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Videos
I Can't Explain
Who Are You
The Kids Are Alright
I Can See for Miles
Behind Blue Eyes
Bargain
Join Together
5:15
I'm One
The Rock
Love, Reign O'er Me
Eminence Front
Amazing Journey / Sparks
The Acid Queen
Baba O'Riley
Won't Get Fooled Again
Press
Desert Sun
Rolling Stone
Seattle Times
Daily Mail
Washington Post
Press Enterprise
LA Weekly
Backstage Blog
Review by Pat Stanton
The Who performed brilliantly last night. This show had the energy and passion that I thought the Santa Barbara show was missing.
As soon as Pete hit the stage he started chatting. He said "Here the fuck we are. Did you come to see old people dance" (did he mean them or us). He then commented that the band in 1967 was like Adele or Lady Gaga or Justin Bieber, and then just laughed. In his usual intro of the Kids Are Alright he mentions that it was a hit in 1967, when most of the audience wasn't born. Last night he first said he wasn't going to mention age but then he saw me mouthing what he normally says as I was in front of him on the rail and he then said his regular line, commenting that there were a couple of old c*nts in the front, looking straight at me. I was a bit shocked to be called that and looked over to Roger who also looked surprised that he would say that. All in good fun to be cursed out by Pete I guess.
When they sang My Generation, Pete dedicated it to the young people in the audience who he said they really appreciate coming out. Then adding they also appreciate the old people, laughing.
Roger was swinging his microphone the entire night with more energy than I have seen all year. He never stopped all night, even directing it in Pete's direction a few times.
The set list was the same as Santa Barbara but this was the real band performing the hits with gusto.
Pete looked at the audience at one point and said "Good luck in the election" but did not elaborate. Fine with me as I don't really look to musicians, especially those from other countries, to make political statements. Goodness knows we have enough pundits to listen to for that.
Roger sounded wonderful all night. His Love Reign was a masterpiece and again the high point of the show for me. He didn't chat much, leaving that role to Pete last night, just giving us the standard be lucky, adding very very to it.
Pete managed his little leap, gave us a some machine gun action and did a pretty effective slide. When he ranges over to the extreme side of stage left it is certain that he is going to attempt it and it was successful last night.
Yesterday would have been John's 72nd birthday and Pete acknowledged that at the end, commenting that he went out in a blaze of drugs and sex and a bad heart just before the Pino intro. Before the Zak intro, he said he was taught by the "brilliant" Keith Moon and then caught himself and said "Brilliant? He was a wanker."
Roger did his regular glowing intro of Pete, saying we wouldn't be there if it wasn't for his wonderful music. Pete responded in Roger's intro that he and Roger are so happy to be there. And that he couldn't do this without Roger.
The audience was very enthusiastic during the first and last part of the show, with The Rock seeming to re-energize them, with Love Reign further elevating the crowd.
The Tommy segment was very strong, although the beginning of See Me Feel Me was amusing as Roger tried to sneak in a drink of water before he started singing but it didn't go down right so he got out the See Me, choked a bit on Feel Me, grinned and spoke softly Touch Me and then recovered by Heal Me. By the second verse he was back to normal and the crowd went crazy for Listening to You.
Baba and WGFA were definitely crowd favorites and performed with extra energy and enthusiasm.
The young man who stood next to me was seeing the band for the first time. When they left the stage I asked him if he liked the show and he told he it was amazing and that he loved it, smiling from ear to ear. Long live rock.
