Winnipeg Free Press on Winnipeg

[Brian Cady]

http://tinyurl.com/fvh2e

They’re still royalty
By Rob Williams
 
They didn’t die before they got old, so it’s up to the two surviving members of The Who to carry on the band’s legacy.

The question for the multi-generational crowd of 10,000 at the MTS Centre Tuesday night was whether vocalist Roger Daltrey, 62, and guitarist Pete Townshend, 61, could handle the burden of retaining their title of rock ’n’ roll royalty without giving their fans the feeling they were simply being fooled.

And the answer for the most part was yes, the old guys were still alright. Daltrey can’t hit the high notes like he could in his prime — he didn’t even attempt the scream at the beginning of Won’t Get Fooled Again — and Townshend doesn’t have the boundless energy he once did, but the duo managed to pull off being The Who without embarrassing themselves, or breaking any hips, by mixing in early rock and mod classics with their first new material in more than two decades.

Of course the commanding presence of the famed rhythm section of manic drummer Keith Moon, who died in 1978, and stoic bassist John Entwistle, who died in 2002, was missed, but drummer Zak Starkey (Ringo Starr’s son) and bassist Pino Palladino did their best to emulate the two irreplaceable members. The group was rounded out by Townshend’s brother Simon on second guitar and keyboardist John Bundrick.

They kicked off their first Winnipeg show since 1978 with the ’60s British Invasion nuggets I Can’t Explain, The Seeker and Anyway Anyhow and Anywhere while black and white images of the original band in their heyday flashed on eight video screens above and behind them.

Daltrey may be the frontman, but his subdued antics with the mic don’t hold anything on Townshend’s exaggerated windmilling arm; it was hard to take your eyes off one of rock’s greatest guitarists and songwriters as he tore through Who Are You or softened his touch for Behind Blue Eyes.

The show could have easily been a simple rehashing of old favourites, but instead the current tour includes a road-testing of songs from their forthcoming album Endless Wire, their first new material since 1982.

“We’ve got a new album coming out Oct. 30th (Britain’s release date) and without it we probably wouldn’t be here. It’s great to be back,” Townshend said after Fragments, a slower contemplative number which had Daltrey wondering “Are we breathing out or breathing in?”

When it comes to classic rock bands like the Who, the new songs are usually a good time to hit the washroom or grab a beer, but this time the crowd seemed genuinely interested to hear what Townshend has been working on.

Of particular interest was Wire and Glass, an 11 minute six-song mini-opera about a young band who become famous highlighted by Sound Round and We Got a Hit, two urgent rockers that sounded like...well, like themselves circa the early 1970s, with heavy power chords, sturdy effective basslines and Daltrey’s distinctive voice shouting out Townshend’s lyrics.

Then it was back to the classics with a powerful rendition of Baba O’Reilly which had the entire crowd singing along.

Before the Who, Winnipeg trio Inward Eyed looked like the budding arena stars they are with a half-hour of sharply crafted ’60s-inspired blasts of melodic pop-rock fueled by their out-of-control enthusiasm and infectious energy.
 
-Brian in Atlanta
The Who This Month!
http://www.thewhothismonth.com