Toronto Hosts Rock and Rolling Stones

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TORONTO (djc) — The temperature in Toronto has been escalating the past two days, as well as the excitement over Wednesday’s Molson Canadian Rocks for Toronto concert, featuring the Rolling Stones and AC/DC. Toronto residents are buzzing about the landmark concert — held at the 260-hectare Downsview Park — that is expected to draw around 430,000 music-lovers.

The all-day concert includes bands such as The Guess Who, Rush, Sam Roberts, The Isley Brothers, Blue Rodeo, The Flaming Lips, The Tea Party and pop sensation Justin Timberlake. Actors Dan Aykroyd and Jim Belushi will also rock the stage with their group Have Love Will Travel.

Travelling to Toronto is the concert’s underlying goal, since SARS wreaked havoc on Canada’s largest city. Concert tickets were sold for $21.50 each (40,000 were allotted for American visitors) and Tourism Toronto estimated the expected crowd will boost the city’s economy to the tune of $51.6 million.

Heralded as Canada’s largest concert ever, the show is drawing hundreds of thousands of Canadians but, more importantly to the economic and political factions, also welcoming business contacts to Toronto. A 44,000-square foot pavilion will house political luminaries such as U.S. Ambassador to Canada Paul Cellucci, federal Liberal leader-in-waiting Paul Martin, Ontario Premier Ernie Eves and Industry Minister Allan Rock. Prime Minister Jean Chrétien told organizers he will not be able to attend because of duties in his Quebec riding of Shawinigan.

But for the throng of music fans heading to the noon-hour concert (gates open at 8 a.m.) the attraction is all about the tunes. Some ticket-holders plan to take a day off, and others plan to leave work early to show up for the 5 p.m. evening program (featuring AC/DC and the Rolling Stones). Due to the 15-act show, each band will only have 15 to 60 minutes to play.

Expect the unexpected, though. “I think we're going to hear some interesting numbers, some nice surprises, some duets possibly ... and some surprise interesting talent lineups,” said Riley O'Connor of House Of Blues, the company promoting the event

Reportedly, Rolling Stones frontman, 60-year-old Mick Jagger, said his group is excited about headlining the Toronto show, and he plans to compile a set list the day of the show. Ontario Premier Eves said he’s hoping the band will play his favourite tune, “Satisfaction.”

Ticket-holders will get their satisfaction at the show whether they’re hungry or thirsty. Around 250,000 hamburgers will be made available, and those burgers — when stacked on top of each other — would be four times as high as the CN Tower. Four million litres of water will be available, and water enthusiasts who bring their own plastic bottles can refill them at selected areas. Organizers plan to be prepared for other needs — the 1,546 kilometres of on-site toilet paper is enough to stretch from Toronto to Memphis, Tennessee.

Planning aside, concert-goers will have to brave an unprecedented traffic jam in the northern Toronto area. The Toronto Transit Commission urged attendees to leave their cars at home, and take transit or walk up to Downsview. Allen Road, a popular thoroughfare, will be closed to allow the pilgrimage of rock fans to make the July 30 hike.

Speaking of pilgrimages, devout Catholics may recognize Downsview Park from last year’s setting — World Youth Day. The Pope’s visit placed the park on the global map and, aptly, employees who prepared the Catholic festival are being rehired for the rock concert.

Canadian fans unable to attend the show can tune in to MuchMoreMusic for its live performances and highlights special, starting at noon on July 30. CBC Radio and CBC TV will also air snippets of the show. The city of Calgary went a step further and landed rights to a live broadcast feed of the concert at Pengrowth Saddledome.

The on-site intensity will be unparalleled, inciting fierce fist-pumping and head-banging. Toronto is banking on the show to pump dollars into tourism, and erase the memory of SARS for good.

And as the buzz increases, this Canadian Woodstock is shaping up to be a must-see event for fans of rock and Rolling Stones.