Stein, realizing this will make an awful ending to the movie, gets The Who to go back on stage and perform the song again. At the end of “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” the performance reaches a dead stop and The Who walk off the stage. Jeff Stein films performances of “Baba O’Riley” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again” for The Kids Are Alright movie but The Who give the audience an almost complete concert. On the 25th, Who fans and the members of the bands Generation X, The Rich Kids, The Pretenders and The Sex Pistols assemble at Shepperton Studios in London for an impromptu Who concert. “Love Reign O’er Me” indeed.Ĭheck out some photos of the show from WUN Lifestyle Editor/Music Critic Ken Abrams.This concert was Keith Moon‘s last show with The Who. No doubt, fans young, middle, and old went home satisfied. “Smile and grin at the changes all around …” The spirit of rock and roll has no age restrictions. Sure, they’re old and not as nimble on stage and haven’t smashed any guitars in a long time, but Townshend can still wheel up a nice windmill or two and Daltrey can still shout “eeeYeahhh” louder and longer than most. Tommy’s narrative of abuse could be taken from the headlines and Quadrophenia’s tales of teen angst and conflict never get old. And although The Who is best known for music released in the last century, these songs are undoubtedly still relevant. Some random thoughts … as “My Generation” ages, many classic rock artists struggle to maintain relevance. It was the eve of Pete Townshend’s birthday, so 15,000+ joined in for a rousing version of “Happy Birthday to You!” The night ended with a spirited sing-a-long. Predictable, engaging, and appreciated, especially after a two-year lockdown – many concert-goers were at their first large show since the pandemic began. The biggest hits appeared mid-show, featuring a boisterous “Who are You,” a supercharged “Relay” and the timeless classic “Won’t Get Fooled Again.” The selections from Quadrophenia that followed were equally strong. ![]() The Tommyportion was well-orchestrated, peaking with “Pinball Wizard,” the crowd singing along word for word. They then moved into some of their greatest hits, and ended with the orchestra back on stage for selections from Quadrophenia, before the epic finale “Baba O’Riley.” The band opened with songs from the rock opera Tommy, backed by the full orchestra. The concert was loosely divided into three parts. ![]() ![]() Soloists Katie Jacoby (Violin) and Audrey Snyder (Cello) took center stage on more than one occasion. Behind the steady baton of Conductor Keith Levenson, the orchestra, (who appeared to have more fun than anyone), was comprised of touring musicians and local artists. The core band was tight, an ensemble of veteran players including guitarist/backup singer Simon Townshend, keyboardist Loren Gold, second keyboardist Emily Marshall, bassist Jon Button, drummer Zak Starkey and backup vocalist Billy Nicholls. Daltrey’s voice was robust and effective, and Townshend’s guitar work was top-notch as always, complete with his signature windmill. Well, I’m happy to report, “The Kids are Alright.” Backed by a 48-piece orchestra, The Who was “full-on” Wednesday, May 18, rocking hard through a two-hour set. It’s somewhat understandable of course, with original members Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend well into their 70’s. Like many, I felt a sense of declining energy from the band on recent tours. Leading up to Wednesday’s Who concert at TD Garden, I wondered what kind of show we’d get.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |