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Videos
Who Are You
Who Are You
My Generation / Behind Blue Eyes
Behind Blue Eyes
Bargain
5:15
5:15 (Pete's banter)
Love, Reign O'er Me
Love, Reign O'er Me
Eminence Front
Eminence Front
Baba O'Riley
Baba O'Riley
Won't Get Fooled Again
Won't Get Fooled Again
Won't Get Fooled Again
Press
Review by Seth Davidson
The Who @ MGM National Harbor - A Review in Ten Words (With Some Extras Thrown In)
As a fan of the Who who has been buying their records and going to their concerts for nearly 50 years, when they go on the road, so do I. Tuesday night's DC area show at MGM National Harbor (actually across the river in Maryland) was a special event, not just because it was another chance to enjoy the greatest rock and roll band in the world on my "home turf", but because they were playing one of the smallest venues in which I've seen them, and one designed for music, not ice hockey.
Pete clearly was happy to be playing a 3000 seat "Theater", noting that the first two shows of this tour were at a large outdoor festival and an outdoor "shed". I was front row center with friends. As has so often been the case, I owe my good fortune to luck and the kindness of others! The sound from where we were sitting was terrific. Interestingly, based on comments from a few friends from my neighborhood who were sitting towards the rear of the theater, the sound was louder and maybe a bit less clear back there.
As noted, the guys were in good spirits. Pete was telling some new stories and joking with Roger and Roger was all smiles all night. But the band was not so relaxed that they didn't play with fire. Pete was fierce in his playing and you could tell Roger was well rested -- his voice was very strong all night long. Zak was at the top of his game, too, with the drums seemingly up in the mix. This was my first time seeing the band with bass player Jon Button (a very nice guy by the way). The bass sound was down in the mix most of the night, but when it came up (as in the My Generation solo) it was terrific. Oh, and Simon's guitar playing was absolutely great, particularly when he played lead.
The set list was pretty much the same as we've been hearing since this tour essentially started in 2015. Only few songs differed from the March 2016 Verizon Center show -- 5:15 instead of Real Me; I Can't Explain instead of Pictures of Lily, and Eminence Front instead of Slip Kid (which the band played at Verizon last year because Pete was too sick to sing EF that night).
The show was so consistent its actually hard to single out the highlights. One that I have to mention is the Rock --the video presentation behind that song is the story of my life and it gets to me every time. My Generation with the Cry If You Want section was also a definite high point. The Tommy section of the show featured all the classic moves -- Microphone tossing, windmills, birdman. Roger was "on" for Love Reign O'er Me. And Roger nailed the scream at the end of WGFA (no, I couldn't tell if it was "tape enhanced") and Pete finished up with a righteous guitar coda.
So to sum it up: great venue (even if the casino is ugly as sin), great seats, great sound, great band, great show. A review in ten words.
