pronounced 'Pert')!" (click here for a video clip).
    • Aired January 28, 2007: 2112 sighting: as Stewie and Brian are leaving Aspen, Colorado, a highway mileage sign gives the distance to Rhode Island as 2112 miles (note, this is in fact the actual mileage from Aspen to Rhode Island, +/- 6 miles!).

  157. White Noise 2: The Light, January 5, 2007
    Late in this film about a man who sees a light emanating from those about to die, a school choir sings "The Spirit of Radio". The choral version is sung by the Bach Children's Choir, and the credits lists Rush. This film has currently only been released in Europe.

  158. The Knights Of Prosperity, the television series, aired January 17, 2007
    During the opening scene of the episode "Operation: Fighting Shape", the leader of the group chooses "Tom Sawyer" as their theme song, then begins to sing Tom Sawyer along with a karaoke machine as the other members join in (click here for a video clip). Twice later in the episode the Rush version is played as well.

  159. Patriots: A Nation Under Fire, the video game January 23, 2007
    A first person shooter PC game by the developers of Gore (see previous entry, released April 2002), in the very last building of the final mission, above a garage door in the dark is the word "Rush". This is a small homage to the band by the lead designer, a Rush fan!

  160. Ghost Rider, February 16, 2007
    Fitting as it shares the title of both the Rush song and Neil Peart' book, in on of the "making of" featurettes found on the DVD release, the visual effects director is seen wearing the tie-dyed Feedback tour shirt.

  161. Stuck Between Stations, music video by The Hold Steady, March 1, 2007
    The drummer in this video from this Brooklyn-based alternative rock band is wearing a Rush Permanent Waves t-shirt.

  162. The Enlightened Bracketologist - The Final Four of Everything, March 6, 2007
    In this book "for determining what we really love or hate - and why", 32 studio songs of at least 10 minutes in length are listed under the topic of "Long Songs". On pages 55-56 "The Camera Eye" loses to Pink Floyd's "Echoes".

  163. Joomla Open Source Content Management System Software, Spring 2007
    The next software release for Joomla, software for building Content Rich Websites, has dubbed their next release the Red Barchetta.
    "We've dubbed Beta-2 'Red Barchetta', in keeping with the spirit of freedom, power, simplicity and flexibility unknown in an Open Source framework. Besides Red Barchetta conjuring up triumph through coding revolution, this baby provides developers and designers with unequaled tools. This makes Joomla! 1.5 Beta-2 the ultimate enabler for your projects. Now is the time for you to take it for a serious drive to help our team refine the software for our release candidate goals." - Joomla.org

  164. My Name Is Earl, the television series, aired May 3, 2007
    During the episode "Get A Real Job", airdate May 3, 2007, "Working Man" is heard when Earl gets a full time job on the loading dock of an appliance store and tries to get promoted into sales.

  165. The Sopranos, the television series, aired May 6, 2007
    During episode #82, "Walk Like A Man", airdate May 6, 2007, as Tony Soprano pulls into the driveway of his house, "Tom Sawyer" is playing on his car stereo.

  166. Crossing Made Easy, television commercial, June 2007
    A humorous video at CrossingMadeEasy.com promotes the ease of crossing the Canadian border as a car full of guys pick their favorite Canadian song. "Tom Sawyer" is of course one of the songs chosen, but the humor is found when another chooses Celine Dion. - CrossingMadeEasy.com

  167. Semplice, computer software, 2007
    In the "about" dialogue box for the "Semplice Storefront Manager" program, in fine print are the words "All Songs composed by Lee and Lifeson with lyrics by Peart". As there is no music in the software, this is apparently a small tribute by the program's authors.

  168. Code Monkeys, the television series, (July 11, 2007 - )

    • During episode 1, "The Woz", aired July 11, 2007, an actual Rush poster can be seen hanging on the wall in Dave and Jerry's office (click here to see the original).
    • During episode 3, "Stonervision", aired July 25, 2007, one of the characters reportedly said "This must be how Rush felt after they recorded 2112. In addition, the previous Rush poster has been replaced by a second Rush poster, which does not appear to be a recreation of an actual poster as was done previously.

  169. All-Pro Football 2K8, the video game, July 16, 2007
    The DJ- remix of "Tom Sawyer", originally from the Small Soldiers soundtrack, is one of many classic remixes found in the game's soundtrack. To hear the track, visit the game's official site.

  170. UFOs At The Zoo, music video by The Flaming Lips, August 21, 2007
    During one of the fan features from the Oklahoma City Zoo, a fan is seen wearing a Rush A Farewell To Kings t-shirt. He first appears briefly 33 minutes into the film, then again 10 minutes later.

  171. Halloween, August 31, 2007
    "Tom Sawyer" is heard in this remake of the 1978 horror classic by Rob Zombie, and is also included on the soundtrack.

  172. Boogeyman 2, January 8, 2008
    One of the characters is a musician who has a Neil Peart Paragon poster on the wall in his room.

  173. Frisky Dingo, the animated television series, aired September 30, 2008
    Part of Cartoon Network's Adult Swim lineup, which has frequently referenced Rush in various animated series. During the episode "The Middle", Neil Peart is referenced when a character makes a bad attempt at a vocalized drum fill.

  174. The Sarah Silverman Program, aired October 3, 2007
    Airing on Comedy Central, during the episode "Bored of the Rings", after one of Sarah's gay and geeky friends played Dungeons & Dragons and missed a date, his boyfriend says something like "I made up a picnic basket and we were going to see the Rush concert tonight at the amphitheater!"

  175. Everybody Hates Chris, the television series, aired October 8, 2007
    During the episode "Everybody Hates Caruso", "Tom Sawyer" begins to play when the bully Caruso begins to fight the Asian student, Yao, in the school corridor.

  176. "Guitar Hero 3", the video game, October 28th, 2007
    This third edition of the interactive guitar playing game does not include any Rush songs, but does include a couple of Rush references. One of the guitars that can be purchased in the game's store looks like a playing card and is called "Farewell To Kings" with the description "Its time to play your cards, but don't rush into it". Also, you can unlock a Gibson ES-355, which includes in its description "users of this guitar include Alex Lifeson of Rush..."

  177. Barenaked Ladies, Talk To The Hand DVD, November 7, 2007
    BNL guitarist/singer Ed Robertson can be seen wearing a Rush t-shirt throughout this concert DVD. Pictured on the shirt is a photo of Rush circa '77. Robertson performed with Rush and Mike Smith of the Trailer Park Boys to record a special version of "Closer To The Heart" for the charity television telethon "Canada For Asia" in early 2005 (included on the bonus disk of Rush's R30 DVD). Known Rush fans, BNL have frequently performed "The Spirit of Radio" in their live show, and included short tributes to "Tom Sawyer" and "The Spirit of Radio" in their song "Grade 9" on the album Gordon, and drummer Tyler Stewart used a caricature of Rush's Star Man on his bass drum during their 2001 tour.

  178. Rock Band, the video game, November 20th, 2007
    This interactive game allows players to perform lead guitar, bass, drums and vocals. A cover of "Tom Sawyer" is one of the original 26 songs included on the game disk, while "Limelight" and "Working Man" are available as a download purchase.

    "With a lot of the rock guitar games that are available now...a whole new audience is coming around to knowing who we are. We're seeing a lot of young kids that have learned about Rush that way. So its very interesting to us to see all of these 11 - 14 year old budding guitar players coming to our shows." - Alex Lifeson, KZRR Albuquerque phone interview, April 8th, 2008

    After the initial release, on July 8th, 2008, the master track of "Closer To The Heart" and the "Working Man (Vault Edition)", were made available for download; on July 22 the "Working Man (Vault Edition)" was made available for download on iTunes:

    "The version features a never before heard guitar solo that Alex Lifeson did during the original recordings back in the 70’s. The song was re-mixed by Rich Chycki who is known for his work on R30 and Snakes & Arrows. A great addition to the Rush song library!" - Rush.com, July 21, 2008

    On September 23rd, 2008, the complete Moving Pictures master tracks were made available for download. These were the first "original versions" of "Tom Sawyer" and "Limelight" for the game, as the original Rock Band versions were covers. In addition, the Rock Band website posted a video interview where Geddy and Alex discuss the making of Moving Pictures. This was the second part of the previously posted video interview where they discuss finding the lost "Working Man 'alternate solo'" and the making of their debut album.

  179. Hit List Countdown, Poland's "Polskie Radio Program 3", November 2007
    A sample of "Where's My Thing?" is used as the main theme of this popular hit list countdown on Poland Radio 3.

  180. Xavier: Renegade Angel, the animated television series, aired December 9th, 2007
    2112 sighting: part of Cartoon Network's Adult Swim lineup, which has frequently referenced Rush in various animated series. During the episode "World Of Hurt, BC", Xavier travels back in time to confront a cro-magnon wifebeater (by eating bacon and smoking to "take minutes off his life and thus go back in time"). To travel back to the future, he regurgitates the bacon but goes too far, to the year 2112.

  181. Adventures Of Power, January 20, 2008
    Neil Peart makes a cameo appearance in this comedy about one man's quest to win an "air-drumming" competition. "Tom Sawyer" is heard during the film's trailer, which includes a glimpse of a Rush poster. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, and as of yet there currently is no date set for a theatrical release; the film may be released direct to DVD.

  182. Cygnus X-1 Porter, Flat Earth Brewing Company
    "This robust English style porter has an added twist, rye. Rye is used in making Canadian whiskey. It was created as a tribute to our favorite band - Rush. Cygnus X-1 has a creamy mocha chocolate flavor with a hint of spice. It has a slightly dry finish leaving you wanting more." - Flat Earth Brewing Company

  183. "Freedom", the Japanese anime series, January 25th, 2008
    Produced by anime legend Katsuhiro Otomo (of "Akira" fame), during the first scene of volume 6, the main character is seen wearing a space suit with an Apollo 18 mission patch embroidered with the names "Lee, Lifeson, Peart".

  184. The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, January 29, 2008
    In this documentary which follows a pair diehard video game fans as they compete to break World Records on classic arcade games, one of the subjects performs Neil Peart's "The Rhythm Method" solo on the drums. For more, visit Reelzchannel.com.

  185. Chad The Fat Kid, the online comic strip, February 29, 2008
    This online comic strip featured one of the characters wearing a Rush starman t-shirt.

  186. Who's Your Monkey, March 28th, 2008
    As seen in the trailer, one of the characters is seen wearing a 2112 t-shirt.

  187. The Grand, April 4, 2008
    Halfway through this film about a poker tournament, someone "prays" some lines and the man next to him asks "is that Rush?"

  188. Neil Peart - Mission: The Camera Eye, the video game, April 2008
    "New Year's Eve, 2111. The members of RUSH have defied natural science and willed themselves to live upwards of 160 years old, in anticipation of the year that their stellar '2112' album was named for. Everyone expects them to play 2112 in its entirety for Dick Clark's Rockin' Eve, but virtuoso drummer Neil Peart has a different plan. Hours before the show, Neil announces to bandmates Geddy and Alex that he wants to finally play their lost epic 'The Camera Eye,' as a show of thanks for the almost 200 years of support from their fans. Horrified, Geddy and Alex attempt to lock Neil backstage and teleport his giant drum set into the icy caves of Xanadu. Nevermore shall they return! Little do they know the evil plans of the Portnoybot 1000 will turn everything they all know upside down! Can Neil Peart escape his prison and travel to the icy caves of Xanadu to assemble his drum set again? Will he be able to do it in time for Dick Clark's Rockin' Eve show? Can he thwart the Portnoybot 1000 and save Geddy and Alex from his mad overplaying? Will 'The Camera Eye' ever be played live?"

  189. Shadow Of The Jaguar, the novel by Steven Seville, May 13, 2008
    Author Steven Seville, who wrote this Primeval spin-off novel, is obviously a Rush fan. The character Connor includes "2112" in his mp3 player's playlist (p43). Later, when the characters split up, they are told to tune their radios to channel 2112 (p106 and p206). And lastly, in the acknowledgments, the author states "Nothing can survive in a vacuum, and as the song goes, no-one can exist all alone."

  190. HijNKS Ensure: Geek Webcomic, the online comic strip, May 28th, 2008
    The music video game phenomenon was the subject of this online comic strip. Looking into the future, titled "Guitar Hero IV: The Inevitable Conclusion", the strip includes a drawing of a drum kit similar to that in Rock Band, only with many more accessories including tubular bells, a gong, etc., with the text "Guitar Hero V will have drums licensed by Neil Peart of Rush.".

  191. The Cygnus X-1 by The Cygnus Model Rocket Company, released 2008
    This model rocket company of course has a kit called the "X-1".


  192. The Colbert Report, the Comedy Central news show, July 16, 2008
    All three members of Rush appeared on US television for the first time in 33 years, were featured throughout the show, including being interviewed together with Colbert and a performance of "Tom Sawyer". The complete episode is available on Colbert's website.

  193. Be Kind Rewind, June 17, 2008
    On the DVD release of this film starring Jack Black, the star is seen giving an autograph to a man wearing a Rush t-shirt during the "Passaic Mosaic" special feature.

  194. The Rocker, August 20, 2008
    On the DVD release of this film starring Rainn Wilson, during one of the deleted scenes Wilson goes to collect his drum kit from a self storage, and when he opens one of the cases, the drum has "Neil Peart is GOD" written across the top of it...

  195. The Shield, the television series, 2002 - 2009
    2112 sighting: during the second episode of season 7, original air date September 9, 2008, the numbers 2112 were prominently written on a white board.

  196. Rock Band 2, the video game, September 15th, 2008
    This interactive game allows players to perform lead guitar, bass, drums and vocals. Included in the track list is "The Trees" by Rush, another "vault edition", the audio is actually from the live promo video recorded in 1978.

  197. Zeitgeist: Addendum, October 3, 2008
    During the introduction to the third chapter to this the second installment of the conspiracy theory documentary movie series (released free online), the opening bass notes from "Cygnus X-1" are heard (beginning near the 54:20 mark).

  198. Chuck, the television series, 2007 -
    During episode #205, "Chuck Versus Tom Sawyer", original air date October 27, 2008, Chuck must reach the final kill screen of the classic video game "Missile Command" to unlock the code to power down a satellite. As he prepares to play, he sees an R30 t-shirt, and realizes the game follows a pattern, the "music of the universe", which is of course "Tom Sawyer".

  199. The Border, the Canadian television series, 2008 -
    During episode #206, "Prescriptive Measures", original air date November 3, 2008, the resident computer nerd who works for a Canadian governmental agency celebrates after winning Geddy Lee's Rickenbacker bass from "Rush's first tour". He asks his co-workers if any of them want to hear him play "Working Man".

  200. Certifiable - Live In Buenos Aires, music video by The Police, November 18, 2008
    In the "Better Than Therapy" special feature, drummer Stewart Copeland discusses his 'Big Gong' and says, "this one is bigger than the one Neil Peart (mispronounced 'Pert') uses".

  201. What Just Happened?, November 28th, 2008
    2112 sighting: late in the film, as Robert DeNiro's character is trying to catch a plane home from Cannes, the plane's ID number is CS2112F.

  202. Time Immemorial, music video by Into Eternity, December 9, 2008
    One of the guitarists in this video from this Canadian death metal band is wearing a Snakes & Arrows t-shirt.

  203. Rifftrax, online audio commentaries
    Similar to Mystery Science Theater 3000, these are audio commentaries from the stars of the original MST3K, which can be played as you watch your own films.

    • Saw, released May 13th, 2008: When investigators find the doctor's pen light at the scene of a victim of the jigsaw killer, Danny Glover states "Get a rush on these prints", and Bill Colbert quips "Geddy Lee preferably".
    • Star Wars: A New Hope, released December 30, 2008: During the cantina scene, when Han Solo asks "You never heard of the Millenium Falcon?", Mike Nelson replies, "Did they open for Rush?"
    • Reffer Madness - Three Riffer Edition, released Janurary 20, 2009: When Dr. Carroll is questioning Bill and asks "You were always a fine student, always got excellent grades," Mike Nelson adds "Never listened to Rush."
    • Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, released April 14, 2009: When Luke crash lands on Daghobah, as R2D2 is navigating his way out of the swamp, Mike remarks "that's more stage fog than a rush concert."

  204. Fanboys, February 6, 2009
    "Limelight" and "Tom Sawyer" are heard in this comedy where "Star Wars" fans travel to George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch in 1998 to steal an early copy of "Episode I: The Phantom Menace". Throughout the film, actor Dan Fogler wears a retro Rush shirt circa 1974, and has a faux-leather attaché cases for cassettes, which is full of Rush albums. In addition, his number one rule for people riding in his van is that they had to listen to RUSH all the time.

  205. Peggle, the online computer game, Spring 2009
    The background of level six of the online game in which you try to clear tiles to advance to other levels, is very similar to the Fly By Night album cover.

  206. I Love You Man, March 20th, 2009
    I Love You Man director and co-writer John Hamburg is a long time Rush fan, and used to play Rush covers in his band. When writing the script, he chose Rush as a bonding device for the lead characters played by co-stars Paul Rudd and Jason Segel (Rush fans may remember Segel from his role in the television series Freaks And Geeks, a series which frequently referenced Rush). Both Rudd and Segel are also Rush fans, and the film is full of Rush sightings, including a scene which takes place at a Rush concert with a cameo by the band. Additional Rush sightings include the multiple Rush posters adorning Segel's walls as he and Rudd jam to "Tom Sawyer" (with Rudd playing a Geddy Lee Signature Jazz Bass), Rudd exclaiming at the Rush concert "I haven't seen them live since the Signals tour!", and of course, Rudd and Segel jamming to "Limelight" at the end of the film at the wedding. This performance is included on the I Love You Man Soundtrack, along with the original Rush versions of both "Limelight" and "Tom Sawyer". A source close to the band reported the scene was filmed the week of May 11th, 2008, while the band was in L.A. during the second leg of the Snakes & Arrows tour. Check out this extended 4:13 clip of Rush performing "Limelight" for the film, which includes footage not found in the final release.
    "When I met (the band) and I was explaining the scene to them, I was so hypersensitive that they would enjoy themselves and not feel as if we were making fun of them because we were not at all. So I was explaining it to them, like, 'Jason and I are dancing around and we're really, really excited, and Rashida [Jones], her character is weirded out by us but she's kind of bored because we're totally ignoring her. So that's what's going on in the scene. We're way into it and she's kind of bored.' And Geddy Lee said, 'So it's just like any one of our concerts.' (laughter)" - Paul Rudd, ComingSoon.net, March 19, 2009

    "It was a blast, we just played the same song over and over again. It came at a tough time, because we were on tour and that was our day off. It was nice that it was such fun, because we were pretty beat." - Geddy Lee, Entertainment Weekly, March 20, 2009

  207. Adventureland, April 3, 2009
    By the director of Superbad and starring Ryan Reynolds and Kristen Stewart, as seen in the trailer, "Limelight" is heard in the film which includes a scene where one of the characters airdrums and sings along to the song (until he forgets the lyrics that is).

  208. K-On!, the Japanese animated series, April 9, 2009
    During the second episode of season two of the Japanese anime series K-On! which aired April 9th, 2009, when one of the characters goes to the music store to buy a Les Paul guitar, a Pearl drums banner on the wall has been reworked to read "Peart, the best reason to play drums".

  209. Rock Band Classic Rock Track Pack, the add on bundle for Rock Band, May 19, 2009
    This 20 song pack includes the original versions of "Closer To The Heart" and "Red Barchetta".

  210. Rock Band Unplugged, the PSP video game, June 9, 2009
    This video game made specifically for the portable Sony PSP gaming system, includes "The Trees", specifically, the "vault edition" which was previously released with Rock Band 2.

  211. Guitar Hero Smash Hits, the video game, June 16, 2009
    Rush's "YYZ" is one of 48 songs compiled from previous Guitar Hero releases, yet unlike the version originally released on Guitar Hero 2, this is the master recording and includes play from all instruments.

  212. Warehouse 13, the television series, September 1, 2009
    Early in the episode titled "Regrets" (Season 1, Episode 9), agents Myka (Played by Joanne Kelly) and Pete (Played by Eddie McClintok) are sent to a prison to investigate unexplained suicides. They are sifting through a box with one the victims personal effects and come across a manuscript with an illustration of a snake eating its tail on the cover. Myka says "Ouroboros, the snake, it's a symbol of self reflection and simplicity", to which Pete replies "...and the best Rush album since Roll The Bones, Snakes & Arrows rocks!" (view the scene here)

  213. Guitar Hero 5, the video game, September 1, 2009
    "The Spirit Of Radio" (live) is one of 85 songs by 83 artists included in this video game. Although Rush has been included in previous Guitar Hero releases, this one is a rarity. We have confirmed with SRO/Anthem that this recording was taken from an unreleased live performance in Manchester on June 17, 1980 on the Permanent Waves Tour (Producer Terry Brown, Engineer Andy Rose, mobile truck recorder - Mobile Studio London). While there are no plans at this time for a live album release of the complete Manchester show, "anything can happen"...

  214. Suck, September 11, 2009
    Alex Lifeson is one of an all star cast of actors and musicians who appear in this Canadian vampire rock and roll comedy film. Lifeson has a cameo as a Canadian border officer who stops a vampire rock band and asks them their business. After some small talk, Lifeson says "Are you a band? I used to be in a band too! Man, that brings me back! Well kids, have fun!" Later, Lifeson stops the vampire hunter, and when the hunter confirms he is coming to Canada for "hunting", Lifeson replies "Welcome home!" Click here to view the trailer.

  215. Trailer Park Boys 2: Countdown To Liquor Day, September 25, 2009
    This movie includes yet another cameo by Alex Lifeson in the role of a policeman, this time a cross-dressing transvestite...

  216. The Venture Bros., the animated television series, aired November 2, 2009
    Part of Cartoon Network's Adult Swim lineup, which has frequently referenced Rush in various animated series, during the episode "Perchance To Dean", Dr. Venture introduces his son Dean to progressive rock, explaining that all of his greatest ideas were hatched while listening to King Crimson, Yes, etc. After falling into a "Floyd Hole" during a long session of Prog Rock, Dean is found passed out on the floor with various album covers strewn about, including 2112, and possibly Hemispheres (partially obscured under Dean's arm).

  217. Gary Unmarried, the television series, aired November 4, 2009
    In the opening scene of the November 4, 2009, episode titled "Gary Tries To Do It All", Gary complains about the cost of his daughter's youth orchestra with "it seemed pretty expensive, I could see if the orchestra played a little RUSh or AC/DC or something...". The episode is currently available online at CBS.com.