For those about to rock we salute you.  - AC/DC

I tend to stay away from stadium concerts. Invariably, the performers resemble microscopic insects on the stage and any "good seat" will cost you hundreds of dollars. The last stadium rock show I attended, before the AC/DC show at Gillette Stadium, was the Rolling Stones on the Steel Wheels tour in late September of 1989.

The Stones show was on a Monday night. A group of us had just returned from Columbus, Ohio, after witnessing the Boston College football squad lose a close game to Ohio State. Sunday morning, I was still drunk in Columbus. After a painful cross-country Sunday drive back to Boston, I was exhausted and hung over, but ready to see Mick, Keith and the boys.

Our seats for the Stones were located in the opposite end zone from the stage at Foxboro Stadium. By the time the Stones left the stage, the temperature was in the high 30s.  My college roommate, Scott, who made the astute choice to wear shorts, was post-concert hypothermic and desperately desired access to a heated car.

So, I wasn't going into the AC/DC gig expecting anything great. Stadium shows make a ton of loot for the act, the promoters, and the Ticketmasters of the world, but most of the concert-goers would be better off watching a concert dvd of AC/DC on its Black Ice tour from a comfortable couch, with a bag of Fritos sitting on the coffee table in front of them.

How much loot was made off this gig? I think the aforementioned parties took a big financial hit. I scored two free tickets from Harpoon Brewery. When I picked up the tickets, it was apparent that a large number of complimentary tickets had been issued. In the present economic climate, people are reluctant to spend $68.00 for a ticket to see AC/DC from the 300 Level of Gillette Stadium. With fees, this same ticket approaches the $80.00 mark.

Stadium Concert Expenses:

2 Tickets = $160.00 (Cheapest Tickets)

Parking at Gillette Stadium  = $40.00

2 Hot Dogs and 2 Sodas  = Approx. $20.00

Concert T-Shirt  = $25.00 ( I believe that was the cost of an AC/DC concert t-shirt.)

TOTAL = $245.00

As I wrote previously, I got the tickets for free, so let's eliminate the the $160.00 charge. Ticketmaster, Live Nation, Gillette Stadium, AC/DC and any other corporate behemoth that gets a taste of this money can go suck moose balls.

I have a real issue paying astronomical prices for parking and 40 bucks is beyond excessive. Gillette Stadium/the Kraft family's standard parking rate for a concert is: $40.00. A mile before the stadium, I made the executive decision to park in a Chinese restaurant's parking lot for $20.00. It was probably more than a mile walk to the stadium, but it was well worth the experience introducing my girlfriend's son, Ian, to the Sheridan method.

Ian took great pleasure in our interaction with the Asian gentleman, who took our money. I still have no clue what he said to us through the open window. Ian believes it was, "Twenty dolla."

I understood enough to slip the Andrew Jackson into his palm, which is the international sign of respect. We sat in the parking lot snacking on sandwiches that had been packed in a cost-saving cooler, I sucked down two Brooklyn Summer Ales which I thoroughly recommend, and Ian tossed back a 20 oz. Coke Classic.

From the list above, let's cross out $40.00 for parking and adjust the figure to: $20.00.

Further, let's erase the cost of two hot dogs and two sodas. Sayonora!

We move on to the dreaded concert t-shirt. Before Ian and I started our journey to Gillette, Ian had a private consultation with his mother, where it was decided he would be able to purchase a concert t-shirt for Tool and not AC/DC. How did Tool get into the conversation? Five days after seeing AC/DC, the rock n' rock roll warriors ( Ian and myself) would be heading north to the bright lights of Manchester, New Hampshire, to see Tool.

After all of the addition and subtraction, we saw AC/DC for $20.00. Yes, you get what you pay for as our seats were located in the 300 level of Gillette Stadium, which was closer to the jets flying overhead than it was to the band members onstage. Now, did 16-year-old Ian care that we were halfway to Mars? Not at all, Ian loves AC/DC and we spent the night watching the concert on three enormous video monitors, which in some ways is similar to watching a dvd at home without the smell of puke, cigar smoke and hemp wafting in our direction. (One of those three is okay - the other two are offensive.)

On our drive to Gillette, I had a recurring question: How old is AC/DC? Really, how old are Angus and Malcolm Young? Guitarist Angus Young is 54 and bass player Malcolm Young is 56. The oldest member of AC/DC is 61-year-old lead singer Brian Johnson.

Mmmm ... can they still pull it off? 

Being a stadium concert skeptic, AC/DC pulled it off. I would still prefer to see the band in an arena, but these old pros know how to work a crowd. Watching Angus Young run across the stage and down the catwalk that led to midfield - the man can still rock. Angus Young is the front man for AC/DC and the crowd feeds off his energy. Lead singer Brian Johnson is clearly playing second banana to Angus clad in his school uniform.

Does the school uniform thing get old? I thought it might, but it didn't.

Watching a shirtless, stooped over 54-year-old man run around a stadium with a guitar should seem silly, but it wasn't. Angus Young is a true rock and roll showman and he seems the last of a dying breed. Angus's body type has a Gollum-like resemblance, which should please the "Lords of the Rings" fans among Sheridan's readership. Ian was convinced that women must really dig Angus disrobing on stage - as Ian said, he does it for the ladies.

Not trying to squash his image of male virility, I decided that it would do no use to tell him that a 54-year-old stooped over man with thinning hair, who physically resembles Gollum, is not every woman's fantasy but who am I to knock Ian's rock legend?

A Whole Lotta Rosie

Not that women were dressed in lingerie like Rosie, but some older women urgently need to get out of the Don Dokken eighties. One woman decided a black mini-skirt, with a blue leopard skin top and matching black hat and boots was a good look. The woman was nearing fifty and apparently had not received the memo, from "What Not To Wear's" Clinton and Stacy, that mini-skirts over 35 are verboten. Another woman nearing the mid-century point thought white jeans, with an off-white leopard skin top (animal patterns appear to be very popular with a certain age group) was AC/DC appropriate. She looked as if she had strolled out of Merry-Go-Round or Chess King in 1990.

During "The Jack", the video monitors flashed to David Spade and Chris Rock in the front row. Spade was singing along to "The Jack."

The end of the night ended with "For Those About To Rock", which featured cannons blasting off and then a fireworks display. Go big or go home. Big stadium, big stage, big sound and big act. That's the essence of stadium rock and there are very few bands that can accomplish this feat.

Metal cult heroes, Anvil, were the opening act. The best part of Anvil's set list was the drum solo. I don't know if I have witnessed a stadium opening act attempt a drum solo, but why not? Very few people were paying attention, so go for it! From our seats high above the stage, Anvil resembled tiny, tiny men with little instruments.

AC/DC Set List for July 28, 2009 at Gillette Stadium