Check out these eleven songs from the Miami show on April 17th:







Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-04-26 22:49 by Mr.D.

Thank you for posting, Mr.D ! I enjoyed that one. Saw the Stones at AAA in 2005.

Tom

The Who rocked the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on Sat, Apr 25!!! They were amazing! Roger Daltrey's voice sounded much better than in 2006 when I heard them in Vegas. And they looked like they were having the time of their lives! Here's the local review.
[www.nola.com]

Alison Fensterstock, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune By Alison Fensterstock, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
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on April 25, 2015 at 8:55 PM, updated April 26, 2015 at 12:46 AM

The Who by numbers at Jazz Fest: Union Jack coffee mug on the drum riser: one. Curse words – about nine. Roger Daltrey harmonica solos: three. Pete Townshend guitar windmills – many. Classic songs – all of them. Buttons eventually unbuttoned on Daltrey's shirt – also, all of them.

Ironically, the only time the sun came out at Jazz Fest on Saturday (April 25) was for the Englishmen. The day's intermittent rain dried up as the set opened with "Can't Explain," and rays finally peeked through as the familiar, mathematical synthesizer intro to the penultimate "Baba O'Riley" began its up-and-down progression. The Jazz Fest gig, part of the Who's ongoing 50th anniversary tour, was the band's first U.S. festival appearance since Woodstock. A bit of snark from Daltrey early in the set ("Festivals are fabulous! So much fresh air") suggested that the band is not particularly partial to the variables of outdoor performances: rain, wind, uncertain sound, et cetera. It was lucky, then, that the festival forces of nature smiled on their anniversary visit; the Who delivered 50 years' worth of power, all the hits, and a sprinkling of comedy to boot.

The normal anniversary-tour show must be longer than the two hours Jazz Fest allotted. We learned that the band had trimmed down its set to fit after a false start to "Kids are Alright," which Daltrey informed Townshend was actually one of the culled. Unfazed by the hiccup, he broke the fest's clean-language policy for what would be the first of many times, announcing, "It's all right, (expletive) happens. Who gives a (expletive?) Pete, maybe." Townshend gave a long and blue introduction to "Pictures of Lily," which went something like this:

"This anniversary tour is supposed to be all the hits, but we actually haven't had many hits. But there should be many songs you know. If you haven't listened to our greatest-hits collections, they're a kind of academic treatise every young person should go through. Now, I wrote this song when I was 21 or 22. I had a very beautiful girlfriend, but had only recently just stopped masturbating. She had three postcards on her wall, Victorian, and they were of Lillie Langtry, who (expletive) the king, or something." (Pause, conference)

"Not on the menu, is it? Well, let me play a little of it."

If the Who had a reality show, perhaps on the BBC and titled something like "Cranky Old Englishmen with Guitars," it could be very popular. They were playful; they had entertaining senses of humor, and they surely did not take themselves, or their job, overly seriously, the latter of which is probably the key to what makes a legacy act exciting or not.

The 2015 touring version of the Who is twice the size of the original band, of which Daltrey and Townshend are the two remaining living members. All six new guys (Pete's brother Simon Townshend on backing vocals and guitar, Ringo's son Zak Starkey, quite mod in his striped T-shirt and bleached mop-top, bashing the drums – "Noisy little (expletive)," Pete called him by way of introduction – bassist Pino Palladino, keyboardists John Corey and Loren Gold and multi-instrumentalist music director Frank Simes) earn their pay, making the Who's big noise: waves of keyboard crashing in and out like surf, jackhammer drums and acres of guitar crunch and wobble.

It was about a half an hour in that the band kicked into gear, fully engaging the muscle and complexity behind its most well-loved songs. "My Generation," the perennial low-hanging fruit for anyone wanting to make fun of baby boomers who decline to put down their guitars, was a familiar, electric pre-punk snarl. Daltrey's brawny yell warmed up on it, and got primal on the snaky "Magic Bus" that followed, with a psychedelic clatter of percussion and a fierce blues harmonica solo to close it out. Townshend, windmilling and wobbling his whammy bar throughout, got into a special place on his red-and-white Stratocaster during a suite of five songs from the rock opera "Tommy," a big, layered, triumphant slice of the show that slid directly into "Baba O'Riley." In a 1968 interview with Rolling Stone, Townshend had explained what he hoped to do with "Tommy," still in the planning stages:

"The music has got to explain what happens, that the boy elevates, and finds something which is incredible. To us, it's nothing to be able to see and hear and speak, but to him, it's absolutely incredible and overwhelming; this is what we want to do musically," he told the magazine.

"Lyrically, it's quite easy to do it, in fact I've written it out several times. It makes great poetry, but so much depends on the music, so much. I'm hoping that we can do it. The lyrics are going to be OK, but every pitfall of what we're trying to say lies in the music, lies in the way we play the music, the way we interpret, the way things are going during the opera."

The "Tommy" set was the show's pinnacle, a reminder of with what nuance Townshend can write and play, and what conviction and charisma Daltrey brings as a frontman. During the closing "Won't Get Fooled Again," the wry Pete Townshend gave himself a quick champion's moment, raising his arms as if to say, "Ta-da!"

"Not bad for a bunch of noisy old farts," he said.

Set list:

Can't Explain

The Seeker

Who Are You

Squeeze Box

I Can See For Miles

My Generation

Magic Bus

Behind Blue Eyes

Bargain

Join Together

You Better You Bet

I'm One

Love Reign O'er Me

Eminence Front

"Tommy" suite: Amazing Journey/ Captain Walker (It's A Boy)/ Sparks/ Pinball Wizard/ See Me, Feel Me

Baba O'Riley

Won't Get Fooled Again

AXS TV is going to broadcast part of this show next Saturday night, May 2nd...I wonder how much of it?

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Mr.D
AXS TV is going to broadcast part of this show next Saturday night, May 2nd...I wonder how much of it?

....I guess that's for the rest of us who won't be subscribing to the big fight

Band is in full flight now....

Just saw The Who last night in Austin. My valuable insights follow :

Background : I am a Huge Who fan (since Live At Leeds) but have never seen them before. I was very excited.

Joan Jett : Another one of my Bucket-List artists. This was my first time to see Joan. She started playing about 15-20 minutes after the advertised show time and played for a little over 30 minutes covering all of her hits but not doing Roadrunner. She was fine, as you would expect.

The Who : It took a long time for the who to come on after Joan Jett. I'm gonna say it was at least 20 minutes. The stage is basically an open rectangle with little to no structure or ornamentation. Behind the stage is a "large" video screen and there is a moderate array of stage lights on the sides and above the stage. All very un-pretentious. I was actually expecting a little more. The opening number was I Can't Explain and I have to say that most of the crowd, including myself, were un-impressed with this choice for opener. No one in the U.S. gives a crap about this song and I suggest they open with Summertime Blues instead. It is sorely missed in the set and is much beloved by all real Americans. They got back on track with several great songs until A Quick One While He's Away brought all momentum to a grinding halt. Most people looked at each other, puzzled, then either went to the bathroom or got a beer. This selection should be replaced by Squeezebox or any number of other songs that are much better. After that, it was balls out to the finish line. As usual there is no encore. The backing band (other than the amazing 50 year old Zak Starkey) is virtually invisible throughout the show. All lighting and attention is on Pete and Roger. Zak does a fantastic job without sounding anything at all like Keith Moon. Pino Palladino is just "there" and I did not hear any great bass playing by him. Sorry. Entwistle is sorely missed. Pete's brother adds a very nice 2nd guitar allowing Pete to play what he wants when he wants. Unfortunately that puts all of the responsibility of entertaining the crowd onto Pete and Roger. Pete seemed quite up to it as far as his energy, his playing, his singing and his demeanor. He was great. Roger, on the other hand, doesn't have the personal dynamism that a Mick Jagger has and you can sense that. His singing was as good as you could expect but the stage presence and vocal power from 1969 is just not there. The climactic scream on Won't Get Fooled Again was obviously augmented by a pre-recorded track. In the end Pete and his "genius" guitar playing was the definite star of this show. Overall I'm glad I finally got to see The Who on what is probably their last "big" tour.

Odd Complaints : Somewhere in the beginning of the show Pete mentions, happily, that Jeff Beck is in the house/back stage. Jeff NEVER came out to play with the Who. THAT was a let-down. Thanks Pete. The video played throughout the show was very basic and un-impressive. Come on guys, this is the best you can do? You're one of the top 5 bands in the history of rock. Again, The Stones do the basics a lot better than The Who. I basically paid $100 for a $50 show.

Seating : There were a LOT of scalpers outside and there were a LOT of empty seats in the venue. I'm sure the scalpers took a beating. A word to the wise : Buy the cheapest seats you can online and sit in any of the multitude of ADA seating around the venue. Those seats have tremendous arm room and leg room with fantastic views.

The Sound : Again I was very un-impressed with "The Sound". Nice low end but lacking in the high end. Clarity was lacking and the overall volume was moderate. I actually expected it to be much louder.

Peace, Out.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2015-04-28 21:10 by Bungo.

I get a feeling Bungo, you're very hard to please.

It's a Rock concert and they are playing a lot of their big hits really, really well.

I am so looking forward to Hyde Park on June 26th, and I know it's gonna be a great day.

Seen them about 10 times now and every gig has been great.

Just enjoy a great band and don't pick too many holes in what they do really well.

You will probably rememember it in a much better way.

<<The opening number was I Can't Explain... No one in the U.S. gives a crap about this song and I suggest they open with Summertime Blues instead. It is sorely missed in the set and is much beloved by all real Americans.>>

Being in the U.S. myself, not sure what that remark about "real" Americans is supposed to imply, but Can't Explain is beloved by real Who fans. Plus, it's an original, and was their breakthrough hit (at least in the UK) and has appeared on every hits compilation through the decades. All real Who fans will recognize the homage it pays to the Kinks. Summertime Blues, on the other hand, should be "beloved by all real Americans", since it belongs to American musician Eddie Cochran. That's right, the Who version is a cover. Bet you and all the "real" Americans you hang with didn't know that. Summertime Blues has been covered by numerous artists. Why, even Joan Jett did a cover.

Myself, I have my ticket for Boston, October 29, and I know I'll have no complaints.

Quote
Mr.D
AXS TV is going to broadcast part of this show next Saturday night, May 2nd...I wonder how much of it?

Have you ever heard of Kodi TV? I use it on my laptop to stream every movie, TV show, music to my smart TV! They have a free PPV site on there, planning to use it to get the fight for free!

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Mr.D

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Mr.D
AXS TV is going to broadcast part of this show next Saturday night, May 2nd...I wonder how much of it?

Have you ever heard of Kodi TV? I use it on my laptop to stream every movie, TV show, music to my smart TV! They have a free PPV site on there, planning to use it to get the fight for free!

Sounds awesome. Can you give some more details? website? Up side? Down side? Thanks.

Here's the page, the instructions are at the top of the page:
[forums.tvaddons.ag]
It'll show you how to download, install and configure it...I use it instead of cable TV to watch all my TV shows, just need a fast internet connection...check it out!

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stonehearted
<<The opening number was I Can't Explain... No one in the U.S. gives a crap about this song and I suggest they open with Summertime Blues instead. It is sorely missed in the set and is much beloved by all real Americans.>>

.

been opening with Can't Explain throughout the World since 1966/67.. I think maybe you thought you were at a Kinks gig?

Yeah, most Americans in Michigan know and LOVE Can't Explain. Detroit has long been a core Who fanbase. We were one of the first markets that propelled a Who song into the charts! Can't Explain is the perfect opener because the Who, Pete wrote it, and it was their first big single. Summertime Blues is a cover. Why would they open with a cover when they have so many classic songs they have written themselves. I hope I am in Michigan in October to see the show!

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PTownshend

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stonehearted
<<The opening number was I Can't Explain... No one in the U.S. gives a crap about this song and I suggest they open with Summertime Blues instead. It is sorely missed in the set and is much beloved by all real Americans.>>

.

been opening with Can't Explain throughout the World since 1966/67.. I think maybe you thought you were at a Kinks gig?

The bold part at the top of my post was a quoted extract from the poster Bungo above, whose post I was responding to. I'm aware of the Kinks as the inspiration behind the chords for Can't Explain. Funny though how critics commented on how the Kinks were copping the chords to Can't Explain for one of their later songs (Do It Again).

All the videos I've seen from this tour are excellent. Are the shows as good as they seem?

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DandelionPowderman
All the videos I've seen from this tour are excellent. Are the shows as good as they seem?

The one I saw in Miami on the 17th was great! I went to see them because they are playing songs I've never seen them do since I first saw them in '67(I Can See For Miles, Pictures Of Lily, A Quick One) I'm 63 years old and have seen them numerous times and was very pleased that they can still deliver a good show!

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stonehearted

Quote
PTownshend

Quote
stonehearted
<<The opening number was I Can't Explain... No one in the U.S. gives a crap about this song and I suggest they open with Summertime Blues instead. It is sorely missed in the set and is much beloved by all real Americans.>>

.

been opening with Can't Explain throughout the World since 1966/67.. I think maybe you thought you were at a Kinks gig?

The bold part at the top of my post was a quoted extract from the poster Bungo above, whose post I was responding to. I'm aware of the Kinks as the inspiration behind the chords for Can't Explain. Funny though how critics commented on how the Kinks were copping the chords to Can't Explain for one of their later songs (Do It Again).

Yea.. I know. I was replying to the aptly named geezer

Actually, the opening of Do it Again was pretty much a direct copy of the opening chord to A Hard Days Night.

Quote
Bungo
Just saw The Who last night in Austin. My valuable insights follow :

Background : I am a Huge Who fan (since Live At Leeds) but have never seen them before. I was very excited.

Joan Jett : Another one of my Bucket-List artists. This was my first time to see Joan. She started playing about 15-20 minutes after the advertised show time and played for a little over 30 minutes covering all of her hits but not doing Roadrunner. She was fine, as you would expect.

The Who : It took a long time for the who to come on after Joan Jett. I'm gonna say it was at least 20 minutes. The stage is basically an open rectangle with little to no structure or ornamentation. Behind the stage is a "large" video screen and there is a moderate array of stage lights on the sides and above the stage. All very un-pretentious. I was actually expecting a little more. The opening number was I Can't Explain and I have to say that most of the crowd, including myself, were un-impressed with this choice for opener. No one in the U.S. gives a crap about this song and I suggest they open with Summertime Blues instead. It is sorely missed in the set and is much beloved by all real Americans. They got back on track with several great songs until A Quick One While He's Away brought all momentum to a grinding halt. Most people looked at each other, puzzled, then either went to the bathroom or got a beer. This selection should be replaced by Squeezebox or any number of other songs that are much better. After that, it was balls out to the finish line. As usual there is no encore. The backing band (other than the amazing 50 year old Zak Starkey) is virtually invisible throughout the show. All lighting and attention is on Pete and Roger. Zak does a fantastic job without sounding anything at all like Keith Moon. Pino Palladino is just "there" and I did not hear any great bass playing by him. Sorry. Entwistle is sorely missed. Pete's brother adds a very nice 2nd guitar allowing Pete to play what he wants when he wants. Unfortunately that puts all of the responsibility of entertaining the crowd onto Pete and Roger. Pete seemed quite up to it as far as his energy, his playing, his singing and his demeanor. He was great. Roger, on the other hand, doesn't have the personal dynamism that a Mick Jagger has and you can sense that. His singing was as good as you could expect but the stage presence and vocal power from 1969 is just not there. The climactic scream on Won't Get Fooled Again was obviously augmented by a pre-recorded track. In the end Pete and his "genius" guitar playing was the definite star of this show. Overall I'm glad I finally got to see The Who on what is probably their last "big" tour.

Odd Complaints : Somewhere in the beginning of the show Pete mentions, happily, that Jeff Beck is in the house/back stage. Jeff NEVER came out to play with the Who. THAT was a let-down. Thanks Pete. The video played throughout the show was very basic and un-impressive. Come on guys, this is the best you can do? You're one of the top 5 bands in the history of rock. Again, The Stones do the basics a lot better than The Who. I basically paid $100 for a $50 show.

Seating : There were a LOT of scalpers outside and there were a LOT of empty seats in the venue. I'm sure the scalpers took a beating. A word to the wise : Buy the cheapest seats you can online and sit in any of the multitude of ADA seating around the venue. Those seats have tremendous arm room and leg room with fantastic views.

The Sound : Again I was very un-impressed with "The Sound". Nice low end but lacking in the high end. Clarity was lacking and the overall volume was moderate. I actually expected it to be much louder.

Peace, Out.

How is 20 minutes along time?! The Stones take forever

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whitem8
Actually, the opening of Do it Again was pretty much a direct copy of the opening chord to A Hard Days Night.

That opening chord yes, but the main rhythm guitar riff was Can't Explain, sort of.

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Mr.D
AXS TV is going to broadcast part of this show next Saturday night, May 2nd...I wonder how much of it?

My DirecTV listing for AXS Saturday is for live coverage featuring Elton John not for tape coverage from a week ago.

My DirecTV listing was wrong. AXS is showing tape coverage with The Who on Saturday and Elton John on Sunday.
[www.axs.tv]

I happy to read mostly positive reviews of The Who tour. I'm getting really excited now to see them for my first time next week in Louisville.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-04-30 15:32 by tonyc.

just saw the who last nite in Houston, 1st joan jett was great, straight rock and roll, they couldn't have picked a better opening act. now the who, they far exceded my expectations, from the opening of cant explain to won be fooled again, wow I love pete and as always he was great, and a big nod to zak starkey,not moon buy damn good,but what impressed me the most, was roger daltrey,if anyone coming to see roger daltrey rock god of tommy and the 1970's well of course hes not that anymore,but he worked his ass off last nite and his vocals were 100 times better than I expected,and as far as doing as quick one while hes away, I loved it just as I did on the stones rock and roll circus

Sounds good dgodkin.

Roll on June 26th Hyde Park when I get my latest fix of The Who.

First time since Royal Albert Hall or Indigo O2 a few years ago.

It's gonna be a great summer. ><

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crawdaddy
Sounds good dgodkin.

Roll on June 26th Hyde Park when I get my latest fix of The Who.

First time since Royal Albert Hall or Indigo O2 a few years ago.

It's gonna be a great summer. ><

Hearing all the great reviews has (or is it have) me really looking forward to this show

I was at the Houston show as well and thought it was great. Agree with the comments about Joan Jett, excellent opener.

Pete was in good spirits, telling stories etc, and the banter between him and Roger is entertaining. He still drives the band and his fingers are quite nimble for someone about to turn 70. They may be war horses, but I really enjoyed Magic Bus and My Generation, especially the outro on the latter. Just straight ahead rock n roll with great riffing by Pete. The had a little problem at end of Won't Get Fooled when Roger couldn't get the 'Meet the new boss' line in before the final chords. Pete then kind of re-started the song and Roger looked over at him and kind of shook his head, so Pete walked over to the center mike and sang them.

See them if you get the chance. My 25 yr old daughter was with me and could not believe how good they were. At the end, Roger flat out said this is his last big tour - too hard on the body. I'll remember this show for a long time.

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dgodkin
just saw the who last nite in Houston, 1st joan jett was great, straight rock and roll, they couldn't have picked a better opening act. now the who, they far exceded my expectations, from the opening of cant explain to won be fooled again, wow I love pete and as always he was great, and a big nod to zak starkey,not moon buy damn good,but what impressed me the most, was roger daltrey,if anyone coming to see roger daltrey rock god of tommy and the 1970's well of course hes not that anymore,but he worked his ass off last nite and his vocals were 100 times better than I expected,and as far as doing as quick one while hes away, I loved it just as I did on the stones rock and roll circus

I saw them last night in Houston. They too exceeded my expectations. Zak was extremely impressive. He is without a doubt one of the best drummers in the world. Roger and Pete were clearly having a good time and worked very hard. The Tommy segment was outstanding, not to mention Love Reign O'er Me.

The good byes were emotional as one cannot help but to realize they are "over the hill" (70 seems to be the new hill) and that time is running out. With them and other bands, such as the Stones, a big part of our youth goes.

Well, we will always have the memories and their recordings. I think I'm going to spend the $9.99 and buy the show's track on their web page.

Next, the mega expensive Stones in Arlington in a few weeks.

See you there!

This tour is getting such great reviews, why does PT have to be such an ass when he opens up his mouth to the press?

"The shows? I don’t like them," Townshend said. "I don’t find them fulfilling. But I’m brilliant at it. I find it incredibly easy. I drift through it."

Read more at [www.nme.com] [www.nme.com]



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2015-04-30 22:10 by Jimmy C.