TORONTO (djc) – Until I got to the concert, I had no idea just how big the Toronto SARS relief concert in Downsview Park was going to be. In a few words: It was epic.
The initial walk from Downsview Subway Station (which was the route suggested to me over the P.A. while I was on the subway) left me humbled by the sheer number of people going to the show. There were so many people walking toward the event that I couldn’t help but wonder how many people were already at the concert grounds. In my vain attempt to imagine what half a million people would look like, I fell incredibly short. SARSstock, as it has also been called, attracted almost 490,000 music-lovers from all over.
After passing through security at the front gates, walking was stop and go, and I couldn’t help but notice the massive group of sunburned backs as I walked through the crowd.
Before going to the show, everyone I spoke to would say, “Oh! I’m not going to that crazy thing – It’ll take hours just to go to the washroom.” Well, to my surprise, the quantity and placing of the washrooms was done surprisingly well – it took a measly two minutes to wait for a room to be vacant.
Also, lining up to get food was incredibly quick-and-painless. But, one thing that did take me awhile to master was trying to get beer; it was a tricky challenge as all the beer tents would close at different times. Why? I still don’t know.
Unlike those who slept in front of Downsview for two days to get front-row seats, I wasn’t as lucky. It was quite difficult to see the stage from where I began my night, and getting by the hoards of people all around me was a challenge. It took a lot of sharp elbow work to get to a point that was about a mile away.
However, once I found a place to relax and sit down, the sound was fairly good. One thing I couldn’t help but notice was that the wind would sometimes cause the stage’s sound to disappear – but for an outdoor venue, that’s not new.
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| Almost 490,000 people showed up to the all-day rock concert for SARS Relief. Photo: djc features |
At many points in the night, the music took a backseat to the grandness of the event. Because I was so far back for most of the day, I had a hard time seeing the video screens to watch the details of the stage-life. But, it was also fun to just watch the crowd from time to time.
With all the talk of Canada’s marijuana laws changing, I was surprised that I didn’t see more of it being smoked. And despite what many people were thinking, there weren’t any stumbling drunks to be seen – it was a pretty calm crowd as far as rock shows go.
I was also pleasantly surprised to find that most of the bands I heard sounded better than I expected. And as far as large outdoor events go, this on was so well put together it’s scary to think they pulled it off in a month’s time.
While Justin Timberlake didn’t really get much of a positive crowd reaction (he actually had water bottles thrown at him), The Guess Who got the crowd dancing and singing, and each band to follow was at least equally experienced at entertaining large crowds.
Rush, AC/DC, and of course, the Rolling Stones, delivered quality performances. The best part about the Stones’s performance was that all the big hits were played (minus “Paint it Black”).
The rumours circulating before the show that Bono would make a surprise appearance were exaggerated. In fact, the guests on stage during the Stones concert included Angus Young of AC/DC and Justin Timberlake (not at the same time of course).
All in all, the music was great, the crowd was an experience that could only be lived and understood, and the organization that went into the event was top-notch.
I don’t think I’ll ever forget the image of the huge Canadian flag on the back of the massive stage (it was so big I could see it clearly from where I was sitting).
On a scale of one to five (five being fantastic), I would give this show a solid four-and-a-half stars. But, at the end of the day, the overwhelming size of the crowd and the pleasure of experiencing that many people in one location made a strong argument for a five-star show.
The City of Toronto should be very proud of putting on a show this monumental, and the Rolling Stones deserve a lot of praise for getting this record-breaking concert started. As Mick Jagger himself said, “Toronto is back, and it’s booming.”
