Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson Tease Rush Pinball Machine in Trailer
Stern Pinball announced the full details of its upcoming Rush machine, teasing the product in a playful behind-the-scenes video with Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson.
The Stern website breaks down the machine’s audio and visual layout, noting that players will “travel with Rush through time” as they’re “immersed in exclusive Rush concert footage and guided by custom speech” by Lee, Lifeson and friend Ed Robertson of Barenaked Ladies.
The song list includes “Headlong Fight,” “Far Cry,” “One Little Victory,” “Working Man," “2112,” “Tom Sawyer,” “The Spirit of Radio,” “Freewill," the two-part "Cygnus X-1" series, “The Big Money,” “Subdivisions,” “Limelight,” “Fly by Night,” "La Villa Strangiato,” “Bastille Day” and “Red Barchetta.”
An official trailer, soundtracked by the band’s “Tom Sawyer,” previews the intricate artwork, which includes the Fly by Night owl, the classic Rush logo, the 2112 Starman and nods to Presto, Roll the Bones and Test for Echo, among other albums.
The machine — available in Pro, Premium and Limited Edition formats — also utilizes Stern’s new Insider Connected system, which allows users to interact with the game and a global network of players.
The behind-the-scenes clip shows Lee and Lifeson doing voiceovers for the game, utilizing some lighthearted references to their own lyrics. “In the arcade halls, people hit pinballs,” says at one point, with Lifeson noting elsewhere, “Pretend the ball is a long-awaited friend — that owes you money!”
At one point, Robertson gives the duo some motivation: “I particularly love it when a pinball machine taunts you, and a lot of good players do, so it’s a big part of the game when you’re being taunted.” In response, Lifeson records the following line: “Hey, Geddy, you owe me a quarter. With interest, that’s almost two quarters.” (Lee replies: “He never calls me 'Geddy' — 'shithead' sometimes.”)
You can find that clip and the trailer, along with a gallery of photos previewing the machine, below.
In memory of late member Neil Peart, Stern Pinball will support the Neil Peart Research Award sponsored by the Glioblastoma Foundation as it researches cures for the aggressive form of brain cancer from which the drummer and lyricist died in 2020.
Stern recently announced it will virtually showcase the product at the 2022 Consumer Electronics Show, which runs Jan. 5 through Jan. 8.