Random comments 'bout Chicago

[Jim Topp <jtopp@indiana.edu>]

Here are some final comments from the Chicago show, before everyone 
starts talking about Detroit. I'll try not to be too repetitive in 
regard to earlier reviews (unlike my set lists from yesterday).

Rhetorical question: What do you think Pete regrets more, saying "I 
hope I die before I get old" or calling the 1982 tour the "farewell 
tour"?

Parking story: Pulling into the main entrance, I started following 
the other cars in my lane past a perfectly good, un-full lot towards 
some other lot much further from the entrance. Deciding I didn't like 
that idea, I turned around and snuck into the first lot and found a 
spot at the end of an aisle, right by the exit. A guy sitting next to 
the car next to mine made some comments about me stealing his idea. 
"He'll get over it," I thought as I walked away.

Billboard said the Who's show was 100 minutes. According to my watch, 
they started around 8:40 and finished around 10:55, with the encore 
break being less than 5 minutes. So that's still over two hours.

Some have said "Magic Bus" was too long. It was long, but I thought 
John then Zak had some amazing closing flourishes that were 
pleasantly unexpected. This after John was looking ESPECIALLY bored 
earlier in the song.

John did his solo in "5:15" as expected. However, I was more 
impressed with his solo in St. Louis in the Quad tour. Maybe that's 
because it was the first time I heard him play that live. Maybe the 
Chicago solo was too short. Maybe I'm thinking about "The Real Me."

During the final choruses of "You Better You Bet," Roger pointed 
right at ME (27th row, middle of the section on his far left). 
Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Roger often had problems with his earpieces falling out of his ears. 
He also had technical problems with his acoustic guitar on "The Kids 
Are Alright." On the positive side, on the last phrase of "The Real 
Me," he sang a brief but really high-pitched scream on the word 
"real." I thought, "Wow, the old geezer's still got it!"

During "Won't Get Fooled Again," Roger pointed to the AUDIENCE'S left 
for "The parting on the left..." and to the audience's right for 
"...is now the parting on the right." I wonder if that comes from his 
acting experience. I bet a lot of others would get that wrong.

Shannon at thewho.net mentioned missed lighting cues. It was a shame 
to not see Zak during his drum solo on "Won't Get Fooled Again"; the 
whole bloody stage was dark. Maybe that's why Pete's hand-held 
footage didn't turn out.

Crowd comments: I didn't notice any tie-dye, but I did have some pot 
smokers on my left and some dancers on my right. The dancers (women) 
were particularly pleased whenever Roger sang "Who the f*** are you." 
I could suggest a reason why, but it wouldn't be very polite.

The opening band, UnAmerican? Sorry. I didn't pay attention. They 
were a loud guitar-based band. What a surprise. ;-)

P.S. on the merchandise: Some clever souls (not me) who knew they 
were going to get a few things brought their own plastic 
grocery-store bags to carry stuff. I stuck my two t-shirts down the 
back of the shirt I was wearing during the show.

In closing, for those of you who think you spent too much for tickets 
or worry that your seats aren't good enough, all that frustration 
goes away when they hit the stage. Just stay away from the clowns 
spilling beer on everyone.

>I notice no new songs. Damn! I've VERY disappointed.

Mark,

You're not impressed with "Relay", "Don't Even Know Myself" or "Let's 
See Action"? The one good thing about waiting for Atlanta is that 
they may have new songs by then. Then I'll be "VERY disappointed" 
because Chicago was "too early" in the tour.

On the topic new songs, I was listening to tapes of the Who's 
reissued CDs on the way to Chicago. And I thought to myself (with my 
brain), "Wasn't 'How Can You Do It Alone' a song developed on the 
road?" Let's hope that's just a bad example. :^)

>There's a note at Pete's site at:
>www.petetownshend.com
>that the Lifehouse Chronicles boxset will be on sale at the merchandise
>outlets for The Who tour.  Good way for U.S.ers to circumvent those high
>shipping costs.

Brian,

I think with shipping and conversion rates I paid $86 for Chronicles from Eel
Pie. It's $90 at the show. A better way to put it would be "Good way for
U.S.ers to circumvent those long shipping times." (Although, I agree. 
The shipping rates from the UK seem a bit steep.)

>  >- One of the radio station booths had free big black & white
>>Lifehouse posters ("from the record company").
>
>Would that be Eelpie?

keets,

We assume so. I put that in quotes because that's all the radio guy said.

Jim