The Who at Buenos Aires - Estadio Único De La Plata

 

The Who Setlist Estadio Ciudad de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina, The Who Tour 2017

 

 

Videos

I Can't Explain / The Seeker
Who Are You
The Kids Are Alright
Behind Blue Eyes
Amazing Journey
Baba O'Riley
Various
Various

Press

Futuro (Pete and Roger meet Charly Garcia)
Clarin
FM Rock and Pop
La Viola
Silencio
4M Rock
Espectaculos (photos)

 

Review by Lucas de Ciria

The Who is a dream come true for us!!!

 

Review by Romy Medina

Only love can bring the rain.

The Who in Argentina! We waited for 5 decades but it was totally worthwhile.  What the band did at The Estadio Único of La Plata, was absolutely epic. The set list was short, but they blew our minds during the 90 minutes set.  It was a very rainy night, actually it never stopped. But it didn’t matter at all. We were living a historical music moment: One of the best rock bands of all time was playing for the very first time in our country.

This one big party started with “I Can’t explain” and “The Seeker”.  The band sounded fantastic from the beginning, with Roger swinging the mic and Pete doing the first windmill of the night.  People were so enthusiastic and sang along to every song during the whole show.

“So great to be here, with you… in the rain!” were the first words that Pete screamed as they went into the intro of “Who Are You”. The entire stadium surrendered to such a powerful performance.
 
“The kids are alright” was the time machine ticket all the way to the 60’s. “This song is for you, you, you and you” said Pete pointing to a mostly young audience, who enjoyed this classic song, as well as “I Can See For Miles” and the timeless classic “My Generation”.
 
The musical journey continued with “Join Together” and “You Better You Bet”. People were on fire as well as Roger and Pete, who connected with the audience consistently.

At this stage I should also mention the rest of the band: Simon Townshend, Frank Simes, Loren Gold, Jon Button, Zak Starkey and John Corey. They all were excellent and really added to the performances.
 
They only did 2 songs from Quadrophenia, but it was an unforgettable set. When Pete took his acoustic guitar we all knew it was the turn of “I’m One”, on which Daltrey added harmonica and Simon did vocals. It was followed with the breathtaking “Love Reign O’er Me”, with an unexpected and wonderful start with “Tattoo” on piano. The rain and Roger’s voice on this powerful performance made it one of the best moments of the night. It really sent chills down the spine.

Tommy quickly followed suit, so there was little time to recover. “Amazing Journey” (with snippet of "Captain Walker" from Tommy's "Overture" in the end) was the chosen song to open this Masterpiece’s set. On “Sparks” we could see why Zak is the perfect drummer for The Who: such an amazing and frenetic performance that echoed Keith Moon for a moment. “Pinball Wizard” got everyone singing and dancing. And the end of the set with “See Me Feel Me” was simply glorious.

As soon as we heard the first notes of “Baba O’ Riley”, people started chanting “Olé Olé Olé, The Who! The Who!” and singing along.  The band put tremendous energy and excitement into their performance. People went crazy and during “Won’t get fooled again”, they had the entire crowd singing and no one wanted it to end.

Roger and Pete seemed genuinely happy and thankful to be playing in front of such a great audience. Before leaving the stage, Pete made a joke putting back his guitar like he wanted to keep playing, but Roger looked at him laughing… It was over.

It was a magnificent night for all of us. The band totally rocked! And we rocked with them. We have been dreaming of seeing them live in our country for a long time and it was even greater than we’d imagined. Thank you Roger and Pete, for giving us all one of the best nights of our lives!

 

Review by Alejandro Nibaroskin

In the year 2007 it was anounced that The Who was coming to Argentina. I was very enthusiastic, despite that without John this band is not what they used to be. I had the ticket in my hand and suddenly it was all canceled! It was a terrible moment (I conserved a newspaper ad). The Who fans thought that the band would never come to our country. But 10 years after our dream became reality!!!!

In the beginning of the year in 2017 they announced that The Who will come to Buenos Aires. But the bad thing about this was they will share the show with Guns and Roses. It’s like The Who are the support act of the Californian band. Indeed our favorite band played only 1 hour and 30 minutes (too short)! I was in Sao Paulo and the band played 2 hours. I enjoyed 6 more song than Buenos Aires, ok, but this thing didn’t mess up the Argentinian show. IT WAS GREAT!

The band was very inspired. They moved all the time, all over the stage, despite a horrible rain that was at that moment in La Plata (La Plata was the real city where the show took placed, it’s a city very near Buenos Aires, the capital city of Argentina).

As you know the set list was more or less the same as all the 2017 tour, the only surprise was in the piano intro of “Love Reign O’re Me” they played a little bit of “Tatoo”.

I have to tell you the classic scream in WGFA was one of the better screams of all the career of The Who!!!

I think Baba O’Riley was the best moment! The public was singing and jumping all the time, and sang very loud during Pete´s middle part!!!!!
 
When the show ended Pete and Roger looked each other like saying “we play one more song?” for example “Substitute” or “5:15”? Could be, but this thing never happened, this was the bad thing of playing before another big band. The dream of the Who´s Argentinian fans was the band played alone, not sharing with anyone. Regrettably this did not happen.
 
I was very near the stage and enjoyed the show a lot! When it finished we left the Stadium. We don’t like Guns and Roses, and honestly with The Who I was completed. I bought 2 very nice t-shirts of the tour, and I got in my car and drove to Buenos Aires (the city were I live) 37 miles away from La Plata.
 
Before I get home I passed through the Four Seasons Hotel, as I knew that the band was staying there, hoping to see any of the band. I didn’t see Pete or Roger, but I saw Zak!! He left a car and got inside the hotel lobby. He was walking on one leg and jumping with the other. I had doubts of talking to him or not, because of his injured leg, but I talked to him, and he was great! He was in an excellent mood. He told me that he had just broken his leg!!!! His girlfriend was with him she took some pictures of us, and the best of all, he gave me his signature drumsticks!!!! I talked with his girlfriend and she was very nice too, very kind. They share a band called SSHH, and she told me they are planning to visit Argentina on April next year. In 2006 When Zak came with Oasis to Argentina, I did the same thing, I went to Sheraton Hotel and saw him! He signed a Who CD for me and took a photo with him!
 
I have to say this is the 3rd time I saw The Who, first in West Palm Beach (Florida, USA) year 2000, with John!!!!!! I travelled there specially to see the concert. The second time three weeks ago in Sao Paulo (Brasil), I also travelled there specially to see the concert. But the Argentinian gig was very special because it was at my home country! And with no doubt it WAS A VERY ENERGIC SHOW!!

Thanks Pete and Roger! Zak! And all the band!!!

 

Review by Nacho Errázuriz

This is the first time that The Who have played in Argentina and the rain was falling from the sky as if the heaven was crying of emotion. Suddenly Pete and Roger appear on the stage and the crowd was excited after waiting 50 years to see the band of their lives.
 
Pete looked very excited as he shakes his hands in the sky saying: “The rain is gift from God!” He knew it was The Who’s final date of the 2017 tour. He grabbed his guitar and started with the riff of “I Can´t Explain”. The crowd was crazy, too much emotion.

Roger was in great voice but was a little low in the mix for the first three songs. The Seeker kept the energy very high. By Who Are You, Roger’s vocals were louder in the mix. Pete amazed the crowd with his signature windmill and Roger with his mic swinging.

We watched all the Who concerts on TV but now it was happening in real life in front of our eyes. Even the Guns n´Roses fans were excited.

The setlist was the short one with only 90 minutes but it was intense and full of energy. The Kids Are Alright was very good, all the crowd was singing, Pete and Roger are in great form. If this is actually their last gig, they are going out big! It was like the time didn´t pass for these 70s years old mockers!I

I Can See For Miles sounded really great, a great highlight of the concert, but My Generation didn´t let the people rest and all were jumping, singing and reaching their hands up. I was not in the first row but close enough to see a panoramic of the whole band.

For moments I though that Pete was going to break his guitar, but this was not going to happen. He was in good spirit but was in some angry mood. He was worried about the rain and his guitar equipment. Lot of signs for the equipment crew. They cover the guitar pedals and try to protect all the  equipment.

Behind Blue Eyes started with Pete sitting in a Green chair. A time to relax. All the Who fans were singing the lyrics and the emotion was high. By the second verse Pete got up, matching eyes with Zak. Lot of looks between Pete and Zak, making the music alive!!!

Roger was sounding great. He is actually singing better than ever in the last 20 years. I don´t know how actually that can happen but it is the truth. He manages the crowds with mastery and that is clear in Join Together, making all the people happy and singing with power!

You Better you Bet is a great number of the setlist, with Roger carrying all the weight of the song in his vocals. It is incredible how he is singing this song and all the melodic modifications that he’s doing are great!!!!! It is sounding better than ever.

Now we are going for a short Quadrophenia set with Pete holding his acoustic Gibson J200 and playing the intro of “I’m One”. This is one of those moments where we all get a little bit emotional. Pete was in great voice and by the break of the song people started clapping at the wrong time and he said ironically “What a Fuckin’ time”.

Then John Corey started playing the piano intro from Love Reign O’er Me and suddenlly he is playing Tattoo. Few people noted this but the one who recognized it starting to singing along as if the song was a true hymn. That took us all by surprise, even in one momento I thought that they were actually going to play it but then John reconnects with the Love Reign O’er Me intro and Roger reached his arms up touching the sky and gave an incredible rendition of the song with an amazing scream in the last chorus of the song. Pete’s guitar was sounding big!!

Then the Tommy section took us by surprise and was a hightlight of the whole concert with Amazing Journey and Sparks showing us the best Zak Starkey drums skills. Pete made the birdman and it was a magical momento. Pinball Wizard was a hit and the crowd was crazy! They didn’t believe, The Who were in front of their eyes and they were playing better than one can imagine! See Me Feel Me and all the people were singing like one big crowd the words of Listening To You.

Baba O’Riley started to sound and the people went crazy, singing the three big chords of the piano. Roger’s voice was strong and reached all the notes with dignity. Pete windmilled his arms and he was one with the crowd singing “Don’t cry, don’t raise your eyes”. It was like the crowd were waiting 53 years to hear this song live and alive. Wow!! Roger was great on the harmonica and the song ended with a double leap by Pete Townshend. Classic.

Won’t get fooled again finished this encounter and in a big way. Pete’s guitar was loud and Roger was in great form. No slide from Pete, too much rain I think, and a big scream by Roger Daltrey.

We maybe saw the best rock concert of the history of Argentina. The Who one more time were the best.

 

Review by Valeria Esquivel

Vi a The Who dos veces en mi vida , una en Italia hace 10 anos, bajo la lluvia ; la segunda hace 4 dias en mi pais Argentina , bajo la lluvia. Fueron conciertos diferentes aunque excelentes los dos. Creo que pese a la emocion puedo decir que en Italia lo que llevo adelante el show de manera arrolladora fue esa fuerza interna de los Who que desde sus comienzos los hace funcionar en base a la constante tension entre sus miembros. Ese afiteatro romano , la Arena de Verona, acogia a los Who por 1era vez en Italia desde 1971 , era un dia primaveral que se vio opacado por una intensa tormenta ; la primera parte del show se desarrollo de manera espectacular ante un estadio lleno. La segunda corrio peligro de cancelarse debido a que el cambio de clima brusco afecto la garganta de Roger.

Ahi vi cuan verdaderos eran los Who: Pete desesperado por seguir adelante con el show mientras Roger sumido en la bronca abandonaba el escenario pataleando y gritando. Mas de media hora despues el show termino con lo mejor de banda y publico unidos. Pete canto My Generation y Roger se lucio con la guitarra y la hamonica , algo pocas veces visto. De regalo extra pude conocer a Pete , de excelente humor y sorprendido por la cancelacion del show en Argentina. La emocion de verlos en mi pais ,con mi gente alrededor tambien tuvo un costado raro, con el mal sabor de la cancelacion de 2006.

Lo unico que empano el show fue la mala organizacion a la que akemusic nos tiene acostumbrados desde sus comienzos con pequenos shows hasta la actualidad con caos como el concierto de David Gilmour. La venta de entradas meses antes fue una tremenda especulacion y la falta de respeto se extendio a la apertura de puertas tarde dejando al publico esperar en una intermibanable cola bajo la lluvia, el viento y el frio. Tema aparte la ,en mi opinion ,desasertada eleccion de Guns and Roses como parte del mismo show.

The Who superandolos en historia ,gustos aparte , quedaron total e injustamente relegados al mismo lugar de los teloneros. Pero nada les impidio demostrar porque siguen siendo la banda mas grande de rock de todos los tiempos junto a Beatles y Stones, Queen y Zeppelin. Ya desde su aparicion en el escenario Pete agradecio a Dios la lluvia. La banda suena fuertisima e impecable mencion aparte para Zak Starkey que hace honor a su padre y su "tio" Moon y ademas fue el que mas buena onda tuvo con los fans que esperaban en la puerta del hotel.

No hay excusa para quienes dicen que ya no es lo mismo , que estan viejos, que La Plata era lejos, que la Beriso era insoportable o que las entradas eran caras.SIMEPLEMNETE SE PERDIERON UN SHOW QUE TODOS SONAMOS Y ESE DIA FUE REALIDAD. Sorprendio la lista de temas y la capacidad fisica y vocal de Daltrey asombra sacando adelante a todo pulmon un clasico tras de otro como el verdadero frontman que es , se lo siente gigante frente a nuestros ojos emocionados cuando la realidad es que es bastante bajito. Su espiritu transmite vitalidad , fuerza y profesionalismo. Lookeado sencillo y sobrio sin apelar a sus flecos y accesorios de juventud como si lo hara posteriormente Axl , visiblemente mas deteriorado aunque de edad mas joven.

Pasion y locura es Pete ,sonriente , con un look rocker todo de negro, varios cambios de guitarras , sus riffs disparados en un certero tiroteo musical por y para su publico , los chicos que estamos bien. Las lagrimas nos solo cayeron del cielo ,tambien rodaron por nuestros rostros con temas como im one. Otros grandes hits y clasicos y algunas rarezas inesperadas se sucedieron sin tregua , como le gusta a Pete segun el mismo posteo al otro dia. Pinball Wizard , I cant Explain , See Mee Feel Me , the seeker , wont get fooled again ,behind blue eyes, entre otros .... Los grupos de fans se destacaban de la multitud gunner saltando y agitando , y el ole ole que conmovio a tantos musicos extranjeros tambien lo logro con los Who , prueba de eso un video de Baba O Ryley subido a You Tube posteado por la propia banda en su facebook oficial. El show termino sin bises para darle lugar a la banda que recrea sus anos dorados para sus nuevos fans.

Los Who no recrean anda , los Who son los Who con toda la fuerza de antes y con toda la madurez, sabiduria y tranquilidad de ahora. Estoy segura que su show no defraudo a ningun fan y hasta sorprendio a algunos seguidores de los guns que como alguien comento volvieron a sus casas googleando para saber mas sobre estos viejos desquiciados que dieron todo en el escenario para su publico , nosotros, los Whooligans.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

I saw THE WHO LIVE twice, once in Italy 10 years ago on May 2007 Verona Italy, under the rain. The second time just 4 days ago in my country , Argentina, also under the rain. Both excellent concerts but different.

Despite the emotion I can say that what powerfully drove the Italy concert was that inside force it drew The Who since their beginnings based on the constant tension between the band members. The ancient roman theatre Verona Arena, was the place for The Who to play in Italy for the 1st time since 1971. A spring day turned into a bad weather day because the storm; the first half of the concert developed in a spectacular way. The second almost got cancelled because the weather changed abruptly affecting Roger's throat.

Then I saw how true THE WHO were: Pete desperate to keep going with the show while Roger got mad and left the stage kicking and screaming. More than half an hour later the show ended with the best of band and public united. Pete sang My Generation and Roger delighted us with guitar and harmonica, something rarely seen. As an extra gift I met Pete, in excellent humor and surprised by the cancellation of Argentina show.

OCTOBER 2017 LA PLATA BUENOS AIRES ARGENTINA

The excitement of seeing them in my country, with my people around, also had a rare side, with the bad taste of the 2006 cancellation. The only thing that blurred the show was the bad organization that Akemusic us had from its beginnings with small shows until the present time with chaos like recent David Gilmour's concert. The ticket sales months before were tremendous speculation and the lack of respect extended to the opening of doors late, leaving the public to wait in an endless queue under the rain, wind and cold. Topic aside, in my opinion, the misguided choice of Guns and Roses as part of the same show. The Who overcoming them in history, tastes apart, were totally and unfairly relegated to the same place as the supporting acts.

But nothing prevented them from showing why they are still the biggest band of rock of all time alongside Beatles and Stones, Queen and Zeppelin. Already from its appearance in the scene Pete thanked God for the rain. The band sounded powerful and special mention for Zak Starkey who honors his father and his "uncle" Moon, and also was the one most cool with the fans that were waiting at the hotel lobby.

There is no excuse for those who said that they arent the same, that they are old, that La Plata City Stadium was far away, that the Berisso Band was a horrible supporting act or that the tickets were expensive. SIMPLY THEY LOST A SHOW THAT WE ALL DREAMED FOR YEARS AND THAT DAY COME TRUE, A REALITY.

The set list was a suprise and Daltrey's amazing physical and vocal ability astonishes pulling forward one classic after another as the true frontman that he is, and looks giant in front of our excited eyes when actually he is quite short. His spirit conveys vitality, strength and professionalism. His outfit simple and sober without appealing to its fringes and accessories of youth as did later Axl, visibly more deteriorated although younger than Rog.

Passion and madness is Pete, smiling, with a rocker look all in black, several guitar changes of, his riffs fired in a certain musical shooting by and for US the audience, the kids are alright. The tears not only fell from the sky, they also rolled by our faces with themes like I’m One.

Other great hits and classics and some unexpected rarities suceeded one after the other, the way Pete prefers it according to his post the next day. Pinball Wizard, I Can’t Explain, See Me Feel Me, The Seeker, Won’t Get Fooled Again, Behind Blue Eyes, among others ....

The fan groups stood out from the "gunners" crowd jumping and waving, and the "ole ole" that shook so many foreign musicians also achieved it with the Who, proved that in a Baba O’Riley video uploaded from You Tube posted by the band on their official facebook, after the show. The show ended without an encore to give place to the band that recreates their golden years for their new fans. The Who do not recreate, the Who are the Who with all the power from the past and with all the maturity, wisdom and tranquility of now.

I'm sure that this show did not defraud any fan and even surprised some followers of the guns who as someone commented returned to their houses looking on Google to know more about these old crazy people who gave all on stage for their audience, we, the Whooligans.