Not many people thought 2020 was going to turn into a great year in the shadow of iconic Rush drummer Neil Peart's death this past January.

But far fewer thought this year could end up getting worse.

One of many unprecedented tragedies of 2020 is that millions of Peart fans never got to converge on one place to celebrate the drummer's groundbreaking career.

Modern Drummer magazine is looking to change that this Saturday, dedicating its 2020 Modern Drummer Festival to Peart, featuring some of The Professor's most acclaimed acolytes.

The live-stream event will include performances by Mike Portnoy (ex-Dream Theater, Flying Colors, Winery Dogs, etc.), Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters), Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Carmine Appice (Vanilla Fudge, etc.), Rick Allen (Def Leppard), Charlie Benante (Anthrax) and Todd Sucherman (Styx).

Tickets start at $12.99, but fans can buy in at higher price points for virtual VIP packages, including perks like e-meet-and-greets. All tickets include access to re-watch the show through December 11.

Go here for tickets.

Proceeds from the event will benefit brain tumor research at Cedar-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

On of the most-celebrated drummers of all-time, Peart retired in 2015 after the conclusion of Rush's R40 tour. He was diagnosed with a brain tumor about a year-and-a-half later and succumbed to the disease this past January.

Peart burst onto the world's stage after joining Rush in the early-'70s. Drummer's quickly took notice due to Peart's boundary-pushing technical mastery of the drumkit. The Professor, as he was often referred, was known for his compositional, song-within-a-song style of drumming. He was also Rush's chief lyricist on 19 of the band's studio albums.

Photo: Getty Images

Ken Dashow

About Ken Dashow