I was there, and it was truly AWESOME! I had SUCH a great time yesterday! There was an amazing lineup of bands all day, covering until the Stones arrived around 10 pm -- lots that I grew up with and always loved -- The Guess Who, Rush, Sass Jordan, the just plain AWESOME blind guitarist Jeff Healey, Blue Oyster --- and AC/DC too!   

Everyone was fantastic -- AC/DC did put on a great act, almost stealing the show with that Canadian flag underwear thing, but the Stones just blew them all away. They are just plain MASTERFUL -- at their art, at the magic of connecting with an audience, at writing truly timeless classic songs that are so easy to remember and sing or shout or whoo- whoooo-along with, as the case may be. Not to mention that drivin, gotta-get-dancing beat, raising this just incredible energy.

I have a whole new respect for ole Lips now! He was bouncing around that stage like a twenty-year old! Hard to believe he's 60 now -- still ROCKIN' -- even rappin with the younger generation, calling out "I LOVE YOU!".   Keith Richards, clean now (supposedly), broke down on his knees on the stage, spilling all about what it felt like to be asked back to Toronto after being arrested on drug charges many years ago.

The crowd -- the biggest in history for a paid event I think -- was amazing too -- that many people -- from Hell's Angels to librarians to grandpas to green-haired nose-ringed "punkers" to small children -- and no fights, no trouble at all. There was a feeling of celebration, almost of "global family", of comfort in knowing that even in the wake of 9/11, the Iraq war, SARS, criminal charges or WHATEVER we can still all stand together, support one another and PARTY!

Didn't see any topless girls, but I did see a lot of pierced navels and nipples (on guys!) and a very interesting assortment of tattoos.

Host Dan Ackroyd kept calling out "No BORDERS!" as he welcomed the many American acts. Didn't quite know how to feel about that ... and I was a little surprised to hear the Guess Who belt out "American Woman" after all that American-Canadian back-thumping and comaderie too!

It was a great day -- I'm so glad I went! Never thought I'd go out of my way to see the "Strollin Bones" ... but now I just can't get the tunes outta my head

I know --- it's only rock and roll
but I like it, love it, YES I DO!

daylia

PS Raptor, when they broke into "Sympathy for the Devil", I was just wishin you were there! Whoo -- Whooooo