Rush, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (ACCEPTANCE + PERFORMANCE VIDEOS)
Rush were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last night (April 18), honored with a killer speech by Foo Fighters' frontman and rock Renaissance man Dave Grohl and the Foos' drummer Taylor Hawkins.
In the speech, Grohl nodded to the pervasive mysteries of rock 'n' roll, from Elvis Presley sightings and beyond. He then mused that the mystery of when Rush became cool eclipses them all!
Grohl asked, "When did Rush become fucking cool?," a question he would come to answer later in his speech.
After spouting off the titles of all Rush albums, Grohl declared, "Their legacy is that of a band that stayed true to themselves no matter how uncool they may have seemed to anyone. I think it is safe to say that Rush are indeed a band that has balls and they've always been cool. So consider this mystery solved. It is our honor to finally induct Rush into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame."
We couldn't have said it better ourselves.
Watch Rush Induction Intro
Earlier in his speech, Grohl was a respectful but passionate fanboy as recalled his discovery of Rush as a kid in candid, colorful fashion, thanks to his cool, stoner cousins. He said, "This was something else... this was heavy shit." Amen to that!
He and Hawkins also celebrated the fact that Rush broke the rules, which is what rock 'n' roll is all about.
Watch Rush Acceptance Speech
Rush's acceptance speech was equally brilliant, as drummer Neil Peart stated, upon taking his place at the podium, "We've been saying for a long time...that this wasn't a big deal. Turns out...it kinda is."
The sticksman also said that the highest purpose of art is to inspire, so it's gratifying to think that they've inspired people like Grohl and Hawkins, who are rock game changers, to pick up guitars and torment their parents as Rush tormented theirs. He also called music "human magic."
The Foos later took the stage together to perform "Overture" from 2112.
Watch Foo Fighters Perform as Rush