"Canada for Asia"
January 13, 2005

All three members of Rush, along with Ed Robertson of the Barenaked Ladies and Mike Smith of the Trailer Park Boys, performed "Closer To The Heart" for the charity television telethon "Canada For Asia". Airing Janurary 13th, 2005, the event raised money for the Dec. 26th, 2004 Tsunami Disaster Fund. The video was later made available on Rush.com and included on the R30: 30th Anniversary Tour DVD.

• "Describing the snap decision-making that happens when asked to do a charity event, Lifeson remembered a conversation he had with his wife as they watched the disaster unfold during the holidays. 'She said, "Al, you've got a voice. You can do more than just make a donation to a charity." And about half an hour later, after we had that conversation, Tom called,' Lifeson said. 'There's something about this that has galvanized everyone, and everyone's support has been absolute. To a person, everybody we've contacted has said, "Whatever you need, I'm in."'" - Music telethon organized in a few heart-felt beats, Toronto Globe and Mail, Jan. 12, 2005
• "Mike Smith, better known as Bubbles on Trailer Park Boys...got involved with the benefit when he received a phone call from Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson after the tsunami struck...Smith will appear alongside castmates John Paul Tremblay (Julian) and Robb Wells (Ricky) during the telecast. Smith, who's also a musician, was helping Rush record a new version of 'Closer To The Heart' this week, and a video of the recording session will be featured in the show on Thursday." - Stars gear up for CBC tsunami benefit, Jan. 13, 2005
• "Ed Robertson of the Barenaked Ladies said that just getting a phone call from Lifeson to ask if he would participate was exciting for him. 'It was a full-on lifelong dream come true,' Robertson said. He got to play guitar on 'Closer to the Heart' with Rush in a segment taped earlier in the week. Bubbles of the Trailer Park Boys also joined in. 'I actually wrote a letter to the TV program Thrill of a Lifetime asking to play acoustic guitar on Closer to the Heart with Rush, so it was like 'Alex, did that just make it to your desk 27 years later?'' Later in the evening Lifeson said he was flattered. 'It was a real treat for us. It was such a nice energy and vibe in the studio.' Lifeson added that the band plans to make the video of the performance available on Rush's website." - Canadian stars shine at Asia benefit, Jan. 13, 2005
• "In another pre-recorded segment, Mike Myers introduced the rock band Rush. 'I just wanted to say how proud I am to be a part of this event,' Myers said with uncharacteristic seriousness. 'I also want to say how much of a Rush fan I am...they are an amazing band.'" - Artists come together for tsunami victims, Jan. 14, 2005

  Related News

• In a front-page story of the Wall Street Journal featuring Bruce French, "an itinerant private chef" who rushed to help victims of the Sri Lanka tsunami, the article notes that: "When Mr. French found out some local musicians had lost their instruments in the tsunami, he contacted his friends in the Canadian rock band Rush, who donated several thousand dollars for guitars. Although Mr. French 'has a little bit of the hippie in him,' he is 'definitely a take-control kind of guy,' says Alex Lifeson, the band's 52-year-old guitarist." The article also features a picture of a local band holding the guitars replaced by the band, with the caption "After a local band's instruments were destroyed by the waves, the rock group RUSH, friends of Mr. French, donated new equipment". - Wall Street Journal (inaugural Saturday edition), Sep. 17, 2005