LIVE: The Who at Barclays Center, NYC (5/26/15)
Thirty years and approximately 17 farewell tours after they first disbanded (but then again, is anyone actually counting?), the Who wrapped the first American leg of their “The Who Hits 50!” tour, obviously celebrating the band’s career spanning the past half-century, this past weekend in New York City. Described as “hits, picks, mixes, and misses” by Pete Townshend, these shows are comprised of the classic tracks any casual, run-of-the-mill Who fan would be familiar with, as well as a few that, to some, may warrant some head scratching, or perhaps, a completely transcendental experience. Tuesday evening, REBEAT editor Allison and I were lucky enough to hone in on our air drumming and windmill skills at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, as the Who swept us on board their amazing journey.
The instant that the first chord of “I Can’t Explain” reverberated through the arena, the mood was immediately set. High-energy, relentless, and emphatic, the band morphed into the proverbial well-oiled machine with the help of Zak Starkey on drums, Simon Townshend on acoustic guitar, Pino Palladino on bass, and seasoned keyboardists and backing vocalists. The accompanying motion graphics on the screen behind the band certainly added to its entrancing qualities as well. Visually stunning, I frequently found myself fixated on how the visuals swirled and transitioned, while waxing nostalgic over the early band photos shown, stirring up memories of what had drawn me to the Who in the first place.
The show kicked off with a set of fan favorites — “I Can’t Explain,” “The Seeker,” “Who Are You,” and “The Kids are Alright” — all of which got the crowd roaring and on their feet. Regarding the “picks” and “misses” Pete Townshend was referring to, the Who let teasers slip about a few songs that are notorious for rarely making the band’s set lists, some of which hadn’t been performed in decades. It was to my very pleasant surprise when — after Townshend indulged us with a story about playing in front of approximately 25 people in Detroit in the late ’60s — the band segued into “I Can See for Miles,” a song which has rarely been played onstage since the Who’s 1989 tour. (According to Townshend in the clip below, Eric Burdon of the Animals completely misinterpreted its meaning upon hearing it all those years ago in Detroit, funnily enough.) The only Who single to make it into the Top 10 in the US, Tuesday night’s performance stayed true to the original recording and was nothing short of awe-inspiring.
After an extended version of the anthemic “My Generation,” the Who moved right along into a set of hits from the ’70s, including “Behind Blue Eyes,” “Slip Kid” (which Townshend prefaced with, “This one gets a lot of requests. I don’t know why”), “Bargain,” and “Join Together.” Sandwiched between Face Dances/It’s Hard-era singles “You Better You Bet” and “Eminence Front” were Quadrophenia‘s “I’m One,” performed beautifully by Townshend, and “Love Reign O’er Me,” proving that decades later, Daltrey can still captivate the audience with his raw, powerful vocals.
Out of all the songs the Who performed that night, the one that left me completely floored was “A Quick One (While He’s Away).” As someone who thoroughly enjoys the live recordings (like the band’s set at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, the Rolling Stones’ Rock and Roll Circus, and Live at Leeds — but absolutely do not get me started on the studio recording) and never thought she’d have the opportunity to hear it live (apparently, the last time they performed it was in 2000, and before that, in 19-freaking-70!), the 10-minute mini-opera, to which Townshend suggested we “sit down and have a little rest,” was an unexpected treat for die-hard fans like myself. While it may not exactly compare to their memorable performances from the late ’60s or early ’70s, it was an undoubtedly impressive rendition that I feel eternally grateful to have witnessed.
Without any hesitation, the Who jumped right into a mesmerizing Tommy set, with “Amazing Journey” transitioning into “Sparks,” followed by “Pinball Wizard,” “See Me, Feel Me,” and “Listening to You.” Despite the countless times I’ve heard these songs performed live at previous Who concerts, I still find myself slipping into a nearly hypnotic state during the instrumentals, quite possibly the closest I’ll personally ever come to having a spiritual or religious experience. Closing the show, Who’s Next‘s “Baba O’Riley” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again” ended the night on a high note; the synthesized sequences in both songs pulled the crowd inside the music, while Zak Starkey’s intense drumming, Townshend’s electrifying chords, and Daltrey’s ferocious screaming brought the audience back into a more coherent state of consciousness, as if being awoken from a daydream. The perfect way to cap the electric set, the buzzing in my ears didn’t disappear until hours later.
Despite Pete Townshend’s typical grumpy disposition, welcoming the crowd to their “50th fucking anniversary” and claiming that most of the audience (like me) wasn’t even born when the band first formed, the newly turned-septuagenarian didn’t miss a beat (or rather, a strum). Sure, he may complain about touring, and he may not be able to gain much air while jumping, and he may need his brother Simon to assist him with singing his parts sometimes, but nonetheless, he’s still got the stamina he’s maintained decades prior. Roger Daltrey, still fit as a fiddle and noticeably less grumpy, typically sings on a lower register these days, as he can’t quite reach the notes like he used to. All things considered, he sounded exceptional for his age, as he swung his microphone around and about. Onstage, Townshend’s and Daltrey’s dynamic was more or less par for the course — they had their fair share of storytelling between songs while incorporating some subtle stage banter and jokingly (or not-so-jokingly) calling each other “bastards.” Regardless, it’s highly apparent that their facetious bickering is coming from a place of love, which made the show all the more thrilling.
This tour may be “the long goodbye,” as Daltrey puts it, but if there is one thing that rings true, the Who will never, as Townshend puts it, fade away.
Set List:
“I Can’t Explain”
“The Seeker”
“Who Are You”
“The Kids are Alright”
“I Can See for Miles”
“My Generation”
“Behind Blue Eyes”
“Slip Kid”
“Bargain”
“Join Together”
“You Better You Bet”
“I’m One”
“Love Reign O’er Me”
“Eminence Front”
“A Quick One (While He’s Away)”
“Amazing Journey” / “Sparks”
“Pinball Wizard”
“See Me, Feel Me” / “Listening to You”
“Baba O’Riley”
“Won’t Get Fooled Again”
The European leg of the Who’s tour kicks off on June 21, but they’ll return to the US this fall. Check out their tour schedule for dates!
