Could this be the last time?
Legendary rockers roll in for what some feel could be their Canadian farewell
ORO MEDONTE, ONT.— Dressed in T-shirts and hats emblazoned with the famous tongue logo, Rolling Stones fans gathered at a sprawling outdoor venue in Ontario for what many expected would be a piece of history — and perhaps even a farewell.
After Mick Jagger’s emergency heart surgery made it uncertain if the British rockers would ever return to Canada, the singer got the all-clear, and on Saturday at the Burl’s Creek Event Grounds, many fans said they were simply grateful he was healthy enough to perform.
And none of them wanted to miss what could be a last chance to see the band.
“The health scare was kind of an indication this might actually be the last one,” said Marc Fielding, who joined about 30 of his friends on a road trip from Toronto.
“They’re such an iconic band, so you don’t want to risk them maybe not coming back.”
Roughly 70,000 concertgoers were expected at the show in Oro-Medonte, about 30 kilometres north of Barrie — the Stones’ only Canadian date on their North American tour.
Jackie Morin’s father, a longtime fan, died shortly after the Stones most recently played Toronto. So Saturday was an especially poignant moment.
“This is a big deal,” she said. “Never will you ever see a concert like this — it’s history.”
Dino Bruno landed tickets when his sister-in-law surprised him with the gift. He last saw the Stones in the mid-1970s at Maple Leaf Gardens, where he said the local news captured him playing Frisbee with police in the street. “The Stones were the bad boys of rock,” he said. “I wanted to be here because I want to die happy.”
Jayne Sidey first caught the Stones at a Canadian National Institute for the Blind benefit concert over 40 years ago in Oshawa — part of a court-ordered performance for Keith Richards, who was arrested for heroin possession in Toronto.
She has gone to at least 20 Stones concerts since.
“I saw them three times in the U.K. last year, and we’re booked for two shows on this tour,” she said.
The daylong festival at Burl’s Creek marks the third concert on the Stones tour, which kicked off with two dates in Chicago a week ago.