Photos by Arnie Goodman
The Who stepped onto the massive Madison Square Garden stage backed by a symphony orchestra, a chorale, and a mission to please the sold-out crowd: Mission accomplished.
Pete Townshend gave a short heartfelt speech—one of several—saying “What an occasion!” before the assembled musicians launched into the Overture from their groundbreaking rock opera Tommy, followed by a healthy selection of the memorable cuts from the record, further whipping up the audience.
The diminutive Dalton, who’s kept an athlete’s physique and a movie-star’s jawline, still has vocals as powerful as ever although occasionally, especially at the beginning, a tad ragged about the edges. Outfitted in a snug T-shirt and jeans, he was in sharp contrast to Townshend, who dressed for an event in a black suit and stylish red pocket square. Appearing to enjoy himself throughout, Townshend did take the performance seriously. At one point, just before “Pinball Wizard,” Townshend momentarily barked at the audience: “No shouting! It’s a fucking opera!” Both men put their hearts into “See Me, Feel Me,” with Daltry giving his all and Townshend windmilling away at the guitar and whipping up energy both onstage and off.
Townshend told the audience how much New York City meant to him, having been befriended by many New Yorkers following 9/11. They then launched into a rousing “Who Are You,” provoking yet another standing ovation. Daltry improvised “Who the fuck are you?”, prompting laughter from the band.
The following song, “Imagine the Man,” began with an intro by the beautiful first violin Katie Jacoby (who had appeared numerous times on the JumboTron) and cellist Audrey Snyder. Daltry went up on the lyrics, but corrected himself and sang the missing lyrics at the end, sheepishly explaining it was “a senior moment.”
Midconcert, the orchestra and chorus left the stage for a break, leaving the band alone, as Daltry quipped, “to fuck things up even more.” Daltry finally dumped his earpiece (which had been in and out all evening), Townshend took off his jacket and they really seemed to gear up for fun. “Substitute,” “Won’t Get Fooled Again” and “I can See for Miles” proved one inescapable truth: The Who had the hoopla, the rock moves, they could play and sing, but above all, they had the songs. Great, enduring songs which do not—and may never—sound dated.
Townshend had his own moment, an acoustic “Is It Me?” that he had to restart, having forgotten the words. A very loose, confident performer, Townshend told us “This isn’t old age, I’ve never been good at remembering words.” And why shouldn’t he be confident? The Who, and Townshend in particular, have nothing to prove. In fact, the final song, “Baba O’Riley,” says as much: “I get my back into my living. I don’t need to fight to prove I’m right. I don’t need to be forgiven.”
After their bows and before leaving the stage, Roger Daltry lost what little cool he seems to possess, and said “Fuck you!” repeatedly to a lucky (or privileged) few in the front row, telling them they had ruined the concert by smoking pot, to which he is highly allergic. Why he didn’t say something quietly earlier, or tell Security before the concert to quash any smoking, I have no idea—this couldn’t be the first time people have smoked near the stage. Townshend, who has been known to have issues with his vocalist in the past, rose to the occasion and said he thought the concert was “just great. Wasn’t it?” A bit of a down note to end an otherwise extraordinary night of music from one of the world’s greatest bands.
—Suzanne Cadgene
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