Rush Plays Full ‘2112’ Suite for First Time Since 1997 at Second Forum Show

Rush’s “Fifty Something” tour took a sharp turn on its second night at the Kia Forum. After Sunday’s opening show leaned on familiar anchors, Tuesday’s set dispensed with predictability, swapping in ten songs not heard the night before and reintroducing the full, seven-part “2112” suite for the first time in nearly three decades.

The 20-minute prog epic, last played in its entirety on the 1997 Test for Echo tour, had been steadily reduced over the years. By the band’s later runs, live versions often collapsed the piece into its opening, the towering “Temples of Syrinx,” and a closing reprise. Here, all seven movements—from “Overture” through “Oracle: The Dream”—were restored without compromise.

Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee, both in their 70s, handled the demanding material with an intensity that made the suite feel less like a nostalgia exercise than a deliberate statement about the tour’s ambition. Lee has said the band prepared 38 songs; after two nights, they’ve played most of them.

Other additions included “The Analog Kid,” “The Trees,” “Headlong Flight,” and early cuts like “Anthem” and “Finding My Way.” Aimee Mann reprised her guest vocal on “Time Stand Still,” only the second time she’s performed it with the band, following her appearance at the tour opener.

The residency continues Thursday and Saturday at the Forum, with the full North American run stretching into December.