Mike Portnoy Reacts to Drummer Anika Nilles First Show With Rush

Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy‘s Rush fandom is well documented and the musician was among the many overcome with emotion after seeing Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson return to the concert stage earlier this week with Anika Nilles sitting in for the late Neil Peart.

Peart was one of Portnoy’s idols and the two drum legends sparked a friendship that carried through to Peart’s death in 2020. The Dream Theater drummer has been vocal in the years since when the subject of Rush potentially reuniting has come up and he previously weighed in when the 2026reunion tour was announced.

What Did Mike Portnoy Say About Rush’s Live Return?

With Rush returning to the concert stage Sunday night (June 7) in Los Angeles, Mike Portnoy was among those sharing his thoughts through his Instagram account.

“So many feelings and emotions today…I wasn’t there in person last night, but like so many of us around the world, I was glued to YouTube all night long,” shared the drummer who watched the RushCon livestream in real time for the entire show as it was happening.

“What can I say that hasn’t been written already by everybody online today…? It was magical! The setlist was absolutely PERFECT!! (and to think they still have around 3 other variations up their sleeves to come..),” commented Portnoy.

READ MORE: Mike Portnoy Names Neil Peart’s 3 Best Rush Albums

What did he think of Nilles?

“Anika absolutely KILLED IT in the best way imaginable,” said Portnoy. “I was so happy for her…nailing all of the big Neil moments with a giant smile on her face the whole time! She really is the perfect choice for this!”

He added, “The tributes to Neil throughout the show were so tasteful and emotional. (Yes I’ll admit I cried at a few points) The production was absolutely INSANE (Major props to Howard Ungerleider). And most importantly of all, I am so happy for Geddy and Alex to be able to do this again! Seeing this tour come to life, it is very obvious this needed to happen. As not only a proper tribute to Neil, but most importantly to honor the legacy of this band. Geddy and Alex deserve it. And the fans deserve it as well.”

Portnoy closes sharing that he’s currently trying to figure out which Rush show he’ll be able to attend in person, but adds that he’s “counting the days” until he gets to see them in person and soak up every single moment of it.

What Mike Portnoy Had Previously Said About Rush

Shortly after Nilles was named as the drummer for the reunion, Portnoy was asked about his thoughts of not being chosen. He told Chile’s Radio Futuro, “It’s a question that I would get asked in almost every single interview for the last decade: ‘Would you ever play with Geddy and Alex? Would you ever?’ Of course. Those guys are my heroes,” shared Portnoy.

“But in all honesty, I’m kind of glad that they didn’t even ask me, because that would be way too much pressure, way too much pressure. So, it’s much better this way. I get to enjoy it like a fan.

As for Nilles, he shared,”Like everybody else in the world, as soon as the announcement was made, I started pulling up videos on YouTube and saw her playing with Jeff Beck and doing the jazz fusion kind of stuff she does. She’s obviously a tremendous drummer, so I’m really curious to see how it sounds.”

Where Can I See Rush in 2026?

As soon as it was announced, the Rush reunion became one of the hottest tickets in music. Now the dates are actually upon us with more dates at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles tonight (June 9), Thursday (June 11) and Saturday (June 13). After a pair of Mexico City dates, the tour returns stateside for multi-night stops in Fort Worth, Chicago, New York City, Toronto, Philadelphia, Detroit, Montreal, Boston, Cleveland, San Antonio, Denver, Seattle, San Jose, Washington, D.C. Hollywood (Fla.), Tampa, Charlotte, Glendale (Ariz.), Edmonton and Vancouver to finish out the year.

Meanwhile, 2027 will find the group heading to both South America and Europe for dates. For all Rush ticketing information and to see where the band is playing on the “Fifty Something” tour, visit their website.

Neil Peart was known for having one of the largest drum kits onstage. See the legendary drummer and other rock and metal drummers known for having ridiculously large drum kits in the gallery below.