When Anthony Yorfido of Welland, Ont., tried to get tickets to a Steven Tyler concert in Niagara Falls earlier this year, he had to dream on. The shows at Fallsview Casino March 29 and 31 were both sold out.

A huge Aerosmith fan, born with Down syndrome, Anthony figured he was out of luck.

Late afternoon Thursday, March 31, the 24-year-old and and his mother, Diane, walked into a Niagara Falls medical supplies store. A cocktail server at Fallsview Casino, Diane was there to pick up some support pantyhose.

There was a limo out front, and when she walked through the door, Diane thought she recognized the customer getting a back brace by the counter.

“I’m looking at him and I know his face, but I couldn’t think of his name.”

But Anthony did. “He goes, ‘Oh, my God! Steven Tyler, is that you?’ ”

In a flash, Anthony ran over to the rock legend to give him a hug. Tyler hugged him back, then hugged and kissed Diane for good measure. He then asked if they were going to the show that night.

Couldn’t get tickets, Diane told him.

“He’s like, ‘Oh, don’t worry about that, you guys are coming with me. I’ll get you backstage passes.’ ”

Diane had to work that night and couldn’t go to the concert, but she made some quick calls to arrange for her boyfriend to go in her place.

She had no idea Anthony’s night was about to get even bigger.

As Tyler took the stage that night to the song Sweet Emotion, he had Anthony brought out to play the maracas with the band, shouting, “Anthony’s in the house!”

“I was talking with people at work last night and they’re like, ‘That was your son on stage?’ (Tyler) told the band to lower their music and he had the microphone right on the maracas. He was like, ‘Keep going, Anthony! Keep going,’ ” Diane Yorfido said.

While this was happening, photos were being sent to her cellphone while she was working — just down the hall at the casino. “I was dying! I’m like, are you kidding me? I can’t be there?’ I was so upset.”

She heard the whole story from Anthony the following morning.

“He woke up this morning going, ‘Oh my God, mom.’ He showed me the set list, he was crying. He was so excited. He said, ‘This is the best thing that ever happened to me in my life,’ ” Diane said Friday.

During the concert, Tyler performed Aerosmith classics and a few new songs with backing band Loving Mary.

The musician’s visit to Niagara Falls is one Anthony’s mother will never forget. If she wasn’t a Tyler fan before, she’s a huge one now.

And it all began with a chance visit to a medical supply store, she says.

“He just happened to go in there,” she said. “He says to Anthony, ‘I didn’t come in here to get a back brace, I came in here to meet my new buddy Anthony.’ I was crying, that was so nice.”

Niagara Falls Review