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SARStock

© David Newman

You can't always get what you want, eh? But sometimes, just sometimes, you do, and it blows you away. Like last night's SARStock, or rather Molson Canadian Rocks for Toronto Concert, featuring the Rolling Stones and great Rock and Roll Bands from far and wide.

While I was completely excited, I didn't camp out before the show, I didn't get there before the gates opened. Instead a met a few friends at 10:30 at St George, before making the trip up to Parc Downsview Park for the biggest concert in the History of Toronto or as was said "the largest ticketed event in North America.'' Then I learned it wasn't. Despite a crowd of 490,000 people.

The Sun was up, the sky was blue, it's beautiful. Unfortunately its also burning the skin off my back. I actually sat pretty near the stage, considering how large the park is. Shortly I would see the bands I had come to see, mainly The Flaming Lips, Blue Rodeo, the Guess Who, AC/DC and of course the ROLLING STONES.

The day began at noon when, after waching military parachutes flying in weird formation (and listening to Mike Bullard's attempt at humour) Canadian singer Jann Arden was brought to the stage to sing O Canada. While Dan Aykroyd and Jim Belushi were supposed to be the host, we saw a lot of Mike Bullard, at least early on. They did begin the music with the Have Love Travel Revue, Aykroyd's Blues Band.

Sam Roberts went on at one, singing three songs, just filling the fifteen minutes he had. Kathleen Edwards, followed, fifteen minutes later, giving the Ottawa native folky rocker her fifteen minutes of fame.

Odd in the mix was La Chicane from Quebec. And while the crowds weren't so enthousiastic, they played well and its this sort of thing that will make a more inclusive Canada.

The Tea Party was fine, even making a tribute to the upcomming Rolling stones with Paint it Black. The Flaming Lips followed with their usual dancing animals (was one Justin Timberlake as rumoured???) yet their set was obviously too short, althought they played good songs including their single "Do You Realise?" and exploding a balloon. Man I've got to see a real Flips concert.

When Sass Jordan went on, with Jeff Healy, we were so dehydrated we went on to look for water, having to wait in long lineups to get the free water. So I didn't really hear their set. The Isley Brothers were pretty awesome singing some of their old hits from the seventies, sixties and fifties, including one of their biggest hits, "Shout!"