The Who kicked off the Song Is Over North American Farewell tour last night (August 16) with a fantastic performance in Sunrise, Florida!
Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey delivered a sizzling set of hits and rarities to an enthusiastic crowd. They are backed this tour by a stripped down line-up of stellar musicians that played with them at the recent shows in Padua and Milan Italy. The band features Simon Townshend on guitar, Jon Button on bass, Scott Devours on drums, Loren Gold on keyboards, John Hogg on backing vocals, with the welcome addition of Jody Linscott on percussion. This is the first tour The Who have played without an orchestra since 2017, and they sound very tight in this format.
This tour is sadly the bands swan song in the US and Canada, after touring these countries extensively since 1967, when they played at important early shows that helped launch their career, such as their very first show at a gym in Ann Arbor, the “Music in the Fifth Dimension” shows presented by Murray the K in New York City, and the legendary Monterey Pop Festival.
In a press statement for the tour, Pete Townshend said, “Well, all good things must come to an end. It is a poignant time. For me, playing to American audiences and those in Canada has always been incredible. The warmth and engagement of those audiences began back in 1967 with hippies smoking dope, sitting on their blankets and listening deeply and intensely. Music was everywhere. We all felt equal. Today, Roger and I still carry the banner for the late Keith Moon and John Entwistle and of course, all of our longtime Who fans. I must say that although the road has not always been enjoyable for me, it is usually easy: the best job I could ever have had. I keep coming back. Every time I do, I meet new fans and feel new energy. Roger and I are in a good place, despite our age, eager to throw our weight behind this fond farewell to all our faithful fans, and hopefully to new ones who might jump in to see what they have been missing for the last 57 years. This tour will be about fond memories, love and laughter. Make sure you join in.”
Roger Daltrey said: “Every musician’s dream in the early 60’s was to make it big in the US charts. For the Who, that dream came true in 1967 and our lives were changed forever. The warmth of the American audiences over the years have been inspirational to me, and reflect the feeling I remember getting after hearing the first rock records coming across the radio. Musical freedom! Rock gave us a feeling of generational rebellion. To me, America has always been great. The cultural differences had a huge impact on me, this was the land of the possible. It’s not easy to end the big part of my life that touring with The Who has been. Thanks for being there for us and look forward to seeing you one last time.”
The Florida show is the only one on the schedule for the South before the band heads to the Northeast for their next show in New Jersey, as they tour around North America and say goodbye to the cities they have loved playing at for so many years.
The Song Is Over North American Farewell Tour is currently scheduled to run for 17 dates between August 16 and September 28, 2025.
Here is a full list of shows:
Aug 16 Sunrise, FL - Amerant Bank Arena
Aug 19 Newark, NJ - Prudential Center
Aug 21 Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center
Aug 23 Atlantic City, NJ - Boardwalk Hall
Aug 26 Boston, MA - Fenway Park
Aug 28 Wantagh, NY - Jones Beach Theater
Aug 30 New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
Sep 02 Toronto, ON - Budweiser Stage
Sep 04 Toronto, ON - Budweiser Stage
Sep 07 Chicago, IL - United Center
Sep 09 Chicago, IL - United Center
Sep 17 Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl
Sep 19 Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl
Sep 21 Mountain View, CA - Shoreline Amphitheatre
Sep 23 Vancouver, BC - Rogers Arena
Sep 25 Seattle, WA - Climate Pledge Arena
Sep 28 Las Vegas, NV - MGM Grand Garden Arena
There are still a few tickets left for the remaining shows, so you don’t want to miss seeing them for their final tour!
As always, we will be covering all of the shows with photos, setlists, reviews, and videos on the Song Is Over North American Farewell Tour pages.
Many thanks to Horace Austin, Ron Grosser, and Todd Ellenberg for all the lovely photos from the Florida show!
Photo credit: Horace Austin
Photo credit: Ron Grosser
Photo credit: Horace Austin
Photo credit: Todd Ellenberg
Photo credit: Ron Grosser
Photo credit: Horace Austin
Photo credit: Ron Grosser
Photo credit: Ron Grosser
Photo credit: Ron Grosser
Photo credit: Ron Grosser
Photo credit: Horace Austin
Photo credit: Horace Austin
Photo credit: Horace Austin
