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Event Review – AC/DC PWR/UP Pop Up (Steam Whistle Brewing, Toronto, ON, 09/15/2026 – 09/16/2026)

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Not even one of the strongest storms in the history of Toronto could stop fans from all over the world to get powered up by the AC/DC PWR/UP Pop Up store.

INTRODUCTION: For those about to rock, go check the AC/DC PWR/UP Pop Up store!

Free and open to all fans, the AC/DC PWR/UP Pop Up will open in every city on AC/DC’s 2026 North American stadium tour, giving fans one more way to be part of the PWR/UP Tour as it rolls through each town. Unfortunately, the Toronto concert scheduled for September 16 at Rogers Stadium had to be cancelled due to the severe damage done to the venue by an otherworldly storm that crushed the city to pieces on September 2, but that didn’t stop AC/DC to make an “appearance” in Toronto in the form of the pop up store on September 15 and 16. The location chosen for the special event was the excellent Steam Whistle Brewing, and of course Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi, Blair Burch and I were invited to be part of such a unique experience for fans of our good old Rock N’ Roll. Since the shows and pop up store are still happening in Winnipeg, New York, and Philadelphia, you know what to do. For those about to rock alongside AC/DC, we salute you!

AC/DC PWR/UP POP UP

Named after their 2020 album PWRϟUP, which reached #1 in 21 countries, the PWR/UP Tour began with the band’s long-awaited return to the stage at Power Trip in California in 2023, and has since sold out dozens of stadiums across four continents. As the massive tour entered its final leg in North America, the AC/DC PWR/UP Pop Up was created to give fans of one of the biggest bands in the history of Rock N’ Roll a place to gather before show day, and be part of the high voltage energy surrounding the tour. There’s merch you won’t find at the concert. Fans can shop unique collectibles, tour apparel, light-up horns, and other pop-up merchandise. Fans can get up close to AC/DC history. Each location will also feature AC/DC-themed food and drink, iconic props, custom visuals, interactive photo moments, ticket giveaways, PWR/UP Fan Preview events, and the opportunity to enter to win a guitar signed by Angus Young.

There were local fans at the Toronto pop up, superfans who have been following the band all across the world during this tour (similar to what fans of bands like Iron Maiden do), casual rock listeners who got attracted to the store for obvious reasons (who doesn’t want to spend some bucks on high quality merch, right?), and so on. Everybody was having a great time at this supercharged social outing in Toronto, and not even the fact the show was canceled in the city was capable of making the whole event less enjoyable. As special guests, we even received an awesome gift bag with some cool items like the AC/DC High Voltage shirt, which I’ll surely sport on special occasions like one of the upcoming rock and metal concerts in the city. Also, I was told the members of AC/DC themselves were at the pop up store this Wednesday, giving autographs, taking photos, and so on, which means if you’re lucky enough you might also see the guys at the pop up store in your city.

Let’s hope that AC/DC do not call it quits anytime soon, and keep on rockin’ our world like they’ve always done for many decades. We need them back in Toronto for a killer concert, and please, Mother Nature, let those rock giants bring joy to us Torontonian rockers ate least one more time in the coming years. And of course, if or when that happens, I hope the AC/DC PWR/UP Pop Up will also come together with the concert and tour, because that’s what fans of titans like AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Judas Priest, Guns N’ Roses and so many other iconic bands want, to not only see their idols kicking some serious ass onstage, but to also turn the days before and after the show into an immersive experience, bringing the sheer power of rock and metal music to our hearts for more than just the few hours of the actual concerts. It’s a long way to the top if you wanna Rock N’ Roll, but a band like AC/DC has mastered that art to perfection, and the AC/DC PWR/UP Pop Up surely brings that energy to us fans and connects us even more with our rock idols.

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Album Review – AC/DC / PWRϟUP (2020)

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The greatest Hard rock band of all time returns after the most turbulent period in their career with a brand new (and absolutely powered up) album as a tribute to the deceased Malcom Young.

“This record is pretty much a dedication to Malcolm, my brother. It’s a tribute for him like Back in Black was a tribute to Bon Scott.” – Angus Young, on PWRϟUP

Following the not-so-good 2014 album Rock or Bust and several internal issues with the band, including the passing of co-founder and rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young in 2017, Australian Hard Rock titans AC/DC seem to be back on track after such turbulent period in their career with the excellent PWRϟUP, also known as Power Up (or even PWR/UP if you prefer), their sixteenth internationally released studio album and the seventeenth to be released in Australia. Featuring a minimalist but sharp artwork by renowned London, UK-based CG artist Ben Ib, and with every track being credited to the band’s masterminds Angus and Malcolm Young (as Angus raided the AC/DC vault of unreleased songs to record the album), PWRϟUP not only marks the return of vocalist Brian Johnson, drummer Phil Rudd and bassist Cliff Williams, all of whom left AC/DC before, during or after the supporting tour for their previous album, rejoining Angus and his other brother Stevie Young on rhythm guitar, but it’s also their first album since 1985’s Fly on the Wall to not include a track containing the word “rock” in the title and the first album since 1988’s Blow Up Your Video to not include a title-track.

As soon as the opening track Realize begins, you already know it’s classic AC/DC right from Angus’ very first note, or in other words, a good old Rock N’ Roll tune perfect for hitting the road where Phil is precise as usual on drums. Moreover,  it’s indeed a true pleasure seeing Brian back where he belongs, which is also the case in Rejection, slightly slower but just as electrifying as the opening tune, a song that will please all fans of the band for sure showcasing Angus and Stevie in perfect sync, not to mention the spot-on, old school backing vocals by Stevie and Cliff. Then we have Shot in the Dark, the AC/DC we’ve all been waiting for, going straight to the point with no shenanigans nor any artificial elements. Needless to say, Angus is once again flawless with his unique riffs and solos throughout the entire song, whereas Through the Mists of Time will take you on a journey back to the 80’s, led by Brian’s trademark raspy vocals and Phil’s steady beats. Put differently, don’t listen to it at home, but only in your car on your favorite highway, alright? Anyway, in the beautifully titled Kick You When You’re Down the music keeps up with what it “promises” in the song’s name, bringing to our ears the strident riffage by Angus and Stevie supported by the heavy kitchen by Cliff and Phil; and sounding like it was taken from one of their classic albums, Witch’s Spell is an amazing tune where Brian is yet again a beast on vocals, while Angus makes sure we keep banging our heads and raising our horns in the name of Hard Rock and Rock N’ Roll.

Speeding things up and turning up the heat, AC/DC offer our avid ears the electrifying Demon Fire, the epitome of their undisputed Rock N’ Roll that will make your hearts beat faster during their live performances while Angus mesmerizes us as usual with his devilish riffage. In Wild Reputation they get back to a more classic sonority, with all band members providing Brian exactly what he needs to deliver more of his unique vocals, followed by No Man’s Land, by far the weakest of all songs in Power Up. It’s still classic AC/DC with some Southern Rock influences, but it gets tiresome and falls flat after a while, with not even Angus being inspired in this case. Systems Down offers our ears another round of their trademark riffs, beats and truck driver-inspired vocals, keeping the album at a very good level of adrenaline (albeit not as awesome as the rest of the album), not to mention how effective the backing vocals are in supporting Brian, while the second to last explosion of Rock N’ Roll by Brian, Angus & Co. comes in the form of Money Shot, where Angus is not only amazing with his riffs, but his solo is also mesmerizing, and with Cliff bringing his dosage of groove through his wicked bass lines. Lastly, presenting a darker and more badass sound, Code Red is a great option for banging our heads nonstop together with Angus while he slashes his guitar in great fashion, resulting in a beer-drinking tune that puts a rockin’ ending to such old school album.

If you’re a longtime fan of AC/DC, you can go ahead and purchase your favorite copy of the album by clicking HERE or HERE without even listening to a single song from it, but in case you want to do a test-drive before making a decision you can stream PWRϟUP in full on YouTube and on Spotify, also keeping updated will all things AC/DC on Facebook and on Instagram, and listening to more of their undisputed rock music on YouTube and on Spotify. Most bands wouldn’t survive such dark times experienced by AC/DC since 2014, but who are we to question the power of the riff by Mr. Angus Young? I have absolutely no idea if PWRϟUP will be their last album ever, if Angus had to release it in the memory of his deceased brother before calling it quits, or if it’s just the beginning of a new era for the band. All I know is that PWRϟUP rocks, and if that’s by any chance their farewell studio album, let’s say Angus and the boys are going down in style, making Malcom really proud of his family wherever he might be.

Best moments of the album: Realize, Shot in the Dark, Witch’s Spell and Demon Fire.

Worst moments of the album: No Man’s Land and Systems Down.

Released in 2020 Sony Music

Track listing
1. Realize 3:37
2. Rejection 4:06
3. Shot in the Dark 3:06
4. Through the Mists of Time 3:32
5. Kick You When You’re Down 3:10
6. Witch’s Spell 3:42
7. Demon Fire 3:30
8. Wild Reputation 2:54
9. No Man’s Land 3:39
10. Systems Down 3:12
11. Money Shot 3:05
12. Code Red 3:31

Band members
Brian Johnson – lead vocals
Angus Young – lead guitar
Stevie Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Cliff Williams – bass guitar, backing vocals
Phil Rudd – drums, percussion