Videos
I Can't Explain
I Can't Explain
The Seeker
The Seeker
Who Are You
I Can See For Miles
My Generation
Behind Blue Eyes
Behind Blue Eyes
You Better You Bet
Love Reign O'er Me
Acid Queen
Acid Queen
Pinball Wizard
Baba O'Riley
Won't Get Fooled Again
Eminence Front / Substitute
Press
Cronica
Excelsior
Milenio
LaJornada San Luis
El Universal
Reforma
El Financiero
Chilango
Review by Abraham Castro-Kreimerman
“Join Together IN the Band”. The Who in Mexico City.
The point is… in México we mainly learn English through the TV and the music (poor us, ha). And sometimes the passion is more relevant than the form.
Last night Pete and Roger were laughing out loud to hear more than 23,000 guys singing with the incorrect words. That’s why Pete made that correction regarding Join Together. And in almost every song when he sang the chorus or the lead, he had a huge smile for the way we sing here. I’m used to hear that. And you know… it doesn’t matter, the Mexican crowds are loud, devoted and passionate. Some girls were crying next to me… and started to smell like Eau-De-Cologning (like the reference and story in 5:15).
Pete sounded honest when he apologized for visiting México for the first time. “I promise not to speak Spanish (just like Simon did)”, those were his first words, making fun of his little bro’s big efforts. Simon did well, his Spanish’s not bad, he had accent from Spain, he sounded slightly tender. “I am the answer” is a brutal tune.
What a concert!! Every time a big act comes to town for the first time, people go wild. But I never ever experience something like yesterday’s. I remember my first Who concert (Houston) and I went nuts, people looked at me in a funny way but El Palacio de los Deportes turned into a madhouse. Every song was extremely well received, everybody sang and screamed the lyrics in our own Mexican way. I guess Pete and Roger never expected a reaction like that.
Of course I’ll always complain with the guys for not playing “The Real Me”, but the rest was so perfect. Love the Tommy segment, You Better You Bet was spectacular, Love Reign… superb (Pete congratulated Roger). The Rock is my new favorite and it sounded better that Sparks, a shame considering that the Tommy’s instrumental is tattooed in my heart. My Generation made the crowd started a little slam. Zak’s drumming in I Can See For Miles is fantastic, perfect and strong. Love the encore thing and the chance to hear another of my favorites: Substitute.
Personally I’m so happy to listen my favorite band of all times, with the composer that keeps inspiring me and the most powerful singer… for the first time in my country, surrounded by my people and joining together in the band.
Long ago, when I had the chance to chat with Roger, he said my English was good. I’m starting to have some doubts, haha.
Viva The Who. Viva México Cabrones.
Review by Pat Stanton
The concert last night in Mexico City was one of the best shows on the 50 or 51 hits tour. This was the result of a combination of the performance by the band and the reception by the fans.
This was the first time the Who performed in Mexico. A prior concert from 2007 was cancelled so their fans have been waiting a very long time. Many of the fans were young but they still knew the lyrics and loved the band.
When the band came on stage the entire arena erupted. All during the pre concert video/pictures, whenever a picture of any of the original four members came on screen there were wild cheers. The cheers were the loudest for pictures of John and Keith.
The majority of fans sang along with nearly all the songs, very loudly often over powering Roger. They knew the arrangements from the records so sometimes there was a difference from the current ones but it didn't matter. It was simply fabulous to hear the enthusiastic singalongs.
A couple of times Pete corrected the audience, laughing and good naturedly. They sang "Join Together in the band" not "with the band" which was funny. The next song, YBYB, he told everyone as soon as it started what the chorus was, again laughing.
The fans periodically broke into a chant that ended with "the Who" that sounded like something you would cheer at a soccer match. Some of the chants went on for minutes at a time, with Roger and Pete looking at each other across the stage smiling and shrugging as if to say, "Wow".
Pete told everyone in the beginning that he wasn't even going to try to speak in Spanish and thanked everyone profusely to the love and support. Roger applauded the audience repeatedly.
The performance was amazing even though there were bumps along the way. Sparks had some missed cues by Pete with Roger walking over to Frank in exasperation, but 99.9% of the audience did not notice it. Live performances are the best.
Roger sounded fabulous all night. Love Reign was superb. It was one of the most notably different arrangements as the current one is more dramatic than the record. Didn't matter as it was breathtaking as usual.
Pete was on all night. He was openly laughing and joking with the fans all night.
The set list was the same with a twist. They skipped Eminence Front but surprised me (not the fans as they probably expected it) with an encore that started with EF and then went into Substitute. What a special treat!
Absolutely wonderful show.
David Samudio Garay
What a great show. I know of people who traveled from Chile, Colombia and myself from Panama. The crowd was very different from your typical US-Brit scene, more to the Madrid show a couple of years ago.
Somebody told me the tickets were going slow a month ago but at the start the place was packed.
Simon started the warmup at 830pm, very nice solo effort.
When The Who entered for I Can't Explain the place went wild, everybody jumping and singing, it was like Finally!!!!.
For most of the show the crowd was much into the show, really great Behind Blue Eyes.
Pete said he was sorry it took so long to get to Mexico, they didn’t try to speak any spanish, Simon did so during his set, very good I might add.
The usual set list, no changes, the thing at the end of WGFA was that Pete had some kind of problem at the end with his guitar and had to change it to finish the song, he looked kind of angry.
I don't know if it was for that reason that they decided to have an encore, some people were leaving thinking it was all over as usual, then they went into EF.
For the last song Roger went to talk to Pete, it looked like they were discussing how to finish the night...and in came Substitute!!! Spectacular!
Super show, great Crowd reactions, what a nice way to finally play in Latin America, hope they do it again!