Mumford and Sons at Butler's Barracks, Niagara-on-the-Lake, June 15th, 2015 and Rush at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, June 19th, 2015: A Tale of Two Concerts

My week started and ended with a concert, both sold out and highly anticipated by the respective fans of each band. The first, on Monday night, took place in picturesque Niagara-on-the-Lake, across the U.S. border on the Niagara River, and headlined Mumford and Sons at Butler’s Barracks. Friday night, Toronto’s Air Canada Centre welcomed hometown favourites Rush for a second night. The only statement I can make to link these two evenings is that I enjoyed myself tremendously at both shows.

Part of the fun of concerts for me is getting to and from the gigs and milling about outside the venue with fellow fans. The last time we saw Mumford and Sons, in the summer of 2013, it was also a long drive to a rural festival destination. For the ride down to Niagara, we were in the comfort of our own car with control of the radio and in possession of good food and drinks; it helped make the horrific four-hour journey in heavy, rush-hour traffic palatable. Once on the grounds, we made our way past the vendors towards the main stage. Our wait was very short due to the horrendous commute, and we found ourselves off to the left side with a decent spot on the lawn; as the sun went down at 21:00, the Mumford Tramps (as I affectionately call them) took to the stage and a wonderful two hours of solid entertainment began.

Heading towards the main stage from the main doors. A beautiful night in Niagara-on-the-Lake begins.

There have been grumblings about the new Mumford and Sons record, as the band has left its banjo folk-roots and moved towards what can best be described as a U2/Coldplay hybrid sound. While I will admit to preferring what a close friend calls the “jingly-jangly” music of their first two albums, I don’t mind that bands shake things up and try to evolve with their music as they mature. The group cautiously began their set with two familiar favourites then switched gears to present their newer songs. The evening went back and forth between the recent release and old numbers, and each piece was well-received by the audience of 30,000. While I still prefer the first two albums, I’m warming up to the new one and loved how rich the sound was in the live renditions of “Snake Eyes”, “Wilder Mind”, and “Tompkins Park”.

The main stage at the Gentlemen of the Road stopover.

Much was made on social media about the nightmare that ensued as 30, 000 patrons tried to leave the parking area, and the organizers rightfully deserve the blame they received for the fact that it took two hours to emerge onto a main road. The disaster was inexcusable and we will likely never attend another festival at this venue. That said, I found it more amusing that across the Niagara River, in Youngstown (maybe let’s rename it Oldstown?), the sheriff was besieged by calls to somehow make the loud music stop over in Canada. The actual drive back to Toronto took an hour, with a detour through Niagara Falls, and it’s no overstatement to say that Tuesday was very rough for those of us who had to work.

Friday night was a different beast altogether. Having missed the initial sale, we didn’t pick up our Rush tickets until Wednesday night, once the stage had been erected for the first of the two shows and a late block of seats were released. There weren’t weeks of anticipation like I’d felt with the Mumford and Sons gig, but by Friday night, I was excited; news of the amazing retrospective setlist from the first local concert had leaked out, and we knew we were in for a magical night.

The train ride into the city lasted 17 minutes, where I mingled with other fans and we chatted about past experiences with Rush and other classic rock bands. In front of the Air Canada Centre, I was reunited with two lovely gentlemen who work for Toronto’s Rock Station Q107 and are arguably the company’s best ambassadors. We took a great picture together and soon it was time to get inside. It wasn’t until we made it to our seats that I realized we were in the last row of the highest section, lurching above everyone on Alex Lifeson’s side. Luckily, we had four hilarious, jovial kilted friends in front of us to banter with until the curtain rose. It helped bring ambience to the dizzy heights of our seating area, and we were pumped by the time the house lights went down and the band came out to roars of delight.

Yours truly with Q107 ambassadors Harrison Mercer on the left and Johnny “Flairboy” Garbutt on the right.

How does one describe an evening with Rush? I’ve seen three times before—on the 1978 Hemispheres Tour, at Sarstock, and most recently during the Clockwork Angels tour—and each one holds a unique, special memory. The first time was special, Sarstock brought Neil Peart back after such personal tragedy, and the last show allowed me to introduce the band to the young son of a good friend. Friday night, it was the possibility that they were gracing the Toronto stage for the last time with a chronological retrospective spanning 40 years that had all the makings of a magical show.

Magic!

And there was magic. So much magic! The first of two sets featured newer material, and the mastery of each musician was on full display right from the start. The gem of the first set was the first ever live presentation of ‘Losing It’ from Signals, with Ben Mink on the electric violin. Have a listen to this gem.

A fun panoramic shot from high above the crowd.

The second set went back in time to classic Rush: the songs were more familiar (huge hits such as “YYZ”, “Tom Sawyer”, “The Spirit of Radio”) but the rarely played “Jacob’s Ladder” was thrown in before fans were treated to music from “Hemispheres”, “A Farewell to Kings”, and “2112”. It was a feast for the senses as lasers and video montages enhanced the performance of each iconic song; in contrast to the light show, the stage itself grew more bare as the band went back to a simpler time before they had their washing machines and electronics with them. The audience pumped their fists and played air drums and guitars from the front rows to the rafters, and you felt at times like the roof would burst.

Towards the end of the second set.

The encore of four songs included “Lakeside Park,” which Canadians warmly associate with the long Victoria Day holiday weekend, and the show ended after three solid hours with “Working Man”. I still hold the hope that we will see this power trio grace their hometown stage again, but should this have been their farewell tour, we can at least take comfort in the knowledge that it was filmed for a future DVD release.

The Gentlemen of the Road Stopover- Simcoe, Ontario, August 23rd and 24th, 2013

In 2011, Mumford & Sons were the first band that I truly got excited about listening to since Coldplay in 1999 and before that, U2 in 1983. I lucked out in getting tickets to see them at Toronto’s Air Canada Centre in October of my discovery year, and I was hooked after their performance. Their blend of foot-stomping, sing-along tunes and the often dark and melancholy lyrics of their debut album “Sigh No More” got under my skin, and my love affair continued with the release of “Babel” last year.

The passport pages.

The band started to play live again this year, with a series of concerts in small towns across North America that featured many other groups they were inspired by and felt a kinship with. Last week, they brought their Gentlemen of the Road Stopover to the small Ontario town of Simcoe, close to Lake Erie. The idea is to bring the shows to areas that have experienced economic difficulties with the hopes of leaving a legacy behind so that the towns can benefit from a tourist boost after the festival event. Simcoe, once a rich tobacco farming community, has been hard hit by cultural changes, and was delighted to play host to the group of musical artists that came to town.

The entrance gates to the Simcoe Fairgrounds in Norfolk County, Ontario, as the crowds leave after the two-day festival.

The full festival line-up.

We drove down on Friday afternoon, and despite the long journey hampered by the afternoon cottage and commuter rush-hour traffic out of Toronto, we managed to hear Phosphorescent, Dan Mangan, and headliners Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. It was the last band that we were especially interested in, but found all the acts worthy of a serious listen. As well, the Simcoe Fairgrounds provided a visual feast for the senses: food trucks offered pizza, tacos and burritos, along with English pub fair, poutine, and the more traditional ribs and burgers. The bar was generous, and we were delighted to see a fresh water station for patrons to refill their bottles at no charge. The portable toilets were clean and plentiful, although they could have facilitated the flow of patrons with distinct entry and exit points. There was plenty of room to wander around away from the main stage, and people were polite and friendly throughout. One of the cute gimmicks was the GOTR passport, which you could get stamped with band and concession logos if you spotted the volunteers who had them; it was also possible to line up at the stamping stations, which gave you time in line to socialise and meet others. Those we spoke to ranged from just nearby to as far away as Australia, and it was great fun chatting with them and comparing notes on crowd favourites. On the way to and from the venue, pianos had been left in the pedestrian zones for people to tinker with, and it was a whimsical detail that appealed to me as we walked by.

One of the pianos along the way, ready for play.

I also loved the Strong Arm meeting point, which was announced as the place “to find the boyfriend or girlfriend you did not intentionally mean to lose.”

The Strong Arm at night.

Saturday was a more crowded, hot weather day. The sun shone where the clouds had covered the Friday skies, and it was sometimes uncomfortable struggling through clusters of people, or waiting over an hour at the food truck lineups for a meal. However, the same friendly atmosphere prevailed and people continued to show considerate, polite, and patient behaviour. The crowd was more diverse in age, with families and older adults present along with the twenty-something hipsters and hippies that had largely comprised the Friday audience. We missed the first three acts of the day (Bear’s Den, Justin Townes Earle, The Vaccines) due to our commute from Toronto, but caught Hey Rosetta!, Old Crow Medicine Show, and the headlining Mumford & Sons, who were scheduled at sundown. We liked Hey Rosetta!, but it was the last two bands that really left a lasting impression. Both had the audience stomping, clapping, dancing, and singing along to so many of their numbers.

For me, though, as a Mumford & Sons fan, they were the band I came to see. They delivered almost two hours of non-stop music from their two albums, and I loved the string of patio lights that ran from over the top of the stage to the sound board, creating a backyard atmosphere for those who had come to party with them. And most were doing just that, singing to every word of every song as they danced and made celebratory noise for the length of the set. There was a moment for the flicking of lighters, and another instance of quiet listening as the second encore brought an acoustic version of Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m On Fire”, and then an acapella rendition of “Sister.” The grand finale was a touching tribute to local boy Rick Danko of The Band, and all the performing bands from the festival came out to join Mumford & Sons for a fantastic cover of “The Weight.” Marcus Mumford shared his lead vocals with Dan Mangan and others, and the audience of 35 000 strong cheered loudly in appreciation of the two-day event after they were through.

All in all, beyond the spectacular musical performances, I will remember this weekend for the camaraderie between the festival-goers, as well as for the gentle ambience that permeated the venue for those who attended, worked, or volunteered their services. The town of Simcoe worked very hard and were excellent, well-organised, and friendly hosts, and the fans well-behaved and kind to one another. Spending the time listening to all these bands made me realise that we have entered a new golden age of singer-songwriters, and that the folk rock scene is rich, diverse, and thriving. Long may these musicians continue to do what they love, so that we can see and hear them for years to come.