The Best Concert EVER?


#297) The Rolling Stones with AC/DC, Rush, The Guess Who
Hosted by Jim Belushi & Dan Aykroyd in Toronto, Canada 7/13/03

Seeing The Rolling Stones and AC/DC would be cool, I thought, but a twelve hour drive to Toronto seemed a little unrealistic. Then, when Rush was added to the bill, I suddenly changed my mind. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve loved AC/DC since I was a teenager. Plus, I had never seen them live. That alone made it tempting. However, I’m just as much a fan of Rush and I thought seeing them in their “hometown” would be extra special. The opening acts included The Guess Who, Justin Timberlake, The Flaming Lips, Blue Rodeo, and others, with the whole event hosted by Dan Aykroyd and Jim Belushi doing their updated Blues Brothers rip-off band. Sorry, but it’s not the same without John. Now, this was not just a concert. This was a one-time-only, all-day, ROCK FESTIVAL. The real selling point, the thing that convinced my friends to come along with me on this adventure up North, was the price. Check the ticket stub. Yes, that really says $20 dollars. That is not a misprint. In the days of paying $125 for Aerosmith or $200 for the Eagles, this rock and roll extravaganza was only $20. Hell yes, we were going.

Coming home from work one night, I heard this show announced on my car radio and drove straight to Tommy‘s house. Tommy, his girlfriend Megan, and his younger brother ,Daniel, were having a bon-fire in the front yard when I arrived. Not unusual for weeknight. I believe there was a keg of beer involved. Also normal. It wasn’t difficult convincing them to join me on this long distance quest. I had seen plenty of concerts with Tommy and Megan, but they were mostly Clutch or Drive-By Truckers shows. Certainly nothing the size of this behemoth. Just so you can understand the magnitude of this spectacle, imagine Woodstock. Not the shitty ones, with Metallica or Red Hot Chili Peppers. The REAL Woodstock. 1969. Peace and Love, man. THAT size! We’re talking half a million people. It was Stones City for 12 hours. There were fans lining up for three days before gates opened, just so they could get a front row seat. We weren’t that anxious, but I did want to see Belushi and Aykroyd open the show at noon. After that, I was all about Rush. I had seen the Stones twice and much prefer The Who. Plus, I wasn’t sure if I was going to see an AC/DC past their prime. It made me wonder if I should mess with the legend built in my head.

Rush on the other hand, I had seen over a dozen times and knew the routine. They change setlists every tour, but once chosen, it remains the same until the tour is over. However, Rush was not on tour at the time and that convinced me that today’s appearance was going to be unbelievable. I imagined hearing the full “2112” or some rarely played nugget like, “Fly By Night”. I mean, we were in Canada. Rush HAD to deliver something out of the box. As an added bonus, the original lineup of The Guess Who was also on the bill. I had seen BTO in 1986 opening for Van Halen and I remember thinking, “For fat guys, they can really jump around.“ They had trimmed down since then, and weren’t doing much jumping, but it was great hearing those old songs. The real oddity of the day was Justin Timberlake. I guess the promoter figured that out of half a million rock fans, at least 100,000 would be teenage girls. He was right. However, he didn’t count on 400,000 rabid AC/DC fans armed with water bottle’s (both empty & full).

This was a hot, sweaty, summer day in Canada and a sea of people had gathered to shake their collective asses. Molson sponsored the event, so there was plenty of beer: if you could get one. Makeshift food courts were set up half way between the stage and back of the base. Yes, I said base. The only place big enough in Toronto to hold an event this size was an abandoned military airstrip. Imagine miles of concrete ending at a slightly slopping, grassy knoll 200 yards deep, merging with a mile-wide stage that towered twenty feet above the ground. It was massive. From our hotel, we took a train that dropped us off a few blocks from the entrance of the gates. I wish American cities had such convenient public transit systems. One point for the Canadians. But wait, let me momentarily backtrack. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the twelve hour road trip getting to Canada. That, in itself, is a story. Cue flashback……

Tommy and Megan took turns driving the van from Pennsylvania. Since Daniel was barely seventeen and I drank beer the whole way, there weren‘t many options. Arriving at the U.S./Canadian border, half a day later, bleary-eyed and exhausted, we took a quick pit stop on the American side and got rid of any contraband. Megan took the van’s helm for the border crossing. We tried to remain calm and inconspicuous after being waved through the red and white striped gate. When they asked us to park and exit the vehicle, I got worried. We all waited in a glass enclosed building while the van was inspected by uniformed men and women with guns and drug sniffing dogs. Without finding any incriminating evidence, we were released on our own recognizance. Unleashed in the Great White North.

Toronto is a big place, but the main strip has a college town/tourist trap feel to it. After checking in to our hotel, we took a fifteen minute walk downtown and met some kind friends in a park who were willing to share the love. Sure, there were the homeless folks who were regulars to the area, but mixed among them were people of all ages just enjoying the day. Being free. Having fun. Going to the biggest rock concert of all time. It was as close to Yasgur’s Farm as we could get in today’s modern age. The Stones weren’t at Woodstock and we all know what happened at Altamont. This was their chance to make up for bad karma. Toronto had been financially devastated by a recent international outbreak of SARS. Their meat industry was hardest hit and the losses were huge. Since the Stones had rehearsed for their upcoming tour in Toronto, Mick and the boys wanted to give something back to the city that had been so welcoming to them…this time. Thankfully, they avoided some past errors in judgment. For starters, they didn’t hire the Hell’s Angel’s to run security. Secondly, riot control. Canadians have an odd method of enforcing responsible alcohol use at public events. They make it so hard for you to get a beer, you give up out of frustration and drink water instead. They are real mindfuckers, those Canadians.

As the four of us walked through the gates, it was nearly high noon. The show would be starting soon and I didn‘t want to miss Belushi and Aykroyd. Once inside, I gave Daniel my last four packs of Marlboro reds to hold for me in his backpack. You can‘t get American cigarettes in Canada, so I didn‘t want to lose them. With little time to spare, we all hurried toward the massive stage. The center of the field was already 5,000 deep when we got there, so we settled in stage left. The giant TV screen in front of us made it feel like being center stage, but we still had room to move around. The crowd would grow to 450,000 before the day was over. It was the largest concert in North American history. Just as we settled in to our spots, the show began with Belushi and Aykroyd hamming it up. As much as I appreciate the attempt to keep the dream alive, some things are better left dead. Still, Dan is one of my comedy hero’s and I’m glad I got to see it. I have no idea who the first band was that day. As I said earlier, I was there for Rush. After that, I planned to drink some beer and have some fun.

Once Aykroyd and Belushi left the stage we turned around, looked at the ever increasing crowd of people in back of us, and started our day of adventure. Tommy and Daniel wanted to use the restroom before perusing the whole scene. As we all walked up the hill together, the boys took the lead and turned the corner first. By the time Megan and I had gotten to the top, they were gone. Out of sight. Did you ever get separated from your parents at an amusement park? It was that kind of feeling, except there was no intercom system for lost kids. We had not planned for this event. Megan and I searched the nearest port-o-potty area and could not find them. Panic set in. None of us had cell-phones. And Daniel had my smokes!!!! Holy shit. This was bad. Thank God I had money to buy shitty Canadian cigarettes, otherwise I might have melted down. I admit it, I’m an addict. However, there are situations in which I just NEED cigarettes. The more the better. This was one of them. I could deal with losing my friend’s in a crowd of half a million people, but I had to have my smokes. It was the only way I could calmly search for them in such a gargantuan crowd.

Megan and I returned to the spot where we began the day, but did not see them. The people just kept flowing into the venue and the end of the crowd continued growing further away. It was hot. We were hungry. I wanted a beer. If we were going to witness this event separately, we might as well enjoy the day. I’ve been in big crowds before. Jazz Fest in New Orleans for example. I love that city and it’s laissez faire attitude. If you can learn to relax and let the Universe take it’s course, you’ll be a happier person. The same theory applied in this situation. So, Megan and I walked back up the hill in search of beer and some sort of grilled meat product. Circus-like does not do this scene justice. A birds eye view would give more perspective. It felt like being in a human ant farm, except we were walking on asphalt instead of burrowing through dirt. Imagine a never ending mass of people, mostly facing one direction. The funny thing was, Megan and I must have passed other random strangers two dozen times in the first few hours. Sadly, we could not find Tommy and Daniel. The beer tents did not open until 1pm and by the time we got in line, there was sixty people in front of us. Now, for clarification sake, let me describe these “beer tents”. First of all, there were no tents, except for the tarps over the cashier stands. The rest of the area was just a rectangular area of grass surrounded by an eight foot chain-link fence. No port-o-potties, no shade, no ashtrays. It was barbaric. This is how Canada makes beer consumption difficult, therefore forcing sobriety.

Three of these cages were set up for all 500,000 people. Not great planning if you ask me. Considering each “oasis” held about 1000 people, at the most, getting in was a nearly impossible task. We waited in line for nearly a half hour before my empty stomach trumped the thirst for beer. I don’t know what took so long, but after that first attempt I gave up on beer for the day. This would be the first, and probably last, concert I would attend completely sober. Ok, I might have smoked some weed, but I didn’t drink a drop. This decision saved the day for me. Had I actually gotten inside the Nazi-inspired beer garden, and started drinking at 1:30, I probably would have remained in the cage until the big show started at 5pm, or I had to piss. Whichever came first. Had that happened, I would have been black-out drunk by the time Rush took the stage and this would be YET another Todd Baker, “The time I got so drunk“ story. Thankfully, Divine Intervention guided me that day and I have the handwritten setlists to prove it.

The food courts offered all kids of grilled beef, chicken, pork and other items you might find at a state fair. I think I had some ribs and grilled corn on the cob. Megan got something with chicken and veggies. Why I remember? I don’t know, I just do. Once we powered up on protein and water, we proceeded to swim upstream in the sea of Stones fans. We tried watching who was on stage as we searched through the crowd for Tommy and Daniel. The Isley Brothers doing “Shout” stands out in my mind as an early highlight of the day. The Flaming Lips doing their plastic bubble/furry thing kind of jogs a memory, but maybe I’m just remembering pictures I’ve seen in magazines. Anyway, we spent three hours looking for them. We were about to stop searching and pick a place to watch the show when we decided to go back to where we started at the beginning of the day. Why not? Take a chance. The crowd had swelled close to capacity by 5pm and the sun was still beating down, but it was waning. Once it got dark there would be absolutely no chance of finding Daniel and Tommy, so we were running out of time.

We had a lot of space to cover in order to reach our destination, but we pressed on. From stage right to stage left, we zig-zagged through the thousands of people and continued closer and closer to the stage. Working our way around the center of the storm, we were tossed in the general area of where we wanted to be. As we approached the area of the railing where we all stood at the beginning of the day, there they were. Tommy and Daniel, sitting on a blanket. Actually, Daniel was passed out. But, he still had my cigarettes! Praise Jesus! I couldn’t believe we found them. NOW, I could relax and enjoy the day! We had all been reconnected and the show was about to begin. The roar of screams was deafening no matter where you stood that day. However, when Belushi and Aykroyd introduced Justin Timberlake, it was clear he was not the main attraction. It was so hot that throughout the day security had been handing out water bottles to anyone who could catch one. Now, several hours later, all those bottles were being thrown back at poor JT. Especially nauseating was the fact that many bottles were filled with “recycled” water. I’ve never heard 100,000 teenagers drowned out by 400,000 metal heads, It was rather inspiring.

Justin did three songs and got the hell out of there. Being pelted with piss gets old fast. The Guess Who got a much warmer greeting. They only played six songs, but it was a fantastic half hour set. (Hand Me Down World/No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature/Taking Care of Business/American Woman/No Time) I never saw them in their prime, but they sounded great to me. I guess there was a big split years ago and that began the BTO years. Who knows why bands break up? Sometimes you have to lose everything to remember what you had. In any case, it was great seeing this Canadian reunion happen in front of our eyes. Daniel and I began to wedge ourselves inward towards the center of the cyclone during The Guess Who’s set. We were about 100 yards from the stage and directly in front of the left side speakers when Daniel decided he was going in. It seemed insane to me, but then I remembered what I was like at that age. We had already lost sight of Megan and Tommy, so I just tried to put on my New Orleans frame of mind and let the winds of fate take us where She may. It was then I realized that Daniel still had my smokes! And I needed a pen to write down the setlist. Thankfully, I found both of those things in the crowd of new friends standing around me. Karma is real. Bring on the show! I was ready for Rush.

Perhaps I was expecting too much. Maybe my theories were based on hopeful conjecture. In any case, the “miracle” Rush show I was hoping for did not happen. Quite the opposite. They played a “hits” set. (Tom Sawyer/Limelight/YYZ/Freewill/Closer to the Heart/Paint it Black: instrumental/Spirit of Radio) Aside from the brief nod to the headliner, there was nothing unique to the performance. According to one of Neil Peart’s books, they usually have a lot of prep time before playing. In this case, it was spur of the moment and for whatever reason, the band chose to play it safe with the song selection. Maybe seeing Charlie Watts standing on the side of the stage (and not recognizing him) freaked Neil out a little bit. Whatever. I came away disappointed with Rush and it put a brief damper on the afternoon for me. I was now completely alone, yet completely surrounded by strangers. Please excuse me for taking advantage of an overused word, but it was surreal. Aside from the random idiot trying to body surf on top of unwilling participants, it was a fairly peaceful day. If this went down in America there would have been more fights.

Sure, it was far from the original concept of Woodstock. The only cause we were helping was Canada’s economy. Lest we not forget, the original concept of Woodstock was about making a buck, too. It was only after the kids started tearing down fences that it became a “free” concert. So, let’s not get wrapped up in the whole “free love” and “peace” thing. Even in 1969 it was still about the money. The Grateful Dead and The Who threatened not to perform if they weren’t paid up front. Yet, to the casual observer, it was all magically harmonious and divinely inspirational. Unless you ate the brown acid. Some folks are still recovering. However, in Toronto that day, most folks were happy to share their water or whatever they had with those around them. Point for the Canadians. You don’t always get that kind of hospitality in America. As the sun began to set, the crowd seemed to push forward in anticipation of the coming attraction. Even more people were trying to lunge forward on the backs of others in hopes of crowd surfing to the front. I wasn’t having that. Sorry. You are in the middle of half a million people. Crawling on your buddies back and having him hurl you two feet forward is NOT crowd surfing! Do not expect my support. In fact, I held my lit cigarette in the air to discourage someone from landing on me. I burned one kid really bad.

As evening approached, the sky turned red and the sun sank into the horizon. As if on cue, the bells began to toll and 500,000 AC/DC fans let loose a primal scream. I was hoping they would open with “For Those About To Rock“, but their selection was weather appropriate. The rest of the set was just as hot. (Hell Ain’t A Bad Place To Be/Back in Black/Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap/Thunderstruck/If You Want Blood/Hells Bells/The Jack/TNT/Whole Lotta Rosie/Let There Be Rock/Shook Me All Night Long/Highway To Hell) To be honest, It was just as much a “hits” set as Rush. Yet, Angus and the boys took the crowd higher. And in doing so, set the bar out of reach, even for the Rolling Stones. At least, in my opinion. Hell, I’ll go one step further. Based on this performance, I will say that AC/DC is the greatest rock and roll band of all time. As much as I love Watershed, Drive-By Truckers, and Clutch, none of them rock harder than Angus Young.

The guy is 60 years old and STILL pulls his pants down, plays guitar while spinning on his side, and puts the little devil horns behind his head. It’s a fucking gas! Some of the best schtick ever invented! After all these years, traveling the world, playing it loud, putting out new material, staying loyal to the fans, and surviving the lifestyle, they are still a phenomenal live band! Bon Scott was arguably one of the best front men in rock music of all time. Better than Plant, if you ask me. Bon was scary and enticing at the same time. He seemed like the bastard, older brother of Keith Moon. Everyone thought he was invincible. He wasn’t. His death would have crushed any other band. Instead, they rose to even greater heights of success. To this day, AC/DC proudly carry the banner of rock with them around the globe.

After AC/DC left half a million people in jaw-dropping awe, I turned to the person next to me and said, “Fuck Keith Richards. There‘s no way they can top that!” Then, as if on cue, Daniel appeared in front of me. He was retreating from the insanity of possibly the world’s largest moshpit and I just happened to be crossing his escape route. Praise Jesus! Now, I could have my cigarettes. First, I wanted to try and find Tommy or Megan. Once the crowd thinned out and we moved further East, Daniel spotted them in the same area we left them during The Guess Who. Sure, it took about nine hours to get us in one place, but we all had fun on our own and together. In a situation with that many people, you have to be prepared to go it alone. Thankfully, we at least kept in pairs for most of the day. The aftershocks of AC/DC were still causing tremors in my knees. That, and the fact that I had been standing for several hours. I needed to sit down and rest for a minute before the Stones got started. With an opportunity to talk to one another, we agreed to meet back at the hotel if any of us got separated again. I’m not sure how long it took, but Tommy ended up with Megan, while Daniel and I ended up in another area all together. It didn’t matter.

Once the Rolling Stones took the stage, everyone was in sync with one another in that audience. Their songs have lasted the test of time. Their international success spans five decades. What more can you say? It’s the fucking Stones! They are living legends. For now, anyway. Like I said, I had seen them twice and prefer The Who. However, they put on a pretty good show. It wasn’t the best they got, but these guys are old. Cut ‘em some slack. The fact that they are still performing at their age is a miracle in and of itself. Sure, I would have loved to see some deep cuts like: Dead Flowers, Monkey Man or Midnight Rambler, but “You can’t always get what you want.“ One of the highlights for me included Justin Timberlake joining in on “Miss You”. Not for anything JT did, but for the fact that Keith refused to give him a high five as the kid left the stage. That was classic! However, the ultimate rock star moment of the day was when Angus and Malcolm Young added their sound to a rousing version of “Rock Me, Baby”. It was beautiful.

As the last notes of “Satisfaction” rang out, I was physically exhausted from standing all day. So, I suggested to Daniel that we work our way towards the main exit before the encore started. We seamlessly melded into the masses of people pouring out of the venue and into the muggy, Toronto summer night. We were already outside when the Stones closed with one of their many classics. It was truly an incredible experience and I’m so glad I made the trip. Since I had gone without alcohol all day, I really wanted a beer or two. I chose the closest place and snuck Daniel into the bar at the Hard Rock Café with me for an after show night cap. They didn’t even card him. After a few beers, we headed back to the hotel for the night.

Once Megan and Tommy arrived, Daniel went out to eat with them while I watched the concert replay from bed. That’s how the baddest rock concert of all time ended for me. Nothing crazy. No hookers or blow. No fights, fires, or firearms involved in this afternoon of rock. Just some fantastic music, made by some of my favorite artists in the world, surrounded by half a million people who love these bands just as much as you do. What could be better than that? Plus, I got to share at least some of the day with my friends. For the mere size of the crowd and the pedigree of the lineup, this concert ranks as the best show I’ve ever seen……so far. Throw in the twelve hour road trip, border issues, getting lost in the crowd, finding each other, crowd surfing in the mosh pit, not to mention contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and that is quite a day. What else do you want from a good concert story?

Start Me Up/Brown Sugar/You Got Me Rocking/Tumbling Dice/Don’t Stop/Ruby Tuesday/You Can’t Always Get What You Want/It’s Only Rock and Roll/Miss You/The Nearness of You/Happy/Sympathy For the Devil/Rock Me Baby/Honky Tonk Woman/ Satisfaction/ Encore: Jumping Jack Flash