Molson Amphitheatre Toronto, Ontario, August 31, 2000 Jump down to... Josh Brown's Review (more reviews coming) Also See: The show details. A Music Insight Review. A Toronto Sun Review. A Globe and Mail Review. A New Music Express Review.

1. Motorcycle Mama
2. Powderfinger
3. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
4. I Believe In You   [electric]
5. Unknown Legend   [electric]
6. Dance Dance Dance
7. Buffalo Springfield Again
8. Razor Love
9. From Hank To Hendrix
10. Daddy Went Walkin'
11. Peace Of Mind
12. Walk On
13. Winterlong
14. Bad Fog Of Loneliness
15. Words (Between The Lines Of Age)
16. Harvest Moon
17. World On A String
18. Tonight's The Night   [on piano]
    Encore
19. Cowgirl In The Sand
    Second Encore
20. Mellow My Mind

It's taken me a couple of days to wind down from the Toronto show. I thought it was perfection -- but of course I'm biased. My seats were mint, right in the middle about 25 rows back from the stage. It was a humid night but there appeared to be a slight breeze on stage as Neil's hair was blowing in the wind when he took off his hat -- which wasn't often.

I saw a couple of Ottawa Rusties in MORE BARN! shirts with a banner nearby -- and also saw the security guards rush over to get the banner down. Can't have any of that kind of fun at a concert I guess. Numerous other Rusties in MORE BARN! shirts sprinkled the crowd.

The band was solid -- albeit, no Crazy Horse. Duck Dunn impressed me the most. Dunn got into the songs and really gave it on the harder tunes like Cowgirl. He really started crouching down -- like a Duck -- when Neil wailed on Old Black. I thought the rest of the band were pretty stationary, not bouncing around or swaying much at all. However, musically they were brilliant.

I didn't know Pegi could sing. She really belted it out on Motorcycle Mama. And all I can say about Astrid is meow. She looked gorgeous.

Some Hyperust lurker tried to bet me $20 on the first song. Luckily I have been monitoring the set lists and he was bummed when I said "sure, I'll take Motorcylce Mama."

No big surprises in the set list. I found the show really didn't kick into high gear until Neil went wild on the electric guitar in Words. People, even if they were expecting a hits setlist, couldn't help but shake their heads in amazement after this gem. I was rocking back in forth like a maniac in my chair. I think I might have frightened the poor girl sitting next to me. I noticed the couple behind me left after 10 songs - they kept wondering when he was going to play Heart of Gold.

Neil dished out a handful of "How ya doin'?"s. He talked about how is dad owned a farm north of the city, before dedicating Daddy Went Walkin' to his old man. He also explained how his kids can't comprehend a Canadian winter and what it's like walking through the snow, before breaking into Winterlong. I had forgotten how much I love this song, and the crowd responded well to it.

There was also a big reaction for Neil's new stuff from Silver and Gold, which was a little surprising. He could get away with adding a few more tracks from the album in his shows.

I'm kind of glad he didn't play All Along The Watchtower here. It's not one of my favourites, and I'd rather hear Neil's own stuff first. There's been a little criticism about ending with Mellow My Mind, but I thought it was genius to wind the entire crowd up with a loud, 15 minute Cowgirl and then come back for a second encore (when most people thought the show was over) only to play a quiet, crisp Mellow My Mind. On the way out I heard numerous people singing "Baby Mellow My Mind..." to themselves as they filtered out of the amphitheatre.

A crowd of fans clustered around the stage after the show and I saw one guy request the set list from Larry Cragg. He looked to his right and then his left and seeing it clear he rushed the set list to an adoring fan. Pure class.

Rusties, enjoy the rest of the tour.

(more reviews coming soon... --RE*AC*TOR)