Anika Nilles reacts to her first Rush concert and reveals poignant Neil Peart tribute
"Neil was with us on this drum riser last night"
Last updated 9th Jun 2026
Anika Nilles has reacted to her first Rush concert and revealed that Neil Peart was “with us” on stage thanks to a special tribute on her drum riser.
Rush kicked off their Fifty Something Tour in spectacular style at the first date of their four-night residency at Los Angeles Kia Forum on Sunday.
Despite the huge pressure of stepping into the late-great Neil Peart’s shoes, Anika Nilles was in beast mode throughout the set, and her flawless drum fills on ‘Tom Sawyer’ were met with cheers from the 18,000-strong Kia Forum crowd.
Anika took to social media on Monday to share a series of photos from the concert and she wrote: “I’m still trying to wrap my head around what happened last night! 🙏🏼🫶🏻”
The five photos depict Anika getting ready for the show backstage, walking on stage arm-in-arm with Geddy and Alex, and sitting behind her kit.
The last image is captioned ‘Neil was with us on this drum riser last night’ and depicts a pair of ProMark Neil Peart Signature 747 Oak Drumsticks.
Dream Theater and keen Rush Aficionado Mike Portnoy replied in the comments: “You absolutely NAILED IT!! 🙌 🔥 I cannot fathom the emotions that you must’ve been feeling…just watching on YouTube I had goosebumps and tears throughout the entire show! You honoured Neil, Geddy and Alex (and the music and the fans) with every ounce of your being and I am so happy they chose you! Can’t wait to witness this in person sometime this summer…Huge.”
You can see more fan-filmed videos and the full setlist from Rush’s Los Angeles Kia Forum concert RIGHT HERE.