Re: 1989 tommy video

["Schrade, Scott" <sschrade@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> For me anyway, that tour was actually quite good if you were there


'89 was my first Who show.  And as much as I bitch about the '89 tour
I *did* enjoy going to the show.  I thought it would be the only time
I would ever get to see The Who!

Front row at the now demolished Cleveland Stadium.  Sounds good but
there was a huge photographers pit, plus I had some surly bouncer dude
just staring at *me* while I was trying to watch the show!  It was
very disconcerting.  Like I was gonna rush stage or something.

I was just like, "Holy shit, there they are.  Pete, Roger, & John.  Real.  
In the flesh."  I tried not to concern myself with all the other people.

I got John's attention as they came on stage & he looked down & gave me 
the thumbs up.  I nearly wet myself.  I couldn't get Daltrey to look
at me.  I was sitting on OX's side so Pete seemed way far away.  I *was*
in his line of vision, though.

Then Daltrey threw me his tambourine (I was the only one going crazy in
the first row!) but the guy next to me grabbed it.  I always tell that
story, & it always bothers me that I didn't get that tambourine.  Fuck.

But my cosmic Whoness (!) was corrected in 2002 when the powerful, all-
seeing Roger Daltrey threw me his towel in Columbus.  I wasn't to be 
denied that time.

> I was actually disappointed Kenney wasn't there...

Me, too.  I wanted Kenney, also.

> My Generation from '89 tour... Was Pete on lead guitar? 

Yeah, he was.  Electric.  Some songs were performed stripped down on the
'89 tour.  The extras would leave the stage at certain points & the band
would play as a 5- or 6-piece.  But that was only for a few of the early
singles.

And wasn't Pete playing Richenbachers?  It was a very tame-sounding
electric guitar.  Very clean.  Not loud & distorted at all.

The 20-minute intermission was odd.  And I remember a fight breaking out
a few seats down from me during "Baba" - and that upset me.  There were
too many jocks & fluff-chicks in the first few rows.  That depressed me.
Those people weren't Who freaks.

Man, all the '89 show memories are flooding back to me.  I'm glad I went.
No doubt about it.  Like I said, I thought that show was it.  I thought
that was going to be my only chance at seeing my glorious Who.

But in hindsight, & compared to subsequent tours, the '89 tour now seems
daft, limp, diluted, & bloated.  But that's hindsight.


- SCHRADE in Akron

The Council For Secular Humanism
http://www.secularhumanism.org/