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Videos
Full show
I Can't Explain
Substitute
Who Are You
I Can See For Miles
Pinball Wizard
Behind Blue Eyes
Eminence Front
My Generation
Going Mobile
Love Reign O'er Me
Won't Get Fooled Again
The Song is Over
Press
Review by Doug Brunk
I'm approaching my 60th show seeing and hearing my favorite band since 1982, but this one stands out as the best vocal performance I've heard from Roger in recent memory. A few songs actually brought tears to my eyes, especially “See Me, Feel Me,” “Behind Blue Eyes,” and “Love Reign O’er Me.” Roger’s delivery was simply otherworldly. It got under my skin in the best possible way.
During “Love Reign O’er Me,” I looked around and saw fans with expressions of sheer disbelief, some shaking their heads at what they were witnessing. When the song ended, much of the Bowl crowd rose for a standing ovation. My wife and I exchanged several looks throughout the night, both of us stunned by what we were hearing from an 81-year-old former sheet metal worker.
I was so grateful to be there, and thrilled they brought “Another Tricky Day” back into the set. A perfect song for these times. Long live rock, and long live The Who!
Review by Tim Ballou
Based on all the data I’ve had the patience or inclination to gather, I presume this was my 11th time seeing THE WHO perform at The Hollywood Bowl. Making it to 11 was a lofty goal I aspired to only 24 hours previous after seeing THE WHO perform at the Hollywood Bowl for the 10th time. I suggest everyone set lofty goals that can be attained within 24 hours, especially if you are advancing in age and time is of the essence.
On the topic of advancing age, for the second time this week 60+ years worth of rock legendry walked (without the support of caretakers or crutches) onto the hallowed Bowl stage at 8:45pm to an audience roar of excitement. As is longstanding protocol, they began with a couple of iconic 60s singles, I CAN’T EXPLAIN and SUBSTITUTE. A bit of welcoming chatter followed, and they proceeded to fill the Bowl with a glorious sound bath of their greatest hits and a few deeper cuts. JUST ANOTHER TRICKY DAY was an addition to this show but we sadly lost LOVE AIN’T FOR KEEPING.
It's not the ideal setlist for a diehard fan but I will admit being present when the crowd reacts with religious fervor to the overplayed YOU BETTER YOU BET, BABA O’RILEY, and WON’T GET FOOLED AGAIN, it’s a cathartic communal celebration that I treasure.
For some unknown reason Roger continues to shine vocally despite having to carry his primary instrument in his 81-year old mass of flesh and bones. Pete does not manage the guitar solos he was delivering even a few years ago, but he is present, engaged, and giving us what he has, including a few windmill licks.
The show closer is perfection. THE SONG IS OVER with modified lyrics: The song is over / Thanks for all the years / I’ll always remember / Even if I live for a million years. As if that weren’t enough to hit you to the core, the band departs the stage leaving “the two” to bring the volume down a notch and deliver the poignant TEA AND THEATER. I’ll always remember these shows, even if I live a million years.
Review by Jason Gifford
What can I tell you about this show that others haven’t shared about others in this final run in The States.
Initially, this was one hundred percent about taking my young daughter to see the band I love so much. Not only would this be her first proper concert, more importantly it would give us one final opportunity to share this music played live, in person, and together. I didn’t care if it was a complete train wreck, we were going through it and making a memory.
This is the first tour in many years I opted out of VIP seating. With ticket prices through the roof, I decided I’ve contributed enough to Roger’s pension plan in the past. This time around I was quite happy to be in the middle of the venue. There are no bad seats at Hollywood Bowl. The show was completely packed out. I didn’t see a single empty seat to be had.
This show was anything but a train wreck, in fact, it may be the finest show I’ve seen The Who play in years. Was it magic from the storied venue? Celebrities in attendance? The beautiful California sunshine? I’ll never know, but I can tell you with certainty, I didn’t expect the show I witnessed.
If you have the opportunity to catch any of the final shows on the tour don’t delay just go. I’ve shared with close friends and family the YouTube videos DO not serve justice to what you’ll actually hear live. If anyone is basing opinions on what’s going around The Who fan pages it would be in error. Go to the show. It won’t disappoint.
The sound was full and rich. Backup vocals were not overpowering, making it sound like a Beach Boys show (like the 2012 Quad tour). It’s the first time (in many tours) they’ve had the bass guitar up in the mix. It was finally loud enough you could hear bass lines being played. This isn’t John level volume, make no mistake. John probably would’ve left cracks and damage to the Bowl itself. But it always felt Roger went to the other extreme and perhaps had forgotten to turn the bass amps on at all.
Scott did a wonderful job given the impossible situation he was tossed into. I’d seen him play with Roger in years past and always thought him to be a great drummer with us own distinct style. His style is nothing like Keith’s or Zak’s, but his interpretation is always deferential to the music. I was really quite disappointed with Zak not being on the tour. I had make a decision when purchasing tickets to be open to new possibilities and be positive about it all. At the end of the day I was there to hear Pete and Roger play those songs one last time with my daughter.
Scott and I spoke after the show and I was able to share how amazing the band sounded and I thought his playing to be superb. Scott, John, and the rest of the band were all kind, engaging, and very proud to be apart of this tour. They’re all professionals and it’s not lost on any of them the importance of this music to generations of fans around the world.
The night was a triumph and truly exceeded my expectations.
Review by Lauren J. Hammer
Who2 w/ The Offspring
Hollywood Bowl - Show #2 of 2
Friday, 9/19/25
I was super bummed to miss HB-1 (due to a family medical emergency), especially because the opener, Joe Perry Project (look up their personnel - a true supergroup) was the support act that I most wanted to see on this tour + both Steven Tyler and Slash showed up and joined in the fun. Oh, well.
But for HB-2, largely due to the generosity of a dear Who friend who thought it oh, so wrong for me to not be “where I belong" all tour, tonight, I was finally in my magic happy place. I was home.
On the more granular level, it was a mixed bag. On the plus side, the friend who had the pair next to me, MY EXACT desired seat #s, kindly moved his + 1 over to one of my seats, which should have put me EXACTLY where I wanted to be. And that’s how it was for the first song or two. Perfection. But then, instead of just trying to help two extra folks be in 1.5 (one of whom was also my top priority to help), he wanted to have THREE of them on the rail in his ONE seat. The people Pete side of us did slide over, making it possible to reasonably add one more person (score), but not 2.5 or 3. The result was that in my most expensive ticket ever, by a lot (even just my share of it), I spent 85% of the show very uncomfortable, pressed up against, needing to be constantly vigilant to not lose additional territory and my sightline to Scott. As it is, I was pushed over 1/2 a seat, and I was constantly crowded, unable to move freely. That part SUCKED. But because of this friend’s seat # re-arranging, I was also closer to my preferred sightline/location, which was really important to me, so as I said - it was a mixed bag.
Moving on, as nobody really cares about that but me (but I care A LOT)...
The Offspring was fine enough. Energetic power punk pop music. I didn’t know anything they played, not a one, but they were pretty tight and I do generally dig that style. I probably would have enjoyed them if it was in a club. In this setting - fine enough, but didn’t do all that much for me, and reinforced how bummed I was to miss JPP.
As for the main event - it was a fucking fantastic show. Having exactly ZERO shows within 1000 miles from home (you east coast and UK people have no idea how spoiled rotten you are) + the insane cost + ticket nightmares, it’s been tough.
That said, I made it to a pair on the east coast (Jones Beach & Madison Square Garden), and I was supposed to be at both Hollywood Bowl shows to start off the western swing.
Tonight’s show was BY FAR the best of my trio of shows to date. No major misfires, and they were firing on all pistons, all night long.
Can’t Explain came out of the gate strong, as did Substitute. It was apparent, from minute one, that Pete was fully there. Not distant or disassociated but THERE, wanting to be there. At ease and engaged. There’s nothing like it when that happens. His heart was in it. And, NO FUCKING SUNGLASSES. We saw those beautiful blue eyes, all night long. Sadly, it was a jacket night = in his way all night long, and holding him back. An off white textured linen (?) jacket that LOOKED really good on him, but you, know, stupid attire for a rock guitar player.
Can’t Explain note: during soundcheck, Scott and Roger talked about upping the pace, which really, really works for me. After its absence a few years ago (replaced by Who Are You as set opener - which I did not like), when it came back, it was closer to the slower, draggier version of the 70s. I much prefer the punchier, faster paced 60s version, so this combo boded well.
Roger was in fantastic voice and spirit all night long, looking good in blue jeans and long sleeve black shirt and belt. The glasses were back. Seems that the glasses free night in Atlantic City was a one-off.
Who Are You was solid strong, as it is every night. Something I noticed and really enjoyed during Who Are You was a graphics trick that may have been at all the shows, but that I just tuned into last night - the colorized, artsy fartsy, rust (?) colored visual styling of Pete’s guitar playing. I don’t know how to better paint that visual picture with words, but I wanted to call out how much I really enjoyed the imagery. The same technique was utilized again later (in green, maybe), during Eminence Front. It was less striking on Round Two.
Miles was solid, but while I’ve always been fond of the song, neither Zak nor Scott has fully done justice to it, IMO. This song, in particular, I want Scott to play at least 30% more fills than he’s playing. Drums in The Who should be a lead instrument.
Long Live Rock was lots of fun. Pete and the whole band were really into it. Even though it’s not a favorite song, I have always liked it, and it’s one of the songs I enjoyed the most last night.
The beginning of Pinball Wizard was the misfire of the night. My untrained musical ear didn’t “get it,” but from down in his crouch, I saw Roger’s face respond to the guitar. They ended up stopping and starting again, due to an out of tune guitar. But poor Roger was already down, and wasn’t getting up and back down. I almost thought he was just going to sit down and chill!
Even with the mishap, the vibe was good humor, all around. And both on the misfire and the re-start, Pete’s visual and energetic handoff to Simon for the intro riff was lots of fun. I hope someone caught some pics. (I went back to my more usual MO of taking ZERO pics during The Who. I’m grateful for those who take them and share. I was happy to just BE there.)
See Me, Feel Me / Listening to You was fine, but I’m really not liking it earlier in the set. They don’t sink into it as deeply, they don’t embody the lyrics, either of them, nearly as fully as they did when it came later in the show. As I consider that one of the most important parts of any Who show, I’m finding this to be the greatest misfire in the 2025 setlist - right alongside the absence of always extraordinary Amazing Journey / Sparks.
Another Tricky Day was exactly the song I was hoping to hear. Not exactly the dream song, but of the songs currently on the table, after the past week I’ve had, it’s what I wanted to hear. And it’s always been one of my sleeper favorites. Probably my second favorite track on Face Dances, behind The Quiet One, and just a wee bit ahead of Don’t Let Go the Coat. Coincidentally, I had chats with friends both before and after the show (different friends) about Don’t Let Go the Coat. Apparently, I’m not the only one from the MTV generation who considers it an underrated gem that we’d love to hear.
The only complaint I heard from anyone about Tricky Day was realizing that it cost us Love Ain’t For Keeping. I did not talk to a single person who wasn’t super happy to get Tricky Day (myself included), but I also didn’t talk to a single person who would give up Love Ain’t for Keeping for it (myself included). We’d happily give up something else to keep both of these in the set. Happy to discuss further, upon request!
Behind Blue Eyes was a highlight of the night for me. Pete sits down for it, and I was directly in his sightline. It’s rare that he makes a significant connection during a show. There’s a little bit, sometimes, and it always adds to the night, but tonight it was big and personal. Nothing like when he was worried about me here at the Hollywood Bowl in 2002, but it melted my heart, and it was a poetic HB bookend. It was probably my personal highlight of the night.
Going into Eminence Front, Pete explained about the emery board glued to his guitar, as he filed down a pick and proceeded to use it as a bow in the Eminence Front intro. It’s taken a while (like decades), but I’ve finally come around on EF, as I do enjoy how much Pete has embraced using it as a vehicle to step out on guitar, not to mention that anyone who knows me knows how very much I dig me some Roger wearing an electric guitar.
Speaking of which, an interesting part of last night for me was an internal reel that was going throughout the night, juxtaposing last night’s show with the “final” show in Toronto in 1982. The Pay Per View. In my world, that was my first experience of Who on Demand. In 1983, my childhood best friend’s family had a VCR (a VERY upscale toy at the time), and they had captured 1 hour of the 1:25 min HBO special (which in turn was still only part of the actual show). One day when I was visiting them back east, and I was the only one home, I was able to watch and re-watch . It was magical. A dream come true. Last night, my brain would see 37 year old Pete and 38 year old Roger (they were SO OLD), juxtaposed in my mind with what was happening before my eyes.
It was “over” then. 43 years later, it’s almost “over” now. What an amazing “Next Generation” ride.
Before My Gen, Pete started talking about how they had stopped playing it for a few years, as they’d gotten too old - they were like 26! LMAO. It was a strong rendition. And Roger’s generational My Gen freestyling and Cry If You Want segment was unusually good. It wasn’t the arrangement that I’d like to create, but it was more fluid and embodied than almost any other version I can remember - both the freestyle generational commentary part and the Cry If You Want part. As I’ve said before, while I don’t think it’s being presented in the best possible way, I absolutely love that Roger has rescued this CIYW content from Who obscurity, as I think it's one of their best tracks of the Kenney era - particularly Pete’s writing and Roger’s delivery. So many great lines.
You Better You Bet was, well, YBYB. (We took a vote, and so far, 100% of us would give up YBYB for Tricky Day.)
Going Mobile was great, as always. Simon was great, as always. Pete’s intro was weird and off base. He has some misguided idea that Mobile was some lost, obscure Who track. So not. At least here in the States, it’s been a maintstream Who radio song for pretty much my entire life. I’ve been suggesting it for decades. Roger’s never known why Pete would never do it.
Last night, I also really enjoyed that part of the song, Roger was singing along. It had me remembering those first two nights of Roger’s first solo tour with this (Plan B) band, in Vancouver and Seattle of 2009 - for that brief moment when Roger was singing it. I was disappointed that Scott was playing less aggressively on this than he has on the past. I’m used to it being his showcase as much as Simon’s. Not as much tonight.
The whole Quad set was strong. Real Me was a particular highlight, with every single one of them kicking ass on it.
I’m One is just always wonderful. I love when sweet Pete (not gravelly Pete) sings, and he’s mostly doing that here + when Pete and Simon sing together on the “I’ve got a Gibson…” verse, it’s breathtaking every single time.
5.15 was differently poignant here than at the Garden. At MSG, I was seeing, hearing, and feeling what it was SUPPOSED to feel and sound like - and didn’t. Here at the Hollywood Bowl, I was so feeling that dreadful night in 2002, being in that room, on that rail, for the first time, without John. As with so many MSG memories - I have so many Hollywood Bowl memories. I’ve not counted, but it may be the venue where I’ve seen them the second most. Such an amazing night in Y2K, with a gaggle of women fans on the rail - IIRC, me and Stef and Who Babe (Erica) and Trish. 2002, that worst Who night ever. 2004, when I saw what I thought was a genuinely flat, mediocre Who show, and I wondered if they’d jumped the shark. And so on. I’ve also missed my share of Bowl shows over the years, as it’s an extra difficult and extra expensive ticket, but like I said, it very well may be my second most frequent Who venue.
Roger’s Love Reign was stunning, as it is most every night. And as with Eminence Front, it’s another one where I was having super intense ’82 Toronto juxtaposition with current day reality. It was the Toronto song where I utilized the magic of rewind and repeat. An odd little observation. Seemed to me like Roger drank his spray sip awfully early and held it in his mouth a really long time.
Then the final four.
I continue to think that putting WGFA before Baba is a misfire.
Personally, I think I’d go:
Quad > Tommy > Baba > WGFA > SIO > Tea.
Baba was strong. The crowd singalong (singsong) bit was great. Very communal.
Song Is Over was extra poignant. The day of that 2002 Bowl show, Stef and I had gone to an LA Kinko’s and made a banner that said - The Song Is Over. So many layers to hear it there, at the Hollywood Bowl, now, at the end. I just LOVE it every night.
Lastly Tea & Theater, which I’m loving the intimacy and heart of, every night, as well as the heartfelt gratitude and goodbyes.
Another GREAT Who show in the books. When I saw my pair back east, I was perfectly happy, in the overall, They were a chunk better than the TCT shows in March. (I missed the Italy pair in July). But last night? I didn’t know they could still be that good. And yet - they are. Never underestimate THE FUCKING WHO!