Boston Herald review of Mansfield

[Brian Cady <brianinatlanta2001@xxxxxxxxx>]

On line at:
http://www2.bostonherald.com/entertainment/music/who09282002.htm

Fiery performance shows Who still matters 

Music Review/by Sarah Rodman 
Saturday, September 28, 2002
The Who, with Counting Crows, at the Tweeter Center in
Mansfield, last night.

This is the last Who show ever, in history! Just after
this stunning proclamation Pete Townshend added with a
grin, just kidding.

It was, in fact, the last stop on the U.S. leg of the
veteran British rockers' current tour. But if it had
been the very last, the Who fans at the Tweeter Center
would've had quite a tale to tell, indeed.

Put simply the two hour and 15 minute performance was
nothing short of rock 'n' roll arson. The controlled
abandon of Townshend's beyond god-like guitar work and
the voluminous energy put forth by frontman Roger
Daltrey is the best tribute the pair could offer to
late Who bassist John Entwistle - who passed away two
days before the start of the tour - and no doubt this
show put a broad smile on his face wherever he may be.
Entwistle's visage was later seen on overhead video
screens much to the delight of the not-quite-sold-out
crowd.

The majesty of Townshend's wizardry cannot be
overstated. Last night the 57-year-old legend was
almost overwhelming marrying precision with
gut-churning fire on solos as disparate as the skewed
caterwauling that closed a raucous ``My Generation''
to the stone sweetness of the lyrical lines that
danced through a supremely funky ``Eminence Front.''

Daltrey, the buffest aging rock star this side of Iggy
Pop, matched his partner with his patented microphone
twirling and signature vocal bluster, keeping his
voice for most of the night and nailing just the right
combination of pathos and soul on songs like ``Behind
Blue Eyes'' and ``Love Reign O'er Me.'' In fact the
cracks that did begin to show in his vocal cords only
added to the vibe of torture on the last song.

The rest of the band acquitted themselves nicely with
special mention needing to be made of drummer Zak
Starkey, who played more simply - who doesn't? - than
original drummer Keith Moon, but with his own
inventive intensity.

Townshend's brother Simon beefed up the guitar sound
on several songs and added welcome harmonies on the
cooing, Beatlesque pop gem ``The Kids Are Alright''
and the gentle to thrashing ``Behind Blue Eyes.''
Replacement bassist Pino Palladino is clearly in the
groove now - he's certainly not mixed low as he was
reportedly early on in the tour - and his slippery
bass lines on ``Another Tricky Day'' - which Townshend
dedicated to Entwistle - were a hip-shaking charm.

John Rabbit Bundrick supplied the indispensable,
signature percolating keyboards on ``Baba O'Riley''
and the truly cathartic set closer ``Won't Get Fooled
Again.''

Hits were also the order of the evening for openers
the ``Counting Crows.'' The Bay Area rockers played a
solid 40-minute set of their crunchy, melodic tunes
including a bouncy ``Mr. Jones,'' the gorgeously
melancholic ``A Long December'' and a trio from their
first-rated new album ``Hard Candy.''
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