John Lennon & the Plastic Ono Band

Live In Toronto ’69 (Shout Factory!)

By Selena Fragassi
Published: July 14th, 2009 | 12:20am

Dubbed the “second most important concert in rock history,” John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band Live In Toronto ’69 is one of those special treasures that emerges from a dusty time capsule, capturing a moment in life that only few of us could have dreamed to live through. Not only is the footage on this DVD (a beautiful, quality recording given the equipment of the period) the only appearance of John Lennon & the Plastic Ono Band, but it has also been symbolized as the pivotal event marking the end of the Beatles.

On a whim, Lennon and Ono, joined by Eric Clapton, bassist Klaus Voormann, and drummer Alan White teamed together for this one-night exclusive at the Toronto Rock 'n' Roll Revival Festival, where they were supported on a bill featuring Lennon’s childhood heroes Bo Diddley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Little Richard. Academy Award–nominated director D.A. Pennebaker captured all the stunning moments from Little Richard’s flamboyant stage antics and sequined get-up as he charged forward with “Lucille” to Jerry Lee Lewis’ scorching piano playing on “Hound Dog.” Not to be outdone, Lennon also covered Elvis Presley with opening track “Blue Suede Shoes” and followed with other bluesy takes on famous songs, like “Money” and “Cold Turkey,” as Clapton whittled away at his axe with impossible grace and Ono sat on the stage floor, covered in a white sheet.

Probably the most thrilling performance of the DVD is that of “Give Peace a Chance,” which cascaded in volume from the Woodstockian crowd, waving their hands and flags in the air, and singing along. From there, the DVD takes a sharp U-turn with Ono’s solo material on “Don’t Worry Kyoko” and “John, John” that features her gutteral, throat-clearing howls at the moon with interjections of muffled words like “peace” and “hope.”

Also included is the opening documentary starring Ono at Lennon’s posthumous '89 art show in London, where she described the time of the Toronto show as “the most fascinating period of us.” As the up-close-and-personal footage on Live In Toronto ’69 proves, it’s also the most important in understanding the life of one of rock’s greatest legends.

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