Denver Daily News on Denver

[Brian Cady]

http://www.thedenverdailynews.com/?page=details&id=3763

Many generations still talking about The Who 
By PETER MARCUS - November 15, 2006

It may have been their first world tour in over 20 years, but The Who played like a band that had been together every day for the past 20 years when they performed to an almost sold-out audience at Pepsi Center Tuesday night.

Pete Townshend was dressed in a blue suit and Roger Daltrey in classic jeans and a tucked-in T-shirt. They were mature men with a life of music under their belts, but it didn’t take long for Townshend to bring out the younger side of him. The first song of the evening was “I Can’t Explain,” and Townshend immediately jumped into his signature “windmill” as he furiously strummed his red-and-white Fender Stratocaster.

Opening the evening were fellow classic rockers The Pretenders. Chrissie Hynde looked hot in tight pants, black boots and a white sleeveless top. And that voice of hers seems to have remained constant throughout the years. There was little hesitation in her voice as she pounded through greatest hits like, “Message of Love,” “Don’t Get Me Wrong,” “My Baby,” and “My City Was Gone.”

Hynde joked around with an older audience at one point during the band’s 50 minute set.

“Who would have thought one day you’d be saying, ‘You kids don’t know how to rock,’?” she said. She also encouraged the audience to prevent cruelty to animals, which oddly received a boo from many concert goers.

After “My City Was Gone,” Hynde pulled out a tambourine. “I feel like Stevie Nicks,” she said.
The band played other classics like “I’ll Stand By You,” and “Back on the Chain Gang,” before closing the set.

The Pretenders weren’t the only band that evening who were playing into the older crowd gathered at Pepsi Center Tuesday night. Townshend recommended that his audience, “Keep your teeth in — you will need them later.”

The Who came on at 9:30 p.m. and joked about fantasies of being on a warm beach in Hawaii. The group had just battled winter storms on its way from a previous gig in Salt Lake City.

“But it’s warm in here,” yelled Townshend.

Indeed the audience was heated up for The Who by the time they took the stage. With images of the band in their early years up on screens across the stage, as well as abstract psychedelic images and flashes of the British flag, The Who traveled from hit-to-hit, as well as through some new songs from its latest album, “Endless Wire,” and its new mini rock opera, “Wire and Glass.”

Songs like “The Seeker” and “Substitute” came off as familiar favorites that the band played well. Daltrey’s voice was a little raspy, but certainly nothing terrible for a 62-year-old rock legend.

The band performed “Fragments,” a new song off of “Endless Wire,” to which most of the audience sat for.

“You guys are all fragments of something from up here,” said Townshend. “And you’re absolutely gorgeous.”

There were several highlights for the evening, but “Who Are You?” may have been their tightest performance. Townshend banged away at his guitar while Daltrey screamed. There was a classic “Who Are You” breakdown towards the end of the song, which the band completely nailed to the absolute delight of its audience.

“Behind Blue Eyes” was performed in front of a screen of psychedelic eyes with changing color pupils.
Somewhere along the way, towards the middle of the set, the band performed six songs off of its rock opera “Wire and Glass.” Some of it was weird, some of it was exciting, some of it was dull. But hey, it’s an opera, which is a story, so the audience just buckled up and came along for the ride.

Remember Townshend’s advice on keeping your teeth in? Good advice. Following the rock opera selection came “Baba O’Riley,” often mislabeled “Teenage Wasteland,” which blew away the audience. “They’re All Wasted,” and many were by that time in the show. Don’t misjudge this audience just because there were some older folks in the crowd. Marijuana and booze were going ‘round, and there were quite a few biker dudes and biker chicks, fathers in pink polos tucked in, and even a punk rocker or two who were letting it all hang out Tuesday night. Obviously a diverse audience.

“Eminence Front” was groovy and mellow, and we all “joined the party.”

The rest of the show was just hit after hit with “You Better You Bet,” “My Generation” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again.” Townshend and Daltrey didn’t seem to want to leave the stage. After first returning to the “Won’t Get Fooled Again” jam several times, they ended by hugging each other and then walking off stage. That is after Townshend made notice of all the “pretty girls” in the audience.

“Roger has been away from home for so long now,” came a “dirty old man” joke.

The band encored with “Pinball Wizard,” which ended with “See Me, Feel Me.”

Townshend and Daltrey hugged one more time, thus ending an incredible evening.
Grade: A-
 

-Brian in Atlanta
The Who This Month!
http://www.thewhothismonth.com


 
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