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Another 4.5 hours drive to Toronto, fighting moronic drivers to eventually get to destination and meet with some fellow metalheads. After some vinyl hunting (hehehe), we headed to The Docks to get to the Dio show. Alright, I don't know what happened there but the barmaids were beyond gorgeous. That gave me something to stare at (or drool at, whatever :)) while local openers Scratching Post were playing. Not a bad band, but nothing too exciting either. They should look at changing the band's name. The crowd didn't get too much into their set... Me neither, I was busy looking elsewhere...

Enters Dio. What seemed like a dormant crowd just a few minutes before just went nuts and that wouldn't stop until the end of the show. Headbanging, fists in the air, chanting, you name it. I'm still wondering what the hell was with the bodysurfing though... That just doesn't fit with this music.

Ronnie James Dio was simply amazing. I was a bit concerned since this was the third Canadian show in three nights, but if he was tired in any way, it didn't show. In great shape at 60+ years, he gave a performance better than many frontmen half his age. And his stage experience shows as well, moving around very confidently on stage and not missing a beat. He seemed very pleased to see such an enthusiastic crowd and expressed it near the end of the show. We got pretty much the same playlist as in Quebec City (see Pierre's review - link at the bottom of this page) but I think we got a couple of songs less because the show had to end at 10pm (Dio started at 8:30pm). You see, it was dance night at The Docks, so exit metalheads, enter the Ginos. Anyway, we were also treated to an excellent drum solo, the drummer making some moves to get the crowd to applaud and scream. I usually dread drum solos but this one was worth seeing. The guitar solo followed not long after, not as impressive but nonetheless pretty cool. The show ended with the crowd-pleaser "We Rock", and that would be the only song of the encore, as it ended at 10pm sharp. The crowd was a bit small, 830 including guests, but the enthusiasm of those present more than made up for the empty room left by the poor guys who missed this great show. Dio's voice is still in great shape and I get the feeling he won't be retiring any time soon, which can only mean good things for fans of classic heavy metal. Two thumbs up, Ronnie!