Three concerts in twenty-one days…
This has been a killer summer for yours truly. While I haven’t been writing as well as I would prefer to… other things have been going better than expected and that will do for now. When the kids go back to school in a few weeks, my plan is to buckle down and get shit done. So, for now I’m going to coast for the rest of August, and spend some quality time with the kids while I can.
One thing I love to do in the summer is attend some live shows, and one of my favorite places to do that is an outdoor venue in Toronto called Budweiser stage, formerly known as the Molson Amphitheatre. It’s right on the lake, and it a bitchin’ place to catch a good concert when the weather co-operates. Ever summer I like to attend at least two or three shows at this venue as they get amazing shows every year.
This summer was no different as I attended three shows within twenty days. So, less than three weeks.
Concert #1: Train and R.E.O. Speedwagon (July 20th)
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On July 20th, I took my oldest son Ethan to check out Train and R.E.O. Speedwagon. This was my second time seeing Train, as I got to see them open for Hall & Oates at the ACC in 2018. Ethan is a fan of Train as well, so when this concert was listed I jumped at the chance to take him to the show. I had never seen Speedwagon in concert, so this was a chance to see a great band and introduce Ethan to a new band as well. My brother Chris and his wife also went to this concert, which was a total blast. Everyone had fun and transport wasn’t the hassle we all feared it would be.
Concert #2: Loverboy and Sammy Hagar (July 31st)
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Ten days after seeing Train and Speedwagon, I went back to Bud Stage to see a show solo. It was last minute thing, as I had a few extra bucks after taking care of my usual business (Rent, bills, etc) and I got a killer deal on Stub Hub. Even though I was on the grass, I got a ticket to see Sammy Hagar for only $12. That’s it and I went to see a killer show that was one of the best I had ever seen. I went solo cause everyone I tried to invite were either busy or working. A long time ago I stopped letting everyone’s availability dictate what events/shows I attended, and I attended the show solo without hesitation. Sammy is also in his mid-70s… so this was possibly my last chance to see one of my favorite singers so I went. I have no regrets… mind blowing concert! They played a ton of Van Halen tunes, and Sammy’s best solo stuff… so totally worth the effort!
Concert #3: Alan Doyle
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Ten days after seeing Sammy, Ethan and I went back to Bud Stage to see one of our personal favorite artists. Last summer Ethan and I went to see Alan Doyle, former lead vocalist of Great Big Sea. Ethan is from Newfoundland, and GBS is his favorite band so this was the second time we were seeing Alan in concert in two summers. This time out, we had a bit of good luck, as our tickets were upgraded. We went from being at the furthest back you could go without being on the grass, to being six rows into second two which was less than 50 feet from the stage! Like last summer, Ethan and I had a great time and if Alan comes back to Toronto again next August I have a feeling Ethan and I will be there again!
So, that in a nutshell was my summer concert schedule for 2024. I actually do have one more show booked next month, but I’ll write about that one later as I’m unsure if I can make it due to schedule issues. But I had a lot of fun at all three concerts this summer, and was glad that I was able to share some of them with those that I love. For those who are wondering about my other son Jonathan, I take Jon to his own shows as I’m afraid that concerts like this are too loud and he doesn’t do well with really big crowds. I’m afraid it would overstimulate him and I take him to other shows that are not as overwhelming. Katherine is too young to attend these shows, but the moment her mom will let me get away with it I would be happy to bring her along. I’m tempted to bring her to see Alan Doyle with Ethan if he comes back again next summer… fingers crossed!
So, that’s what I’ve been up to this summer besides the usual writing/working and hanging with kids stuff. Here’s hoping everyone else had a decent summer and I’ll be around. Until then, take care.
Peter