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Videos
Soundcheck
Soundcheck
I Can't Explain
Substitute
Who Are You
Who Are You
Long Live Rock
Pinball Wizard
Love Ain't For Keeping
Behind Blue Eyes
Eminence Front
My Generation
You Better You Bet
Going Mobile
The Real Me
Love Reign O'er Me
Won't Get Fooled Again
Baba O'Riley
Pete banter
The Song is Over
Tea & Theatre
Press
Chicago Tribune
Illinois Entertainer
Review by Paul Biscardi
I should preface this review by saying this will be mostly an account of my personal experience, which may not translate to the average fan or even the very dedicated fans who might hold the band to a very high technical bar. That said, I thought it was an amazing experience that largely exceeded my expectations! I think the crowd would agree — there were some technical issues mostly at the start that were eventually resolved, and I thought the night had both a strong and bittersweet finish. I keep hearing the word "poignant" to describe the mood around this tour and couldn't agree more. At some point in the show, you can almost feel the mood shift from a fun celebration to somber goodbye.
It's worth noting that for most of us in North America, it's been nearly a decade since the last time the band toured without an orchestra, and while I appreciated the uniqueness of the orchestral accompaniment and how it could elevate some of the music, this return to raw band performance was unexpectedly refreshing and exciting. I know Roger has said many times he wanted to stop while he was able to perform at a high level, and I can attest that this was certainly a band that could rock the house and impress.
Another surprise was the average age of the attendees. I'm not from the Chicago area, but the first thing I noticed was a surprisingly young age of the audience for a Who concert. Maybe I'm used to shows in Florida that can lean towards an older crowd, but it was nice to see such diversity of age (many of whom came donning shirts from recent tours). This was a really nice thing to see.
But I’m getting ahead of myself – This time around I had a VIP ticket and was able to attend the soundcheck before the show. All in all, we were in the room for about 40 minutes, with about 30 minutes of the full band working through songs which felt longer than I remember from the last time I attended a soundcheck. The band ran through the harmonies from "I Can See for Miles" and a complete run-through of "Had Enough" and "Who Are You". During the latter, Pete really sounded fantastic and played what felt like some fresh and inventive soloing over the first third of the song. Little did I know that I wouldn't get to hear it again during the concert (more on that in a moment). The soundcheck of "Who Are You" also featured one verse sung by Pete while Roger was working something out with Scott Devours. Some time was then spent on getting the transition right between "My Generation" and "Cry if You Want". Soundcheck then finished off with a partial run-through of "I'm One" to check the acoustic sound. Just as we were departing, one fan shouted to Roger "Where's Katie" and Roger asked Katie to come on stage where she did a brief but impromptu performance with some seemingly improvised accompaniment by Loren Gold.
The band came on stage in good spirits for the main show, and you could tell Pete and Roger were excited to be in one of their favorite cities! The show was on September 7th, which is the anniversary of Keith Moon's death. Pete commented on this and told a story about how the Buddy Rich band supported The Who in Chicago in the early days. He mentioned asking Buddy if Keith was really a "good" drummer, to which he perhaps unexpectedly gave his stamp of approval!
Roger sounded fantastic — I swear it's the best he's sounded in at least the last decade, which is both perplexing and impressive! He did have a couple of moments where he struggled to hit a note. Both times, Pete was really supportive of him. At one point, Roger suggested Pete finish out a song. Pete replied, "I can't do what you do, Rog!". The crowd was supportive of Roger and cheered him through these tough spots, which was nice to see.
I couldn't really tell what was going on, but Pete was noticing some kind of technical issue with his guitar during "Can't Explain" and "Substitute." Then it just went completely out for "Who Are You." Not sure what went wrong. Pete at one point threw a guitar on the ground in frustration!
It looked like Pete and Simon Law thought it was the guitar, but the replacement had similar problems, so Simon spent a good chunk of the song on stage re-running cables. After the new cable was run, it seemed like everything was okay, and the last verse or so was great! At the very end of the song, Pete really caught fire, delivering an extended ending solo and mouthed "it worked!" as he closed out the song with a bang. Afterwards, Pete mentioned his guitar was going "on and off," and Roger mentioned his voice was going "on and off too," which got a laugh from Pete, and it was onwards into the night!
I really enjoyed “Eminence Front”, and with the technical issues behind us, Pete really let loose and gave an incredible performance. This is one of the moments that I think benefited from the lack of orchestra as Pete’s soloing felt loose, creative, and technically impressive! I should also note that Pete’s singing was the best I have heard it in recent years too!
Another standout was Simon Townshend singing “Going Mobile”. Pete gave a nice introduction, and I just thought it was a great opportunity for Simon to really shine which he did! He’s such a critical piece of the band and a fan favorite at this point!
Speaking of the other members of the band, this was my first time seeing Jody Linscott, which I was really excited about. She's fun to watch! I was disappointed to be missing Zak on this tour, but that is nothing against Scott. In fact, I really enjoyed Scott’s performance and found that it fit in well and wasn’t distracting me at all. Scott is a great drummer and deserving of this opportunity. But I do still miss Zak on this tour and think it’s unfortunate he isn’t around this one last time.
"Long Live Rock" and "Love Ain't For Keeping" were both on the setlist and are personal favorites, so they were great to hear! Pete looked like he was really enjoying himself with “Long Live Rock”. It’s such a great vocal showcase for both Roger and Pete and a fun song in general!
There were some brief guitar issues with "I'm One." I'm not sure what happened, maybe a bad tuning issue or Pete just missed a fret during one of the finger-picking sections? But it was to the point where everyone (including Pete) made a collective grimace. It was just for a brief period, and then the rest of the song was great.
Pete recognized there were some technical ups and downs and asked jokingly if anyone wanted their money back. He later joked that it's these ups and downs that make a show unique, so maybe they should be charging more for each of these issues! Looking back on my notes, it's true! Well, not the part about extra fees, but the experience of watching a live performance includes seeing both the hits and misses. It's a reminder this is the real deal, and sometimes there are fun moments that come out of a technical issue like Pete's fun solo at the end of "Who Are You."
The big hits went well, and it was cool to hear "The Song Is Over" with the extra lyrics Roger has been adding into the farewell shows. Personally, I really like the finish with "Tea & Theatre". Although, as poignant as the night was feeling, there was one more funny moment, just as the song was beginning, Roger's mic just fell off the stand on its own, making a loud bang to which Pete replied, "that's an extra, extra charge!" which got a big laugh!
The night ended on an emotional note and despite the early technical issues, the audience cheered loudly as the night ended as the emotional context sank in. Maybe it was my imagination, but I remember looking around expecting to see folks surging for the exits after the last song, but it seemed like the room was hesitant to rush out. The set had 22 songs, but it was already over?
Both Pete and Roger have said this is their last tour in North America as The Who. I believe them, and while I hope there will still be opportunities to catch them in different capacities in the future, I’m not counting on it. I took this trip to see them in Chicago on my own this time – actually it’s the first time I’ve ever attended a concert on my own and traveling across the country to do it wasn’t cheap or easy. The cost is high for this tour but for me it was well worth the sendoff.
Review by Debbie Bruns
I write this as not a casual Who fan and also not a long time traveling fan, somewhere in the middle, which made it all the more memorable to have the magic, happy place (thanks for the wording Lauren) for the show. Front row center on the rail to see, hear and feel every sight and sound and watch the knowing nods and gestures and the mess ups that make each show unique.
I Can't Explain and Substitute were a strong start in how they sounded and the energy. Pete had issues during Who Are You. He threw his guitar, and Simon (his tech) was back and forth to do what needed to be done, can't imagine how stressful that was...but the band played on and Pete came back in. Roger didn't miss a beat.
The Tommy bits were amazing, the emotion in Listening to You was palpable. Behind Blue Eyes always gets me and this time was no exception, not only the words but watching Roger and Pete interact and be in synch. You Better You Bet is a favorite with the back and forth with the crowd. Roger was smiling throughout and moving around the stage. The back to back to back of LROM, WGFA and Baba was next level, even and especially with Roger running into a little bit of trouble. He took a few seconds, regrouped and hit the mark as he has done at a few other stops on this tour.
Tea & Theatre was amazing, the words taking on such intense meaning and the two in such close proximity, exchanging smiles and intense looks. It was funny at the start when the microphone fell to the ground. The look on Roger's face and then looking up and Pete saying "that's extra extra" (the first "extra" was when Pete told the audience they should pay extra after Roger couldn't get out the last bit, twice, of LROM). Roger also said 'the only thing that's falling off".
As Roger said: "May you all be happy and may you all be healthy. And in the world today, think lucky, be lucky, make it better. Good night"
Review by Stuart Haber
The Who at United Center Chicago: What a beautiful sendoff show tonight. Except for some glitches with Pete’s guitars and Roger’s in ear system the show was magnificent. The set list you have all seen in prior posts. Long Live Rock was a standout. Roger is a marvel hitting screams in his songs.
The background images and videos were great with some from the 2017 tour and some new ones. There was also homage to Keith on the 47th anniversary of his death.
If this the last Who show I see, I can feel that it was a great time and they lost nothing from the last few years. Personally I hope they play future tours and mix in more obscure songs from their catalogue.
Review by Bob Smith
Joe Bonamassa opened for the Who. Never seen him live and heard all good things about him and his band. They were fantastic! Joe is an amazing guitarist and really set the mood for the Who.
I've been a Who fan since 1971 when hearing Going Mobile riding up in the mountains in San Bernardino, they instantly hit my soul and have been obsessed with them ever since. Over the years I've seen the Who over 30 times, Daltrey and his band, John Entwistle, and Pete solo.
Tonight in Chicago with a crowd of about 15,000 people they came out firing on all cylinders. It was nice seeing them without the orchestra (but I have no quabbles about) their sound I thought was like hearing them from the 70's. It was powerful with stage energy with Daltrey leading them. His voice was close to perfect. I just keep saying his voice sounded like he was in the 70's. Pete is always on fire doing windmills. Yes they made a few mistakes but they always stopped and joked about it with the crowd laughing along with them and restarted the song.
My highlights were Love Reign o'er Me, Loren Gold is special. He sets the mood for the song. Simply amazing. Who Are You was powerful along with Baba O'Riley and Won't Get Fooled again.
Pete did mention to Chicago crowd that this is the last time you will see the Who in Chicago as a band but did not rule out that Roger and himself might do something in the future. I can see just them doing intimate shows with Pete on acoustic and Roger singing. Fingers crossed.
The crowd was really appreciative of the Who and their music. It was a memorable night. I even got to be part of the crowd yelling WHO WHO WHO WHO after every song. To see the Greatest band on the planet one more time will be etched in my mind forever!
Review by Tom Branigan
There seemed to be many issues last night that fell into two categories: (a) overall sound/monitor mix, and (b) gear issues.
Early on, Pete was visibly irritated at what looked like a bad cable or amp as he wasn't getting sound. At one point he chucked his red Strat across the stage. He had that same problem intermittently throughout the first 50%-60% of the night. Pete's guitar tech was very busy, literally sprinting to and from the stage numerous times. Poor guy!
Roger's issue seemed to be the mix he was hearing.
The crowd took it in stride; it was as if everyone was thinking: "Well what should we expect...it's a Who show!" Those headwinds led to much fun banter by and between Pete and Roger, with Pete (in his sarcastic way) declaring that we should pay more since we got to witness all of those problems.
At one point Pete said something like: "Don't worry, we won't die here tonight. We'll save that for Philadelphia." I'm paraphrasing, but that was the gist.
Another example is when they started My Generation and had to stop, because Pete started it in the wrong key. Looks like he started it in A, which is what they've played it in for decades, instead of G (which is the key it was recorded in, I think).
Lots of stuff like that...but we had an absolute blast (10/10).
We interpreted it all as two guys who are having fun playing loose, and embracing the realities of touring at their respective ages.
Review by Jeff Elbel
When the Who undertook their first farewell “Schlitz” tour in 1982, fans took them at their word and packed arenas. The British rockers even released a successful live album called Who’s Last in 1984. The following year, the band was strong-armed by Bob Geldof into reuniting for Live Aid. Reunion tours celebrating the rock operas Tommy and Quadrophenia followed, and the Who returned steadily to the road in 1999. When the band’s current tour dubbed The Song is Over was announced as a farewell to touring life, the sarcastic response was “We won’t get fooled again.” The difference, of course, is that this is more than 40 years later. Singer Roger Daltrey is 81 and songwriter/guitarist Pete Townshend is 80. The end is nigh.
So, the Who returned to the United Center on Sunday for what is likely to be the final time. Chicago rock fans came out to celebrate. The concert was great fun and well worthwhile for any Who devotee. It was not, however, what could be called the Who’s finest moment. There were gaffes, squabbles, struggles, false starts, flubs and gear failures during the set. These issues wouldn’t make the Chicago show a likely candidate as a follow-up farewell album to Who’s Last, but they did nothing to diminish the band’s reckless spirit. There was no sense trying to kick the rough spots under the rug, so Townshend dove headlong into them. “Do you want your money back?” he asked at one point, receiving a resounding answer of “No!” from the audience. “I fucking would,” the cheeky old devil responded.
The show began with the tried-and-true mod-pop single “I Can’t Explain.” Daltrey swung his microphone like a lariat and lashed into the song with barrel-chested power. Townshend broke the ice with the locals following a rollicking “Substitute.” “Chicago is one of our favorite cities in the whole world,” the guitarist announced to cheers. Then he delivered the wicked punchline. “Apart from all the Irish people, it’s great.” Townshend was deluged with the boos that he had gleefully invited. “Obviously, you don’t know that I’m half Irish,” he explained.
“But enough about me,” said Townshend. “I want to know about you,” The band kicked off a ferocious version of “Who Are You.” Cracks began to show as the song progressed. Townshend got sufficiently frustrated with his gear that he heaved his trusty red Stratocaster to the ground and demanded a new instrument. It wasn’t the guitar-smashing antics of yore, but one can’t help thinking that the thought must have crossed his mind. It took two visits from the hard-working guitar tech to get Townshend back into action with a gold Stratocaster.
Townshend shrugged off the glitch and continued his easy rapport with the crowd. “Now that we know who you are and who I am, we need to find out who God is,” he said, introducing “The Seeker.” Daltrey then led a joyful version of “Long Live Rock,” complete with Townshend’s Chuck Berry-styled duck walk.
Next were “Pinball Wizard” and “See Me, Feel Me” from 1969’s groundbreaking Tommy. Daltrey’s turn for trouble began as the album’s “Listening to You” coda neared its conclusion. He made a pair of attempts at the final line and then stopped. “I can’t sing over this horrible sound,” he said. “It’s like singing in a tin can.” The singer turned his back and fumed while walking in circles for a moment. “I can’t do what you do, Roger,” said Townshend after a pause, before speaking the final line “always listening to you” and directing the band in the song’s final flourish. “Is there anything we can do, Rog?” asked Townshend in an effort to right the ship and shore up his musical partner of more than six decades.
Townshend returned his attention to the rapt audience and promised a handful of rarely played songs. The first was “Love Ain’t for Keeping” from landmark 1971 album Who’s Next. Daltrey regathered his composure and gave a powerful performance.
Townshend made a wry promise afterward. “Don’t worry, we won’t die,” he said. “Not tonight! We’ll save that for Philadelphia.” As the crowd laughed, the guitarist sat to play the intricate arpeggios of “Behind Blue Eyes” on acoustic guitar. Thousands of voices joined the band’s rich harmony during a stirring bridge. With its hypnotic and undulating synthesizer line, “Eminence Front” was a mesmerizing bed for Townshend’s playful improvisations on guitar.
Signature single “My Generation” was introduced in self-deprecating fashion. “Back in the Tommy years, we stopped playing this song because we thought we were too old,” Townshend said. The band tore into the song with vigor before Townshend called a quick halt. “I started playing the song in the key we used to play it in 1968,” he said. The band relaunched, and Daltrey gave menacing heft to the line “hope I die before I get old” while toying with the song’s stuttering cadence. At the solo break, Townshend traded surly riffs with bassist Jon Button.
The song segued into a revamped version of “Cry if You Want” from 1982’s It’s Hard. Daltrey recast the song’s message of shame and regret with a defiant adlib. “Get up, and own it,” he repeated. Simon Townshend sang “Going Mobile” in a rich voice that echoed his big brother Pete’s younger self, even while swapping some lyrics among verses. It was one of two songs never played by the Who before this tour.
In addition to sunsetting the band itself as a touring act, there were farewell tributes to dearly departed drummer Keith Moon and beloved bassist John Entwistle. These were particularly poignant as it was the anniversary of Moon’s passing in 1978. Townshend reminisced about early Who shows at Chicago’s Kinetic Playground, including one at which jazz legend Buddy Rich praised Moon’s drumming. “We miss him,” said Townshend of his madcap former bandmate. “There’ll never be another,” added Daltrey. “Thank goodness,” he added with a chuckle.
Quadrophenia fans roared at the announcement of four songs from the 1973 album, but the suite got off to a rocky start. Usually delivered as one of the Who’s most feral songs, “The Real Me” was defanged when Townshend’s guitar failed again and was absent for half of the song. In addition to a blast of monitor feedback that gave Daltrey an ear-splitting fright, it was the type of breakdown that was especially surprising given that the issue had already been experienced earlier in the night, the show had been through a thorough soundcheck by a first-class crew, and it was more than halfway through the tour. Then came the delicate “I’m One,” marred by another false start and a particularly naked guitar line that was botched in the first chorus. It wasn’t clear whether it was a tuning issue or a simple mistake, but Townshend’s consternation was evident as he soldiered on. Nonetheless, he ultimately laughed it off and fans remained firmly on his side.
It certainly wasn’t all errors as the show unfolded with a sense of ragged glory. There were spellbinding highlights, to be sure, like “5:15” and the bulk of “Love Reign O’er Me” featuring Daltrey’s stunningly powerful performance – until the final line, again. The singer took a couple of cracks at the last, full-throated high note before saying “Not tonight.” He then tackled the ending with a falsetto passage that raised a mighty ovation. “It’s fucking dry in here,” said the singer, who kept a small table full of therapeutic drinks close behind.
It’s worth remembering the rarity of Daltrey’s instrument. His voice is a finely tuned tool wielded with brute strength, subject to the ravages of atmosphere and age. He wasn’t “on” for the full evening, but when he was, his voice was a dexterous, full-bodied biological marvel. The few listeners still seated shifted to the edges of their seats in the pause before the final howl during “Won’t Get Fooled Again.” The song reliably brought the house down.
Townshend summed up his feelings on the performance. “On a night when we constantly fuck things up, you should really pay extra,” he quipped.
The band welcomed Katie Jacoby to the stage as a special performer to play the dervish violin part at the end of “Baba O’Riley.” The instrumentalist appeared in stylish concert dress topped with a black-strapped leather jacket.
The show concluded with a pair of genuinely touching and very human performances. Like “Going Mobile,” the tour’s namesake “The Song is Over” was also debuted as a live number this year more than 50 years following its release on Who’s Next. Daltrey’s interpretation exuded wistfulness for the memories, fondness for the experience, and gratitude for the fans who accompanied the band on its journey.
The estimable ensemble players including keyboardist Loren Gold, drummer Scott Devours (of Daltrey’s solo band, recently replacing Zak Starkey), veteran percussionist Jody Linscott, and singer John Hogg waved their goodbyes and left Daltrey and Townshend alone on stage. As Townshend sat to play the tender Endless Wire epilogue “Tea and Theatre,” Daltrey’s mic fell to the floor with a resounding thunk that seemed to encapsulate all of the other minor flaws experienced during the night. “That’s extra extra,” wisecracked Townshend. “That’s not the only thing that’s falling off,” added Daltrey with a laugh at his age-based innuendo. “At least that still works.” The singer placed his hand on his partner’s shoulder while singing a song that reflected upon shared glories of the past. The moment was not overlooked. Real tears were witnessed among the audience.
Daltrey offered a variation on his frequent benediction. “In the world today, think lucky,” he said. “Be lucky. Make it better.”
Townshend had earlier mentioned that he and Daltrey could reappear in Chicago someday, but not as the Who. If Townshend and Daltrey never make it back to town, Sunday’s show was a potent reminder of the Who’s determination to play by its own rules and under its own power. The song may be over, but that’s primarily due to the mortality that affects all of us. No mere calamity could stop the group often hailed as the World’s Greatest Rock Band.