The pop up from Bandsintown didn’t make sense. The Glorious Sons were playing the Olympic Stadium? A quick Internet search clarified that: they were playing at the local food truck event right by the Stadium, on the night our vacation started. Sounds like a great idea!
The weather was crappy throughout the day though, and on our way over there, lightning crisscrossed the sky north of the city. Would the show happen? Luck seemed on our side as we found a free spot to park right in front. After a bit of walking around we managed to find our way to the Esplanade just as a camper van was pulling up to the stage. Through the window we saw singer Brett Emmons; it looked like we were at the right spot!
The light drizzle kept people away from the stage so we joined a handful of hardcore fans who’d driven from Ottawa and Kingston to see the band. The small stage had a drum and PA setup but no amps or instruments. Didn’t look good. The band was chilling by their van, so we got over there and asked for pictures which they graciously agreed to. They told us they might be playing in about 20 minutes but soon we saw the crew bring amps and guitars into the van, a clear sign it wasn’t gonna happen.
In a very classy move, Brett came out to talk to us, and explain they couldn’t play because of the weather, which is totally understandable. He said he might come out later with an acoustic guitar, but it wasn’t sure.
Twenty minutes later he exited the trailer and walked over to maybe 20 fans who’d found refuge from the rain under the edges of the stadium. He sat down, took a hit from an offered joint, and played a few new tracks for us. A DJ nearby was nearly drowning out his guitar, and he broke a string as soon as he started but it never phased him even a bit. He just played and sang his heart out, even though there were only a few of us.
The irony of this happening under the shadow of Montreal’s Olympic Stadium is that 25 years ago, a singer decided he didn’t want to go on with the show, so he just left, leaving 50,000 disappointed fans to riot. The Glorious Sons couldn’t bear the thought of disappointing 20 fans.
I was sad the concert didn’t happen, especially as it would have been my 11 year old son’s first chance to see them, but we got an amazing opportunity for a night to remember with one of the best Canadian rock bands out there.
Thanks guys… until next time.
He's also a regular contributor at the excellent news site Montreal Rampage
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