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Videos
Soundcheck
Soundcheck
I Can't Explain / Substitute
I Can't Explain
Substitute
Who Are You
Who Are You
I Can See For Miles
I Can See For Miles
Long Live Rock
Long Live Rock
Long Live Rock
Pinball Wizard
Pinball Wizard
See Me Feel Me
Another Tricky Day
Another Tricky Day
Another Tricky Day
Behind Blue Eyes
Eminence Front
Eminence Front
My Generation
My Generation
My Generation
You Better You Bet
Going Mobile
The Real Me / I'm One
The Real Me
I'm One
5:15
Love Reign O'er Me
Won't Get Fooled Again
Won't Get Fooled Again
Baba O'Riley
Baba O'Riley
Baba O'Riley
The Song is Over
Tea & Theatre
Tea & Theatre
Tea & Theatre
Press
Review by Carrie Pratt
The first time that I saw The Who perform was at the Seattle Center Coliseum on October 14, 1976. I was 15 years old, and it was the second concert I ever went to, following my debut as a concertgoer at the Yes show at the same venue a few months earlier. I had been a huge fan of The Who from an early age, when I first heard them play I Can See For Miles on the radio in 1967, and avidly listened to all their records after that, which my older brother brought home as soon as they were released.
The 1976 North American tour followed on the heals of the hugely popular Tommy film, which I saw multiple times in the theatre, so they were at the height of their popularity here. The Seattle show was close to the end of end of the tour, and they all performed at the peak of their power. The show was so phenomenal, and will be etched in my memory forever. Sadly, it turned out to be the last show Keith Moon played in the US.
A few years ago I discovered a box of my old school work, and found a review I had written about that show. It was the first concert review that I had ever written, and I think it describes the show pretty well. I will share it here at the bottom of this page. This first show was so special, but it was only the start of my Who journey, and I have seen them many times since, in many different cities. To me, they have always been the most exciting and powerful band to watch live!
Nearly 50 years later, The Who have returned to that same venue that I first went to, now named Climate Pledge Arena. The arena is the home of the Seattle Kraken hockey and Seattle Storm basketball teams, and has had extensive renovations to it to create one of the best sounding venues for concerts. The acoustics in that place are awesome! I rarely go to arena concerts anymore, and this one may very well be my last one ever. One of the reasons is the horrible logistics of travelling from my home in Bellevue to the Seattle Center on a week night, when all the tech workers pour out of our neighborhood and clog up the freeways. As well as the concert that night, there was also a major Mariners game happening at the same time. Fortunately, as part of venues deal with the Kraken, they have beefed up the Seattle Center Monorail to run often and late at night for any event at Climate Pledge, so we ended up taking a bus and the monorail to and from the show, which worked like a breeze! Perhaps I may rethink my boycott of going to any more shows there!
When we arrived at the Seattle Center, we grabbed our VIP backstage passes at the will call office, and followed the instructions that led us down into the bowels of Climate Pledge. We were happy to see a group of friends gathered there, and had a nice chat with them before the show. We also got to meet Katie Jacobi, the lovely violinist who has toured with The Who and Roger's solo band since they added the orchestra a few years ago. Katie joined the show in the middle of this tour when they got to New York, so she gets to play her awesome solo at the end of Baba O'Riley, which always gives the show a big lift of energy. We also got to meet the bass player Jon Button backstage after the show.
As magic hour approached, we made our way up to our seats fairly high in the venue, but had a perfect view overlooking the stage. The ticket prices for these shows were just too crazy for anything even remotely close, so we opted for something a bit further away, but still had great sound and an unobstructed view. I think the seats were good, but I do wish we were a little closer to the stage. The sound was fantastic though, and we were pretty happy with our location. The crowd around us were excellent too. No annoying talking during the show, which is another reason we quit going to concerts. Looking out over the arena, the place was packed. There were just a few small patches of empty seats. I was very worried the show wasn't going to sell well enough and might have been cancelled, but they managed to fill it up. Not sure how, but I'm so glad they did!
The opening band was Candlebox, a 90's band from Seattle that I had never heard before. They were really cool! I will have to listen to more of their music! We had a nice chat with Quadrophenia producer Ron Nevison after the show, who also produced the album Happy Pills for Candlebox in 1998. Pete Townshend mentioned this on stage at the start of the show.
Then the moment I had been waiting for after all these weeks of diligently following them online, gathering up photos and reviews from happy fans after each show and producing concert pages for this website. I finally get to see them play live! Needless to say, they did not disappoint!!!
The band was absolutely on fire all night. It's nice that the Seattle shows are always close to the end of the tour, because they are usually at their peak, and this show was no exception! Pete played with a great deal of fire and energy, still throwing in a few of his trademark windmills, and was able to stretch out on solos a bit more with the stripped down lineup of musicians. While I did enjoy the orchestra from the past couple of tours, I'm so glad they went to this more traditional lineup for this last tour.
Roger's singing was so amazing! The youtube videos just don't do justice to the sound that was emanating out of the speakers. He sounded positively angelic in some parts. His voice is still so powerful and clear. It's really a joy to hear.
The whole band were fantastic. Simon Townshend is such a powerful player, and is the bands secret weapon. His versatile guitar playing and backup singing is always just superb. Loved hearing him play Going Mobile! Jon Button and Scott Devour were amazing on bass and drums, providing a rock solid rhythm, along with the sensational Jody Linscott on percussion. Loren Gold was brilliant as always on keyboards. And the backup vocals were incredible! John Hogg is a great addition to help provide the high notes. They have turned into the Beach Boys!
Pete and Roger were in a great mood all night, and there was a lot of fun banter, which is always my favorite part of the show. They talked about Seattle a few times, and Roger told a story about Keith Moon fishing at the Edgewater and putting the fish in the bathtub for the maid to clean up. He said he remembered when Seattle was a big steel town back in the 60's, and how much it has changed. Growing up here, I don't really remember Seattle being much of a steel town. We were very much a one company town back then, and that company was Boeing!
The setlist was a really good retrospective from The Who's illustrious career, covering all their major hits and included a few lovely deep cuts that they have rarely played over the years. They haven't changed the song line up too much throughout the tour, and there wasn't anything new played in Seattle.
A stand out moment for me was I Can See For Miles, which featured absolutely stunning vocal harmonies from the band. I think there are 6 singers now! The sound just soared through the air from our birds-eye view up in the rafters. It brought back good memories of first hearing this song played on the radio in 1967, when it always jumped out of the speakers of my transistor radio even back then.
I was excited to hear them play Long Live Rock, featuring Pete on vocals. They rarely play that one, and it is such a joy to listen to. It brings me good vibes, because I used to run the Long Live Rock fan website, named after that song!
The Tommy and Quad songs are always highlights for me, as they are my favorite albums. I really wish that they would move Tommy to the end of the show, and include my favorite songs Amazing Journey and Sparks. That combo followed by See Me Feel Me / Listening to You would make such an emotional ending to the show, or at least a wonderful lead up to the end.
But the ending they did do was very beautiful. I really love having The Song is Over and Tea & Theatre close out the show. They were both quite emotional to hear. So poignant. And so sad that this is their final show.
Pete and Roger lingered for quite a few minutes at the end, and talked about how sad it was to say goodbye to our wonderful city, and how many good times and memories they have had here in Seattle. Pete said they have toured so much here since the very beginning, and the places they chose to play this tour were picked very carefully, joking they just wanted to be near water! I'm so thankful they included my home town on their short list of cities this tour!
After the show was over, we made a beeline back to the backstage area, where we got to chat for a few minutes with Pete Townshend! It was so wonderful to talk to him again. It was the perfect ending to a perfect evening.
If this is the last time I see The Who, it was a perfect one to close out 50 years of shows, seeing them play in the same venue as my very first show.
In the back of my mind though, I would love to see them at least one more time in London...
Review by Susie Zhang
Soundcheck
Roger welcomed us by saying, “I can’t believe you paid so much money here to suffer.” Actually, it was no suffering at all - the soundcheck felt really relaxed. We watched from a distance. I noticed that Pete called Roger “Rog” even in private conversation, which I thought was really sweet.
Pete wore white trousers, a dark red shirt, and a blue jacket — such a classic Pete look, and very much a Who palette. At one point Pete told Scott that Roger thought a drumming part was a little slow. Pete said he’d been counting the beats, but the more he counted, the more he got it wrong. I could never get bored of listening to them talk about these details. I also noticed that when Roger practiced his high notes, he screamed in a very small voice.
At the end of soundcheck, Simon played some beautiful chords. Roger encouraged him to keep going, but Simon only played I Am the Answer until the rest of the band left the stage. It was a great song!
VIP Lounge
I thought it would be like a little museum, full of rare photos, instruments, or band memorabilia. Instead, there was only a small exhibition. The light food was Mexican, tasted okay but didn’t have many options. Cocktails were terrible. They had board games (no one touched them) and two vinyl players, but one was broken, and meanwhile background music was coming from a stereo. Honestly, the VIP lounge felt badly planned. They could’ve given us books or biographies to read, or let us watch The Kids Are Alright on TV.
The Official Show
Since it was Seattle, Roger told a story about Keith Moon at the Edgewater Inn, how he fished mud sharks and put them in bathtubs, and also threw furniture around. He then apologized on Keith’s behalf.
At the beginning of I Can See for Miles, Roger was about to sing, but Pete said something about water or tea. Just as Roger agreed and went to fetch his cup, Pete immediately teased him with a “3,2,1” countdown, so Roger had to run back to the mic. It was fun to watch.
Before Long Live Rock, Pete mentioned how in the UK, when a king died, they would say, “The king is dead, long live the king!” He adapted it into his own version for rock and roll, and then they launched into the song.
Simon’s power chords had such a bright, crisp sound during Pinball Wizard. Pete made a few mistakes at the start of Eminence Front and sang “sunshine” twice, but overall his playing and singing were smoother than when I saw them in New York.
By Another Tricky Day, Roger talked about today’s world being full of turmoil. He said everything is changing and the only thing we can really understand is that we can’t control it. It’s just another tricky day!
Before My Generation, a big photo of Pete, Mick Jagger, and Paul McCartney appeared on screen. Pete joked that some people asked, “Can Townshend even walk?” Then he danced around a bit to prove he could.
Pete said Quadrophenia was about youth — that at 28 he was still trying to grow up, and it was downhill from there. Honestly, I think he’s still growing up now. That’s what I love most about him.
Roger’s voice kept getting stronger as the night went on. At the end of Love Reign O’er Me, he missed the high notes but sang in a joking tone: “I’ll try one more time.” After two attempts, he nailed it. I thought it was perfectly imperfect — those human mistakes and banters stick with you even longer. Then Roger tried to leave the stage, but after several of us (including me) shouted his name, he came back and nailed Won’t Get Fooled Again.
During Baba O’Riley, Pete and Roger sang the “Don’t cry, don’t raise your eye” part together, while the audience sang the “Teenage Wasteland” part. It was touching. Katie’s violin solo was amazing as always, though I couldn’t hear Roger’s harmonica very well. I especially love his harmonica in I’m One.
Tea and Theatre was deeply moving. I always feel Roger’s vocal has improved a lot on this song since 2006. It's all in it: the music, the desire, the violence, the vibrancy; Pete and Roger’s lifelong conflicts and their affection for each other; their commitment to the audience and the audience’s devotion to them — all of it shows the constant life and youth of this band despite all the chaos and loss. They kept their promise of not growing old. They just learned how to grow up and mellow. Maybe that’s what Tea and Theatre is about, and maybe that’s the true essence of their legacy.
Pete also seemed really emotional during it. I saw him wipe away tears when they played it in Mountain View, and maybe that’s why he wore sunglasses in Seattle. Roger clearly noticed Pete’s sadness, and he almost reached for him in the middle, but instead just decided to gaze at him with tenderness, patted his back at the end. They told us it was hard to say goodbye to Seattle, but that was it, and Roger wished us luck.
After the Show
I met friends and we talked for two hours. It was wonderful. On my way out, several people complimented my energy and my dancing - it was only because I was enjoying myself too much unabashedly since it's the last time! They also praised my outfit as I wore a fringe jacket like Roger’s at Woodstock. I love the vibe in this small who village! My Wholigan friends asked a passer-by to take a photo for us together, and he also happened to be a wholigan. He told us to shout “Love Reign O’er Me" instead of “cheese.” It was truly amazing.
We laughed a lot all night. Surprisingly I didn’t cry. After being a young Asian fan for eight years (a big fan only for one year), I finally moved to the U.S. to see them live. It already felt like a miracle, but also something I quite deserved. I know this show, and this band, and the friends I made along the way has made me a more complete person. In the fan letter I delivered to Pete and Roger (Thanks to Nicola, the VIP manager of the tour), I wrote: "It may sound strange, but you are the person in the whole world whose happiness I wish for the most, even though I don’t know you at all." That kind of serene, unrequited love will stay with me and it's no longer just for the band. I feel - and maybe I am more connected with the world through the tunnel of their music. Even if it's just an illusion, I still cherish it.
On the way home, my friend Kit asked me, “Have you ever thought about what you’ll do when the day comes that they pass away?” I said I hoped by then I would’ve been out of the fandom, so it wouldn’t hurt too much. He replied, “Do you know Molly on Tumblr? She fell in love with The Who at 15, now she’s 70, and she’s still commenting under my posts.”
Honestly, I don’t know where I’ll be at 70, or how I’ll think about this band and these four people I love so deeply right now. But just like no matter how my feelings for The Beatles may change, whenever I pass by Strawberry Fields in Central Park and hear someone play their songs, I always feel enormous happiness for the simple fact that they existed. Similarly, whenever I look up and see the Space Needle lit up, I’ll remember tonight. I have my own Sleepless in Seattle moment, and my version is even more unforgettable and romantic.
Review of 1976 Seattle show by Carrie Matthew (Pratt)
THE WHO: IN CONCERT
Seattle Center Coliseum, October 14, 1976
The excitement bloomed in the air months before the grand concert was announced. People crowded into stores just to buy tickets to this event. For years, The Who made a tremendous impact on their audiences with songs that revolve through our minds again and again. Now the time had come to prove to us that they still had the magnetism that they once produced years ago.
People from all age groups gathered in a huge mob, which extended from the Coliseum doors to the streets. There they chanted and screamed, requesting that the barricading doors be opened and for them to enter. Finally, the moment came and the pushing crowd filed in. They ran madly to what they considered the prime viewing seats. After the crowd mellowed out and the gigantic room filled the air with smoke, the magic time came.
The familiar faces of the foursome entered the stage and the spirits of the crowd rose as they screamed their approval. Although they were fashioned in a casual attire of jeans and T shirts, they had an essence about them that was pure professional. When they broke into their first song, the energy seemed to pulse through the audience.
The whole stage was dynamically lit with bright fluorescent colors. There were a few tasty effects to tantalize the audience, such as green laser lights shooting across the room, appearing to touch the crowd. At the climax of one popular song, the band turned on some powerful spot lights and shined them on the people. The crowds excitement and love flowed back to the stage.
Each member of The Who showed every sign of a professional performer. Roger Daltrey strutted around the stage and belted out each note with perfect pitch. He spun his microphone over his head and marched around the stage in rhythmatic steps. Pete Townshend banged out chords that vibrated in perfect harmony. With each stroke he added gigantic leaps and bounds catching the crowds attention. Keith Moon kept perfect beat adding his own touches for spice. He threw his drumsticks and caught them again, missing not a single beat. He had remarkable talent.
All and all the concert guaranteed a grand time for all.
Review by Carrie Matthew – October 1976