Myriad factors are at play in Rush's much-discussed decision to lessen their heavy touring schedule. Neil Peart has a young daughter at home. All of them have been battling physical problems, from Alex Lifeson's arthritis issue, to Geddy Lee's more fragile voice to Peart's chronic tendonitis.

Ultimately, as Lifeson tells Niagara Falls Review, it's really just a matter of getting older. Your priorities change, and so does your body. "It's a lot tougher at 61 than it was at 21," the guitarist admits, "and we're all feeling the aches and pains of our advancing years."

That's probably why, during Rush's most recent break from the concert trail, they found that a little rest and relaxation suited them. "This time off was revealing," Lifeson said. "We all really enjoyed it."

Being on the road for a large part of the year, as has been Rush's tradition during these glove-trotting jaunts, just doesn't make as much sense to them – from a lifestyle or physical standpoint. "It's a very athletic endeavor for three or four months, so I think we're all starting to feel a little sorer," Lifeson said, even as the R40 Live tour continues. "So, we'll see how it goes. It wouldn't surprise me if we sort of slow down and look at this tour as maybe the last major tour."

Future shows, he adds, could revolve around the residency model, where Rush might play a string of dates at one location. "I don't see us breaking up or hanging it up, but certainly this kind of touring has become much more difficult," Lifeson said. "So, maybe in the future we'd look at more special-event kind of things. We've always talked about doing, say, five days at Radio City, five days at Massey Hall, those sorts of runs instead of five, six, seven months."

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