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"Beyond The Lighted Stage" Interview With Mood Lifters

Mood Lifters Southern California


Band Members:

Rocky Kuner – vocals

Isamu Kakitani – bass guitar, keyboards, pedals

Ben King – guitar

Mat Miranda - drums & percussion

 

Mary Jo, RushCon staff:  Give us a little history of the band- how did you meet and discover a shared love of Rush?  I'm happy to say I had the chance to see Xanadoodz years ago while on vacation in San Diego, and always loved seeing Rocky perform when on tour in Florida.

BEN (guitar):  I have loved and played Rush since I was 15 years old – which means I am living my own personal “R40” this year!  I was in love with the guitar for years before I actually got one, but the year that I finally did, I was also in the midst of a fall down the Rush rabbit hole.  Alex Lifeson’s playing was my #1 inspiration – I wanted to learn to play it all, and I really became the guitarist that I am today through that quest.

Throughout the years, I toyed with the idea of starting a Rush tribute band, but other endeavors always got in the way.  In 2011, after playing Rush with musician friends for most of my life, I decided on a whim to start a YouTube channel, playing guitar covers played over backtracks for fun. As the covers accumulated, they were almost exclusively Rush. Then, in 2019, bassist/keyboardist Isamu commented on my video for “The Big Money,” inviting me to join his band, “Xanadoodz – A Tribute to Rush.”  I happily joined, but as we were just getting going with a couple of shows, the Covid lockdown hit.  Isamu explains the rest of that history, but after a few outdoor shows during Covid, Xanadoodz disbanded.  Isamu then invited me to join him when he decided to launch a new Rush trib after Xanadoodz ended.

It was really quite amazing how Mood Lifters came together.  Isamu located Mat online, and when we auditioned him, I assumed there was no chance he would join because he was soooooo good!  Mat is a total pro.  He teaches drums, plays with a number of other bands, and after joining us he added his “day job” of drumming and performing at Disneyland in Anaheim, CA.  So we auditioned him, but I felt like it was more the other way around.  We all really meshed together musically and as people.

Then, after our initial singer George Tate (whom we still love!) departed for personal reasons, the amazing opportunity to complete the band with Rocky on vocals presented itself out of nowhere (as Isamu describes).  That was at that moment that I knew the tribute-band gods were on our side.  We knew of her well from her time in YYNOT, and I personally had no idea that she was local until she reached out.  My first call with Rocky lasted well over an hour, and she was just such a genuinely good person – like Isamu and Mat.  I knew this would be a great band experience for all of us.

We all have substantial experience performing Rush live, and it just came together very naturally.  We are all very ambitious by nature as well, and we share a mission to take this band as far as we can.  We want to offer an authentic Rush experience to as many people as we can.

ISAMU (bass guitar, keyboards, pedals) In 2014, I formed the Rush tribute band “Xanadoodz” in San Diego, and primarily operated in Southern California.  In September 2019, our guitarist left the band, prompting us to start searching for a new guitarist.  Finding a guitarist to play like Alex is a challenging task.  I was almost ready to give up when I came across a fantastic YouTube video of someone playing “The Big Money” with an incredible sound. I left a comment saying, “Very nice!!!! If you are in California, we really want to invite you to our band.”  A few days later, I received a reply saying, “I’m in LA,” and at that moment, I felt like there was no one else but him for the role.  We immediately welcomed him into the band, and that's how we met our current guitarist, Ben King.

In November 2021, due to various factors such as band members moving away, it became increasingly difficult for Xanadoodz to continue its activities, and as a result, the band decided to disband.  Afterward, I made the decision to form another Rush tribute band, and invited Ben to join as the guitarist.  We picked our name “Mood Lifters,” and then began the search for a drummer, which also proved to be quite challenging.  One day, while conducting web research, I came across a drummer who could play songs from Dream Theater and RUSH with remarkable quality.  Fortunately, he lived in Southern California, so I quickly got in touch with him and invited him to join the band.  This is how we met our current drummer, Mat.

When we initially formed Mood Lifters, we had a male singer, George Tate, who participated in several shows.  However, it became increasingly challenging to coordinate his show schedule, which led us to start searching for a new singer.  This was quite a challenging task, as we received audition recordings from more than ten individuals, and auditioned a couple of singers, but we couldn’t make a final decision.  We had decided to put the band’s activities on hold until we found a new singer.  However, right around that time, I received a Facebook message that said, “Female Rush singer is in your local area.”  Upon seeing this message, I realized it was from someone associated with Rocky Kuner, and I immediately contacted them.  I still remember it was a very exciting moment.  In June, all the members had dinner together, and soon after, Rocky's participation in the band was happily confirmed.

MAT (drums & percussion) I have always been a fan of Rush.  Neil Peart was one of three drum idols growing up (John Bonham and Mike Portnoy being the others.)  I was really only familiar with Rush’s bigger hits, but nonetheless those songs were still enough to inspire my style of drumming growing up.

During the pandemic I started posting a lot of short drum clips to TikTok and Instagram. There was good chunk of Rush covers I was posting because those were getting the most response and requests.

If I remember correctly, our bassist Isamu had found some of those clips and then reached out to ask me if I was interested in being a part of a Rush tribute. I originally was a bit hesitant because I knew it would be a challenge. I knew it wouldn’t just be the difficulty of the music to learn and execute, but also the amount of gear I would need to have and transport each show to properly play those songs similar to how Neil Peart does. I usually generally play a 4-piece kit because that’s all that’s really needed for other groups I play with. Overall, I knew this was something I had always dreamed about possibly doing, and there was the opportunity right in front of me. So I said, “Yes let’s do it!”

ROCKY:  My Dad found a live video of the Mood Lifters playing with a different singer and we reached out and it turned out they were looking for a new singer at that time.  I joined them and the rest is history!

MARY JO: How did you pick the name “Mood Lifters”?

BEN:  The man who deserves credit for our name is my lifelong friend and serious Rush Buddy, Jaime Montano.  Before we had Mat and Rocky, Jaime and I were shooting possible names back and forth in a text chain, in rapid-fire fashion, just brainstorming.  We came up with a bunch of things, and I wish I could remember some of them because some were very good and others were hilarious!  But when Jaime threw out the suggestion of “Mood Lifter” from the song Vital Signs, I knew immediately that was it (though I added the “s” at the end!).  The timing was the heart of Covid – the mood was still grim – with everyone locked in their houses all over the world.  “Mood Lifters” had a vibe that I really wanted for this band – very positive, forward looking, and inspirational.  Just as Rush was.

As a footnote, my friend Jaime who first suggested the name is also a genius at graphic design.  After he suggested the name, he went to work immediately and created our band logo, so I guess you can call him “the Fifth Mood Lifter”!

ISAMU:  Everybody needs a “Mood Lifter”!

MAT:  Believe it or not, I originally wasn’t sure how I felt about naming the band “Mood Lifters”. I had always imagined being in a tribute band that uses a song title, or a play on words with the band name or song.  But I really like the name now.  I think that it is unique, it has a positive feel, and it probably makes it easier to find us on the internet since our band name isn’t a common song title.

ROCKY:  The band had the name when I joined.  When we play “Vital Signs” at our shows, we do a break to accentuate the words “mood lifter,” and invite the audience to sing it with us!

MARY JO: Tell us about your gear and set up. Any special items you'd like to mention?

BEN:  I am a total gear nerd, so asking this question invites a book from me!  I will try to condense it the best I can.  For guitars, my #1 is the Gibson Alex Lifeson Les Paul, from the first run in (I think) 2012, in Royal Crimson.  This guitar is critical to me capturing the various eras of Alex’s sound, because it includes a piezo pickup in the bridge and separate outputs for the magnetic and piezo pickups.  The initial Gibson model came with the pickups wired to a circuit board, which allowed blending those two sources through a single output, but that feature created all types of problems.  I enlisted the services of Jim Foote at Music Works in Redondo Beach CA to mod it so that the magnetic pickups were “freed” from the circuit board and the piezo was rendered totally independent.  To my amazement, this mod significantly opened up the sound of the magnetic pickups in a great way.  I still blend the signal paths in my rig as Alex Lifeson did, which leads to a huge sound at times – like two players playing at once.

Other guitars that I use live are a Gibson Howard Roberts Fusion model (similar to the one Alex played on Exit Stage Left and used to record Tom Sawyer), a white Epiphone doubleneck which I modded with all Gibson pickups and locking tuners (it sounds beastly!), and occasionally a PRS Custom 24 (for that Counterparts era).  One oddball guitar that I use occasionally is a Fender Pawn Shop Jaguarillo.  Alex never used anything like it, but it has a bridge humbucker pickup that magically captures the sound of Alex’s strat era (Grace Under Pressure/Power Windows mainly).  It does that so well that I’ll just ask fans to close their eyes on those songs if they have to!  (As a general rule, our band is far more concerned with capturing the authentic sounds of Rush before we worry about looks at all.)



Some other gear:  My amp is the Hughes & Kettner Grandmeister Deluxe 40.  Effects include the TC Electronic G-System (for switching, delay, chorus, phaser); an obscure DLS Effects Boost Gain Sustain pedal that was designed and made specifically for Alex Lifeson at his request for the R40 tour.  And for the piezo (acoustic) side, I use a Fishman Aura Spectrum DI pedal that Alex used as well, to make the piezo acoustic sound more natural/full.  I also use a Boss DD-2 Delay and a Digitech reverb for the acoustic side.

For all shows, my sound goes direct to the PA via a Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander, and for shows where guitar cabinets are also called for, I have a rare Gallien-Kruger 4x12 which is from the same line of 2x12 cabinets that Alex used in the “Hold Your Fire” phase.  I also have a 1x12 Hughes & Kettner cab for smaller venues (it adds more top end to my sound when used in conjunction with the GK 4x12 cab).

ISAMU:  For bass, I play a Fender Japan Jazz Bass 75 reissue.  For keys, I use a Roland PK-5 Bass Pedal, and play a Arturia KeyLab 49 MK3 MIDI keyboard.  For my bass amp sound, I’m using two Dis: pre-BassAmp Tech21 VT Bass DI & SansAmp RPM, and I blend those two.  During live shows, keyboard sounds are managed using Ableton Live.  All the synthesizer sounds/patches are pre-created and assigned to MIDI keys.  Typically, I sample around 10 to 20 sources for a single song, but for more complex synth-era songs, I may need over 50 samples/sounds.  Examples of such songs include “Marathon,” “Mystic Rhythms,” “Mission,” “Manhattan Project,” and others.  The process of creating these sources alone can be quite time-consuming.



MAT:  My main kit I like to use is a white Yamaha Stage Custom. I had always wanted a white kit, and finally bought this one as a 5-piece just a couple years ago. I own a set of roto toms that I’ve grown up using on my kits. I love them so much because they’re an easy addition of three toms to put on the kit, and I think they sound great! 

Recently though, I picked up some additional toms that go with my Yamaha kit to replace the roto toms for a better overall clean look. I’m slowly adding those to my kit and hope to use the full 6-tom drum kit soon.  Live, I use a DW 5000 double kick pedal.  For cymbals, I’m endorsed with Soultone which I always use if I’m playing my own gear.  Sometimes I rotate in/out different size and amounts of crash or splash cymbals.  A full ideal setup would include: 13” and 14” hi hats, 20” crash ride, 6” 8” & 10” splashes, 18” china, 17” crash, 19” crash, and 19” FX crash.  For electronics, I always have an Alesis Strike MultiPad sample pad for triggering various sounds.  On occasion, if our set calls for songs with specific organized samples, I sometimes also use a foot pedal trigger, a Roland trigger bar, and a Roland 8” pad.  I also perform with Neil Peart signature Promark drumsticks.  Lastly, I use custom molded Ultimate Ears in-ear monitors.



ROCKY:  My setup is very simple – just my Shure In-Ear monitor system, Westone In-Ears, and Telefunken Microphone.  Any effects like reverb or compression on my vocals are handled at the sound board.  I always feel a little guilty when I see the guys hauling in their loads of gear, and I just have my small bag.  But I always offer to help them whenever I can!



MARY JO: What’s your Rush preshow ritual?

BEN:  I wish I could call it a “ritual,” but it usually feels more like a scramble.  I always try to get to the venue as early as possible to set up and test equipment.  I have taken on responsibility for managing the band’s in-ear monitoring as well as my rig, and often we are recording as well, which requires a laptop and extra mics to be set up.  Depending on where we fall in the lineup each night, and venue considerations, different levels of staging and preparation are necessary.

For those shows where I have ample time to set up, I like to spend the last hour or so before a show hanging out with my bandmates in the green room – it’s a cool hang!  The most fun was when we played the Whisky A Go Go in Hollywood, CA – the green room was awesome and filled with music history.  Rocky loaded up this hilarious old sci-fi movie on the small tv via a crappy 80s VHS player.  The club stocked us up with vodka and beer (of which we reservedly imbibed!).  We were headlining, so while the other bands were playing, at one point, we set up a makeshift practice corner in the green room and ran through some of the tougher songs.  I was using my iPhone for an amp, and Mat was literally banging on food containers and bottles for the drums.  But shockingly, we were able to really fine tune a few things that way, and it was a blast!

ISAMU:  I don’t have any specific ritual.  But I try to make time to be alone whenever possible.

MAT:  I try to make sure I spend at least 10 minutes warming up my hands and feet.  I do some basic hand/arm and foot/leg stretches.  Then I usually do simple rudiments to get my hands and feet moving.  I like to move my feet like I’m playing 16th notes on a double pedal, and then with my hands playing in time on top, I like to rotate between alternating 16th notes, doubles on each hand, and paradiddles.  Sometimes I’ll also tap through some difficult passages of Rush songs that we’re playing that show just to make sure I got it down.

ROCKY:  I usually listen to the songs that we are playing for the show in the car on my way to the venue.  I also make my own handwritten setlist with the phrases that trigger my memory next to each song.  In the weeks before the show, I start brainstorming what I want to wear.  Sometimes I change my mind at the last minute, but usually I plan everything weeks in advance.

MARY JO: How many Rush Songs do you all have in your repertoire? What song(s) took the longest to perfect?

BEN:  So far, we have performed 45 songs, but one of those includes the entire first side of the Hemispheres album (“Cygnus X-1, Book II: Hemispheres”).  Isamu and I performed a bunch of others with Xanadoodz that we have not yet played with Mood Lifters.  For me, personally, my practice room walls have heard almost everything in the Rush catalog from one time to another in my playing life.  We add new songs to almost every show, with an eye towards constantly expanding, and we LOVE an occasional very deep cut (like “Double Agent” in a recent show) to surprise the hardcore fans.

In the “longest songs to perfect” category, a few that stand out are “Marathon,” “A Farewell to Kings,” and “Mission.”  Those are all great challenges in terms of sound and playing.

ISAMU:  Personally, I have learned around 90 songs, but as a band, we probably have about40-45 songs in our repertoire. One of the most challenging songs to play as a band has been “La Villa Strangiato.”  I've been performing this song for over 40 years, since 1979, but it wasn’t until recently that I’ve reached a level of pure satisfaction with how we play this song live.  And for me personally, I find “Digital Man” to be a challenging song to perform.

MAT:  Generally for me, the toughest songs to perfect are newer ones that I never knew that I had to learn from scratch.  As far specific songs that took long to perfect, one of them could be all of “Hemispheres,” due its length. 

Also, songs that have a lot of percussion sounds or samples are a bit difficult to perfect because I’m focusing on hitting more than just the drums or cymbals the whole song.  A good example is “The Big Money.”  I try to play the songs as close to the way Neil Peart played them.  So in the intro and solo section of that song, Neil has specific sounds played in a specific order.  My kit isn’t setup exactly the same as his to execute all those sounds easily, so sometimes it’s more of a challenge to produce the same exact groove with the setup that I have.  “Mystic Rhythms” is another song that just came to mind of taking a while to perfect, due to most of the grooves being so unnatural when compared to a more common drum set groove.

ROCKY:  In terms of preparation, I start learning songs as early as I can once we know we’re playing them, but honestly, I am a master “crammer”!  I tend to remember lyrics the best by immersing myself in the newer songs close in time to their first performance.  And after we have played them a time or two, it is much easier from there.

MARY JO: How do you develop the set list for your shows?

BEN:  Usually, Rocky or I suggest an initial list, and then the band collaborates to add or subtract from it. We often share songs with each other that we are individually interested in performing, and Rocky and I keep those suggestions in mind when we prepare the original lists.

ISAMU:  Ben and Rocky create the beginning list, and then we adjust it based on everyone’s input.

MAT:  I like that Ben and Rocky consider what songs we haven’t recently played live, and rotate around the songs from our repertoire. I feel that helps keep the band refreshed with all our songs, and keeps our returning fans satisfied to hear different songs at each show.

We also usually tend to add in one or two new songs in our repertoire that the band has never played together with each upcoming show. I think this is great because then our repertoire is constantly growing. It also turns me on to Rush songs that I was not strongly familiar with.  I also really love that each band member does their own homework with each new song that we choose.  We usually only need one rehearsal for a new song before performing it live at the next show.

ROCKY:  We usually consider the audience and timing of the show.  If it’s a short show, we usually try to shoot for a high energy packed set.  If we have more time to play, we add in songs for the die-hard fans that want to hear deep cuts or less popular songs.  We have to calculate each song’s time and add them up to equal a little less than our given set time.  That leaves time for guitar or patch changes and allows me some time to talk to and connect with our audience between songs.

MARY JO: Are there any songs you have decided to not try to play? Are there songs you always mess up?

BEN:  Never, ha!  We like to consider every song in the Rush catalog as being on the table, although we try to find songs that are most comfortably in Rocky’s singing range.  Lucky for us, her range is amazing.  And on the high end, she can hit them all, but we have to watch out for some later career songs where the Boys dropped things down a bit.

As far as messing songs up, like Rush, we all have our little “brain fart” moments from time to time.  One of my favorite memories from seeing Rush live was when Neil did the “stop-up” break before the guitar solo in “Limelight” – one verse too early.  I am sure he was mortified, and Geddy and Alex gave him a look and then a laugh, but I was like, “Yes!  They’re human!”  And frankly, at that moment, I felt like I had seen something extraordinarily rare and unique (the playing mistakes from the boys were so infrequent).

ISAMU:  Nothing!

MAT:  I haven’t said “no” to any songs.  I’m always interested in playing any song, even if it seems super difficult drum-wise.

For me personally on drums, there are some songs that always challenge me due to some form of odd timing or feel.  Typically, the toughest section are those crazy solo sections in some songs.  Good examples are:  “Marathon,” “A Farewell to Kings,” “Jacob’s Ladder,” and “Afterimage.”  “Marathon” specifically scares me each time we play it!  The solo section is in a 7/8 time signature, and while I am totally comfortable with that, the groove has such an unorthodox feel to it.  There is a huge risk of getting the down beats and upbeats mixed up, especially when trying to hit those lively drum fills.  It is a huge sigh of relief for me when we get through all of it and finally get back to the chorus again, ha!

ROCKY:  I think we are all super open-minded and very interested in playing and learning new songs.  We add at least two new songs every show.  If we avoid a particular song, it’s usually because it is not in my lower vocal range, but those are generally the exception to the rule.

MARY JO:  Tell us about any Rush memorabilia you have?

BEN:  I don’t have much memorabilia per se, but I certainly have a ton of Rush related “stuff”!  My most prized possessions are a couple of actual Alex guitar picks from the R40 tour, and a Rush ticket stub from a 1990 show signed by Alex and Geddy.  They signed it when I was lucky enough to meet them at a charity event in Malibu California that year.  Geddy also signed my “Signals” CD that day, but sadly, that CD was stolen along with my entire CD collection years ago.  Mean people suck!



MARY JO:  Who has a child, car or pet named after one of the guys or a song title/lyric?

BEN:  My wife would have never let me get away with naming either of our two boys after a Rush reference.  As it is, one of our sons was named “Trevor” because I suggested that name to her while neglecting to mention that one of my favorite guitar players was Trevor Rabin from Yes.  Our Trevor is now in college, and just the other day I told my wife about the Trevor Rabin connection – she said “you never told me we named our son after a guitarist!” (Like it was a bad thing or something).

ISAMU:  None for me.  But I do race cars as another hobby, so maybe there will be a “Red Barchetta” in my future!  (One can dream.)

MARY JO: Who’s traveled the farthest to see the guys? Who has seen Rush the most number of times?

BEN:  I never traveled out of the LA area to see Rush, but I easily win the band award for having seen them the most – roughly 35 times over the years.  From the Grace Under Pressure tour forward, I attended every show in the greater LA area, with the exception of their second to last show (I just couldn’t get tix!).  Amazingly, my first and last Rush shows were at the LA Forum (including the band’s last show).  Talk about “full circle.”  That last show was a special but heartbreaking night for me (and many others).  The last few tours, I always treated each show like it would be the last one, but that night, I had no doubt that it was.  Especially when Neil came forward for a bow at front of stage with the other guys.

MAT:  I was lucky to see Rush live two or three times, and wish it had been more.

MARY JO: How is playing to Rush fans different than playing to a general audience?

BEN:  The first thing I will say is that playing to Rush fans feels more like home to me than playing to a general audience.  I have played in other bands with wide musical variety, and you see people from all walks of life that are into one thing or another.  You look into those crowds and wonder if you are connecting the way you think you are, or sometimes at all for that matter.  But when I play for Rush fans, well, those are my peeps!  They are the folks that I stood next to for many many Rush shows over the years.  I know what they are looking for, because they are like me in many ways, and I feel like we understand each other and connect well.

Now, without a doubt, there is a higher level of scrutiny and judgment that comes from a Rush-fan audience, just because of who Rush was as a band, the kind of fans they attracted, and the standard that they set.  But when you get it right, the cheers and applause mean more, because you know there is substance and true appreciation behind it all.

ISAMU:  That’s a common question indeed.  When playing Rush, Rush fans pay close attention to every note, so you can’t cut corners, and any mistakes are immediately noticeable.  In the past, when I played in a Guns ‘N’ Roses tribute, the fans weren’t as concerned about the bass sound, and I felt a sense of relief from the pressure, making it easier to perform.



MAT:  Rush fans are always great and so supportive!  One thing that is definitely different from a general audience or at least different from my other groups, is that I know majority of the audience knows or is pretty familiar with all of Neil Peart’s drum parts; that includes grooves and all his drum fills.  That’s why I try my best to play and nail most of his grooves and fills the way he played them.  It’s definitely a lot to be aware of, but I know there are people in the crowd air drumming the songs, and I like to make sure the drum fills I play line up with the air drummers’ hands!



ROCKY:  Rush fans are so invested in the music, they pay such close attention to detail.  It makes executing the parts correctly with the right amount of energy more interesting and important!

MARY JO: Anything else you want to share?

BEN:  Just that, for me, playing in Mood Lifters has been the musical high point of my life.  I am playing the music that has been the soundtrack of my life, and I love my bandmates as musicians and people.  Every once in a while, we go out to dinner as a band, and it is always fun and feels like a family dinner in a way. Early on, I wondered whether the significant age difference between the older half of the band (me and Isamu) and the younger half of the band (Rocky and Mat) was going to make it hard for us to relate.  But I am happy to say that the concept of age almost never hits my mind with this band.  Of course, I guess it will become an issue if Isamu or I need to cancel a show for arthritis someday!

MARY JO: Have any of you been to RushCon?

BEN:  I have not.  I have been aware of RushCon since its early days and I always thought it would be fun to go, but the opportunity was never there given the substantial travel involved and the busy-ness of life.  I would love to attend a future in-person event – maybe even with the band for a performance.  We’re talking about a tour that would involve Toronto, so who knows?!

ISAMU:  I have never been to a RushCon, but I would love to go.

MAT:  I have not been to RushCon.  One of these days!

ROCKY:  RushCon would be fun – as Ben said, we would love to play a show there sometime.  I read that RushCon is a product of a very active female Rush fan contingent.  I know the vast majority of Rush fans are male, so it warms my heart to hear that female Rush fans have led the way with such a prominent fan organization.  As a female who has stood in for a legendary male singer on stage for many years, I certainly can relate!

MARY JO: Yes, RushCon was founded and is still operated by female fans, nearly 23 years later.  Read our origin story here.

Tell us about any upcoming shows you have. (include any links to purchase tickets, to venue, show announcements, etc)

BEN:  We are coming off our biggest show ever (at least in terms of crowd size) at the City National Grove of Anaheim, playing with several other tribs (after-show photo included).  For several reasons, we took a small hiatus during November and December of 2023.  One of those reasons is that we are discussing plans to expand the geographic range of our live shows.  We have only played in Southern California thus far, but we are looking to branch out to Northern California, Las Vegas, and Arizona in 2024.  Ultimately, we are looking at an east coast tour hopefully later in 2024, with an eye on New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, certain other east coast states, and then hopefully on to Toronto!




Another reason for our current break is that we have a special video production in the works – a full-length show video from our night at the World Famous Whisky a Go Go earlier this year.  The production work is taking a lot of time, but we wanted to put this show out as a gift to those people who have supported us online but have not been able to come see us.  We have posted a lot of individual show videos, but this video will be our own personal “Exit: Stage Left.”  We hope that everyone will enjoy the Whisky show as much as we enjoyed playing that storied venue (one, by the way, which Rush played in 1974 soon after Neil joined!).

Our brief hiatus ends in January 2024, with a number of shows on the books, including: (1) The Tiki Bar in Costa Mesa, CA on 1/20/24; (2) the Santa Fe Springs Swap Meet in Santa Fe Springs, CA on 2/2/24; and (3) The Tudor House in Lake Arrowhead, CA on 2/17/24.  All our shows are listed here:  https://moodliftersrushtribute.com/pages/schedules We have other big shows in the works for San Diego CA and Ventura, CA as well.  We hope to see you there!




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