Rush and Toto
One of my other favorite bands is Toto. I really dig their albums like Hydra, Isolation, and Fahrenheit. I queried AI and it gave me this story. Anyone ever hear of it? Did Ged or Alex ever comment on it?
The 1979 Gig (and the "Sabotage" Story)
While they never went on a full, coordinated tour together, Toto did open for Rush exactly once in 1979.
According to Toto’s original lead singer, Bobby Kimball, Toto was headlining their own sold-out debut tour in 1979 when they hit an open date. Rush’s management called and asked if Toto wanted to open for them that night. Toto accepted, took the stage, and went over so well with the crowd that they famously pulled three encores.
However, sharing that stage led to some infamous backstage drama. Guitarist Steve Lukather has recounted a story from that night where things got incredibly weird. Toto's camp felt like Rush's crew deliberately sabotaged their sound or gear setup because they were playing "too well" or getting too strong of a crowd reaction. While Lukather has made it clear he heavily respects Rush as musicians, he noted that the vibe backstage was deeply unfriendly, and the two bands never shared a stage again.