AC/DC taking over Notre Dame Stadium.
Thousands were there, with fans traveling to South Bend for a bucket-list night with one of rock’s biggest bands.
Each had their own dream setlist.
“Back in Black is probably one of the one of my favorites,” John Kunkel said.
“I would love to hear TNT,” Ben Kunkel said.
“Are you ready?,” Roger Hoskins said.
“I’d like to see them play Sin City,” Jeff Parker said.
“Definitely Hell’s Bells,” Nowelle Hockabout said.
“Have a drink on me because people like to drink special occasions, and this is pretty much special occasions. So have a drink on me,” Donald Bower said.
Fans told WSBT 22 when they heard AC/DC was coming to Notre Dame Stadium, there was no question. They were going.
Some were making new memories with family. Others were carrying old ones into the stadium with them.
“When we found out they were coming here, there was no stopping us. It didn’t matter what what it took. We were going to be here one way or another,” Kathy Hoskins said.
“This is my son, so it’s you know kind of cool to be able to get to the show with him,” John Kunkel said.
“My mother raised me on them, and so has his mom, and she just passed away. So we’re like going for her,” Hockabout said.
For one longtime fan, the show brought things full circle.
He first saw AC/DC in 1980 and says if this really is one of the band’s final tour, he had to be there.
“That being my first concert back in ’80 with them, so it’s kind of a full circle deal for me. So yeah, yeah. If it ends, so be it. But boy, if they come back, I’ll be back,” Parker said.
And while AC/DC may be rooted in rock history, fans say the show could help shape what comes next for Notre Dame Stadium.
They hope opening the doors to concerts like this means more big names and more big crowds could follow.
“With Notre Dame starting to open up with doing venues like this, it’s going to bring a lot of money in, and you know, generate. Hopefully, they bring more, more newer concerts in,” Roger Hoskins said.
“They’re bringing back some of these nostalgic bands from way back when. So, as you can see, it brings out a lot of old people. So, yeah, it’s cool though,” Parker said.
And for some fans, it’s all about the experience of being in the crowd.
“You meet people and you become friends with people that have like the same interests that you are in too, and it’s like we every concert we go to, we find a new friend, and we keep in contact with them … There’s a lot of good out there and its just a matter of finding it,” Kathy Hoskins said.
And as AC/DC took the stage, fans got the moment they had been waiting for.
Because while it may be a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll, for this crowd, the wait was well worth it.