The lead-up to The Who‘s North American farewell tour could have been a bit bumpy, however the legendary rock band was in positive type at New York Metropolis’s Madison Sq. Backyard on Saturday evening (August thirtieth).
“The World’s Most Well-known Area,” because it’s identified, has been a particular place for The Who over time, with the band having performed MSG three-dozen occasions, together with their show-stealing 2001 efficiency on the Live performance for New York Metropolis honoring first responders simply six weeks after the 9/11 assaults.
Saturday night started with a set by indie singer-songwriter Feist, whose enchanting vocals echoed properly via the sector. She expressed gratitude and awe in having the possibility to open for an iconic band like The Who, and was acquired warmly by the group, regardless that her efforts to pump them up for the headliner fell a bit brief. Nonetheless, by the top of her set, she had many within the viewers singing alongside to her signature tune “1234.”
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As talked about, it hasn’t precisely been easy crusing in The Who’s camp within the months main as much as the farewell outing. A messy breakup with drummer Zak Starkey stole headlines for a couple of weeks, whereas singer Roger Daltrey questioned aloud if he would even make it to the top of the tour, citing his well being and age as issues. The truth is, The Who needed to postpone a few latest exhibits in Atlantic Metropolis and Philadelphia as a consequence of an undisclosed sickness inside the band.
But, when The Who took the stage shortly earlier than 9 p.m. at Madison Sq. Backyard on Saturday evening, every thing appeared to fall into place. The band kicked issues off with their early single “I Can’t Clarify,” and banged out the classics “Substitute” and “Who Are You” proper after. Daltrey’s voice sounded as robust because it’s been in years, whereas Pete Townshend had a spring in his step as he delivered his trademark windmill guitar transfer with loads of gusto.
Now’s most likely time to level out that Daltrey is 81 and Townshend is 80, and it’s doubtless neither envisioned themselves rocking out this difficult of their eighties — in spite of everything, it was Townshend and Daltrey who respectively wrote and sang the notorious line, “I hope I die earlier than I get previous.” However right here they had been, bringing the rock to the MSG crowd greater than 60 years after forming the band.
The set continued with Townshend taking lead vocals on the rarity “Lengthy Reside Rock,” carried out for the primary time since 2014. Different highlights of the center of the set included “Pinball Wizard,” “Behind Blue Eyes,” and an prolonged model of “My Technology.” The band additionally represented their post-Keith Moon early ’80s Kenney Jones period with standouts like “Eminence Entrance” and “You Higher You Wager.”
