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LIVE REVIEWS

July 31, 2003


Molson Canadian Rocks for Toronto / July 30, 2003 / Toronto (Downsview Park)

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When the Molson Canadian Rocks For Toronto concert was announced a mere five weeks ago, the general consensus was that it was a great idea to help the city battle the stigma from SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome).

But as the show drew closer, the presence of the largest recorded paying audience for a one-day show (450,000 people) and the possible logistical nightmares tended to overshadow the expected resulting boost to the economy. Thankfully, the crowd kept things peaceful, and the performers were equal to the task.

Headliners the Rolling Stones took the stage 10 hours after the show began, and 14 hours after the gates opened. Beginning with "Start Me Up," lead singer Mick Jagger and company immediately had the ocean of bodies moving. The band continued with a series of crowd pleasers, including "Brown Sugar" and "You Got Me Rocking." "You're here, we here and Toronto is back -- it's booming," Jagger said early on.

There were also a few surprises in the set list, including "Ruby Tuesday," as well as "The Nearness of You" with guitarist Keith Richards on lead vocals. The group tended to extend a few songs a bit longer than normal, but given the fact the Stones rescheduled European shows for this concert, it was difficult to find fault with some loose conclusions.

The Stones tapped into the collaborative spirit of the event, bringing out AC/DC guitarists Malcolm and Angus Young for a cover of B.B. King's "Rock Me Baby" and inviting Justin Timberlake to chime in on "Miss You." The latter proved to be a bad move, as fans began throwing plastic water bottles on stage when Timberlake appeared. The 'N Sync star didn't help matters by throwing in a verse from his own song, "Cry Me a River."

Beforehand, AC/DC seemed to steal a bit of the Stones' thunder with an impressive and extremely tight 70-minute set. "Hey Toronto, thanks for inviting us!" burly frontman Brian Johnson exclaimed. "We wouldn't have missed it for the f***ing world!"

As usual, the engine that powers AC/DC's well-worn, hard rock ship is the tandem of lead guitarist Angus Young and rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young. Whether it was "Hell's Bells," "Back in Black" or "Thunderstruck," which featured loud crowd sing-a-longs, the brothers nailed each song with the same precision that has been an AC/DC hallmark for three decades. Angus' trademark striptease during "The Jack" found him wearing a pair of boxer shorts emblazoned with the Canadian flag.

The main Canadian component to the undercard was the Guess Who and Rush. Wasting little time during its roughly half-hour set, the Guess Who ran through a series of classic rock staples, including "American Woman" and "No Sugar Tonight." Lead singer Burton Cummings also yielded the spotlight to guitarist Randy Bachman for a run through the 1974 Bachman-Turner Overdrive hit "Taking Care of Business."

Making its only live appearance of the year, Rush powered through its own treasure chest of classic rock staples, including "Tom Sawyer," "Limelight," "YYZ" and "Closer to the Heart." For good measure, the veteran trio tossed in an instrumental version of the early Stones hit "Paint It, Black."

Speaking to reporters earlier in the day, Timberlake admitted he felt like the odd man out on the lineup. "If I came here to see AC/DC, I probably wouldn't want to see me either," he said. Unfortunately for Timberlake, he wasn't treated much better from fans. "Cry Me a River" opened the 20-minute set, but fans quickly began firing plastic water bottles towards him. Timberlake was unfazed and thanked the audience often but "Senorita" and "Rock Your Body" didn't go over well with the crowd, which seemed unimpressed by his brand of music.

If there was one disappointment to the overall proceedings, it was the absence of a seamless set. Originally organizers had discussed building a rotating stage with one act performing while another set up behind them. This didn't come to fruition, resulting in the early acts playing brief 15-to-20-minute sets that often didn't do them justice. Adding to the confusion was having the duo of Jim Belushi and Dan Akyroyd open both the afternoon and evening portions of the concert.

Canadian favorites Blue Rodeo performed a mere three songs, including "Lost Together," while the Isley Brothers brought some soul and funk to the afternoon with "It's Your Thing" and the call-and-response finale, "Shout."

The Flaming Lips also only had 15 minutes, but made the best of a brief situation. Augmented by dancers in animal costumes and various props, the Oklahoma City band entertained the crowd with its zany theater as much as its music. Canadian singer/"Canadian Idol" judge Sass Jordan offered a few hits from her catalog, including "Make You a Believer" and "High Road Easy."

The opening trio of Canadian acts also needed more time, particularly the Tea Party. Lead singer Jeff Martin was full of energy as the band mixed Middle Eastern influences with melodic hard rock on "Sister Awake" and "Heaven Coming Down." As the day got underway, Kathleen Edwards performed "Mercury" and "Six O'Clock News," while Sam Roberts offered up "Brother Down" and "Where Have All the Good People Gone?"


-- Jason MacNeil, Toronto


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