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Videos
I Can't Explain
Long Live Rock
5:15
Love Reign O'er Me
Won't Get Fooled Again
Won't Get Fooled Again
Baba O'Riley
Tea & Theatre
Press
Review by Ann Pearce
This review isn’t about a critique of the concert but more of what this band and the past two shows meant to me.
Toronto, this was our last chance to attend a Who concert here and say thanks to a band that means so much to Who fans. For this Canadian fan this band saved me and has always been there especially when times were tough. For me, the music helped me through very difficult times as a teen when I was lost trying to find myself, trying to fit in, in Pete’s lyrics and Roger’s voice I found that one note. It helped me through my fears and healing during cancer treatment. But the music was also there during happy times. During the birth of my son “Lifehouse Chronicles” was playing in the background. On Thursday, my son was by my side for the last Toronto show.
Thursday’s show was Roger and Pete’s final good bye to Toronto. You could feel everyone taking in every song, every microphone swing, every windmill, every scream, every guitar lick, enjoying that Roger Daltrey laugh, and every single lyric that was sung. Pete and Roger were having fun and if they forgot the lyrics to quote Roger who sang, “I forgot the lyrics but I don’t fucking care “.
We wanted it to last longer than the 2 hours. I was surrounded by the most amazing Who friends I could ask for. Fiercely dedicated to the band, selfless, interesting, warm, Who encyclopedias, and funny dear friends. With each song I saw my own life flash by me as it brought back memories of when I first heard it and what I was trying to sort out in my life at the time. I have a feeling every person in that amazing and loud audience was thinking back to a key moment when that particular Who song touched their soul. Scott Devours said to me afterwards, “this is one of the best crowds”.
The last two songs, “The Song is Over” and “Tea & Theatre” were the perfect goodbyes. Thank you Pete for these beautiful songs and thank you Roger for the power and passion you bring to these songs.
Be lucky Roger & Pete.
Review by Michael Hanley
Two nights later, here we go again. Toronto Sept 4th.
I mentioned my 90 year old mother in the Tuesday review. I forgot to mention she saw The Who before me! In 1967 she went to see Herman's Hermits in Toronto. Didn't recall the opener was The Who until I told her as a teenager.
My last Who show. Unless I win the lottery and fly to Vancouver. This show was a bit different than Tuesdays'.
Tom Cochran opened again, this time without Alex Lifeson, and still a solid opening loved by the hometown crowd. Again, the venue looked full at show time, including the lawns. Normally people sit on the lawns on blankets, but not this time. They were packed. No room to sit. Even the promoter smiled.
The Merch stand did a brisk business. $70 t-shirts. Remember in the Tommy movie when Keith is riding the organ that looks like a cross between a Wurlitzer jukebox and a cash register on wheels? And all the faithful attendees start to rebel over the EXORBITANT prices of the records, t-shirts, glasses and cork? It crossed my mind as I eyed a gorgeous jacket. $700!!!! I guess I'll wait till the end of the tour and see if there are any left at a reduced price.
During Tuesdays' show, the crowd mostly sat until around the Seeker or Long Live Rock. Tonight we were on our feet the moment they took stage and stayed that way almost the entirety of the show. I admit, I took a well-deserved sit-down during "I'm One" just because I'm an old fart now, but not boring!
I love that they start off with "I Can't Explain" and "Substitute". Just like the old days, it just feels right. Too bad they don't play "Heaven and Hell". Which brings up a good point. I am sad they stopped playing all Entwistle songs after his passing. I was hoping knowing this was goodbye, they might do "My Wife" or better yet, "905" because the 905 area code is local to the area surrounding Toronto. "Pinball Wizard" and "See Me. Feel Me" got tremendous applause.
A little side fact: I collect Pinball machines and owned for many years a Data East "The Who's Tommy Pinball Wizard" that Data East had given to Pete when he lived in NYC during Tommy on Broadway. He autographed it before giving it back to Data East when he moved back to the U.K. It had less than 100 plays on it when I acquired it, so he wasn't a huge fan of playing it.
Another thing that urked me. The whole show, the background screen shows cool montages and images. I didn't see a single image of Kenny. I don't believe the downfall of The Who in 82 was Kenny's fault. Years ago on Rockline, a caller asked Pete about Kenny Jones and Pete said that one day at "future celebrations" he hoped Kenny would play with them again. Well, this would have been a good future celebration to reunite. Yes the Kenny era was only 4 years, but 4 HUGELY popular years, in ticket sales and record sales. Pontiac Silverdome, Shea Stadium and several nights in Toronto, let along all the other shows across North America.
My Generation was just as good the second time with Cry If You Want mixed in. Scott was solid on drums again. As much as I love Zak, Scott is pretty good too. Also, I'm really liking Jon Button. Mainly because I can hear him in the mix. We just need him to get more aggressive on The Real Me. Loved seeing Katie back for 90 seconds of Baba. Is she playing at all shows? Roger was great again. everal times you could see him smiling on stage. Loving every second of it. Unlike their buddies, Oasis, who played Toronto recently, who look like they detest every second on stage.
And again, Roger still carried LROM like a man half his age. He received a huge ovation at the end of the song this time, rightly deserved, although Pete didn't comment. Speaking of Pete. His pedal issue was resolved tonight. He is and always will be my favourite musician. His playing was excellent but he was quieter tonight. Meaning he didn't talk between songs as much as the other night, and didn't talk much at the very end. In fact, it looked like even Roger was surprised Pete bolted from the stage so quickly after T&T. If he was feeling bad about his last Toronto gig, the solution is bloody easy man, do a solo show here next spring! Pete mentioned Tuesday that Roger and him would not tour again as The Who. That's fine, but maybe now it's time to call up Ringo and Paul and get the Whootles together. Oh wait, Ringo's still pissed about Zak. ????
A great ending to Toronto's love affair with The Who.
Review by Todd Sylvester
It's funny, Budweiser's stage has been around a long time. When we arrived on Thursday it was just clearing out so there was garbage everywhere. In the day. It used to be so much fun cuz you could go to Ontario place. Spend the day there, lots to do and then go to your show. Needless to say it was a little messy from the x CNE.
I have a lot of good memories of that particular venue. It has great sound. It's got great sight lines. It has a great deep bowl for the lawn so you can see and then a ledge back on the lawn so that you can really get a good look at the band. There is a roof covering up to the 400s and it is built like an amphitheater so it's built very well for sound.
I've seen many shows there and the last time I saw the Who there I believe was in 96/97 when they were on the Quad tour. It's almost kind of on an island and there's a bridge that goes over it, and in 96/97 I remember seeing Billy Nichols go over it then Simon Townshend followed him. Then there was somebody else I can't remember and I was waving.
That was the first time I ever got to see Roger outside of the context of The Who because him and Heather were signing in back and I started to say hey look there's Roger and then he dashed back into his hotel room. But needless to say that was quite an exciting moment for me. But I didn't know what was to come later down the road.
Anyways, on to the show, we had a great group of hooligans there. George, Ray, and Derek, some Who elites for sure. We got comfortable into our seats and we had a gentleman named Tom Cochran open up who is a Canadian icon and just a great way to open up the show cuz he's got some great rocking tunes.
I did not get a set list so I don't really remember the order of the tunes, but it's been pretty much following what the set list has been so far. With Long Live Rock thrown in which has been a nice little treat and a good array of songs.
Everybody is playing very well. They look like they're having fun. Roger, of course will have his cranky moments once in awhile if things aren't just perfect. All in all the band is on fire. Roger is unstoppable. It's unbelievable that at 81 he can sing the way he can sing.
The highlight of the concert was definitely his Love Rein O'er me because he pauses and when he gives his full on the line of love rain over me, it's just unbelievable. That was the moment in the show and the audience definitely gave back the most energy and just standing ovation for 5 minutes. It was incredible. Even Pete just keeps pointing to him like that's the man. They both defy age when they get on stage. I don't know what Roger does to keep those vocals oils but he's still going strong.
I sat with Jody Linscott after the show and I asked her. I said this is sad, this is it, and she wrote on my program "believe and who knows what can happen". Here we go again, but anyways they are saying Rog and Pete says this is it. We're not coming back so enjoy. If they're going out this way then they're creating perfect memories because the songs in the set list. The visuals that are going with it now behind the screen are incredible. You can get some really neat shots with them in behind the screen that make first some really cool photography moment.
The whole set started very strongly with I Can't Explain and finished just amazingly with Tea and Theater. I don't know that just makes me emotional. They're together. It's just the two of them and all the words are just so fitting. Roger changes them up just a little bit to take the kind of then in the past tense as out of it and make it about the present tense.
There's still a few shows left on the tour and I would highly recommend that you go grab a show most definitely.
I was lucky enough to be given some backstage passes to this by Scott Devours. So we went to Mingo with the band afterwards and it was great being able to talk to all of them. My biggest thrill I turned around and Bill Curbishley was staring me right in the face. I just about died. That was a great moment. I got to talk to him for about 15 minutes about the whole Legacy my feelings. He was such a nice man. I got to meet everybody in the band and that made it just an incredible night.
If this is the way that it ends then I'm okay. You realize the music is in the veins of your life. The people that you meet along the way become part of a family and that's it. It's the combination of those two things, the who's music And the friends you make along the way. In fact, I'd like to dedicate Tea & Theater to all my really good who friends out there that I've made over the years and I know this may be a little selfish, but I definitely have to mention Ann Pierce. 20 years ago we did our first concert and everyone has just been better after that. That's the point you're surrounded by the people you love and you get cherry-eyed and emotional because I've been doing this for 45 years and it really does feel like it's coming to a close.
The band was tight. There's no doubt about it but what's nice about it is they seem loose almost as if this is the last time because they're giving it their all. Go see The Who you won't be disappointed!