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Re: My Pepsi Center review (Denver)



Jill,

What a wonderful post. Made me feel like I was there. And as if I could
picture the show myself. Your descriptions, feelings of your kids, were....
perfection. Thanks for such a beautiful post. It actually brought a tears to
my eyes...:-)

magik

Jill Jackson wrote:

> There was no prozac in evidence at the Denver concert tonight - just an
> enthusiastic mass of arm-waving, foot-stomping, hip-shaking,
> scream-until-you're-hoarse WHO fans.
>
> Here's the setlist:
>
> I Can't Explain
> Substitute
> AAA
> I Don't Know Myself
> My Wife
> WGFA
> Bargain
> Getting in Tune
> TKAA
> I'm One
> Pinball Wizard
> The Real Me
> Behind Blue Eyes
> You Better You Bet
> Who Are You
> 5:15
> WGFA
>     (encore)
> I Walk the Line/Ring of Fire
> Naked Eye
> Let's See Action
> My Generation
>
> Pete wore black pants & jacket, white shirt.  John wore black shirt &
> pants, zebra-patterned jacket - looked damn good, too.  According to my
> kids (they're alright), he was not wearing the Boris pendant - but he
> had a skeleton hand on his guitar strap.  Roger wore blue jeans, white
> shirt (daughter says it was more light green - lighting?).  Zak had on a
> satiny dk. blue shirt.  Rabbit wore a black (navy-blue?) pullover shirt,
> with white stripes running down the sleeves.  A classy look for everyone
> in the band.
>
> I noticed that the stage seemed small in this indoor venue, with the
> band members very close together.  Rabbit appeared to be sitting right
> next to Pete - perhaps an illusion because I was seeing everything at an
> angle (Pete's side)?  I didn't have floor seats.
>
> Great extended jam at end of AAA.  Pete said that Rog & him wrote this
> song when they were very young - "Too young to know we couldn't write
> songs together."
>
> I Don't Know Myself sounded a bit rough - but it was the only song I can
> say that about.  Roger was in fantastic form tonight - very energetic,
> and with an amazing and beautiful voice.  I was surprised that he was
> that good, actually.  He was...perfect.  Even my alright kids thought
> so..."He was better than those '80's videos you've got, Mom."  Yes, he
> was.
>
> Pete, of course, was wonderful slashing away at his guitars in a furious
> fashion, windmilling at the appropriate times, occasionally doing a
> little jump at the end of a song.  His voice has been better, but it
> still served him well.  My oldest kid felt the high point of the concert
> was Pete solo, on acoustic guitar, singing I'm One.  I still feel it was
> Roger's night.
>
> The intro to My Wife consisted of Pete saying no one would be able to
> understand John's introduction, therefore he and Rog would translate.
> John then said he thought he was in Germany...then he asked how any of
> us could breathe in this city (pollution?  altitude?).  He then said he
> wrote this song for his first wife...then mentioned his second wife.
> Pete said "How Hollywood."  John said, "This song is called My First
> Wife."  He and Rog shared the vocals...and John did a decent bass solo.
>
> WGFA had the audience screaming...we were already standing since the WHO
> first walked on stage.  The lighting effects often brought the audience
> into the show, making us part of the spotlight, not just with this song,
> but many others.  (Roger unbuttons shirt during this number).
>
> During Bargain, huge white balloons suddenly appeared in the audience,
> eventually making their way on to the stage, where Roger had to duck and
> kick them aside.  Fun, but probably pissed him off.
>
> Getting in Tune was one of the more beautifully sung songs.  Afterwards,
> Roger came dancing on stage with his acoustic guitar and said he wanted
> to sing Johnny Cash songs.  Pete said they could do a half hour of Cash.
> Then they could do a half hour of The Jesus and Mary Chain, who owed a
> lot to Johnny Cash.  Pete also said the WHO was doing their greatest
> hits because it was the most comfortable for them at these venues, but
> that if they wanted to do a half hour of Johnny Cash, they would.  In
> fact, he said he was feeling so up, that he was up for doing Johnny
> Cash!
>
> This led into a heartfelt rendition of TKAA - "Because if I don't, I'll
> go out of my fucking mind...My kids are alright, your kids are
> alright...almost all of us made it here, and the ones who didn't make it
> here, weren't meant to be here..."  Another verse that Pete sang about
> creating you out of lust, I don't ever want you to leave...powerful
> stuff.  High point for me.
>
> Pinball Wizard noted for being...Pinball Wizard.  Always good.
>
> The Real Me starts with a video of the scooter chase in Quadrophenia.
> Pete mentions how Quadrophenia got many kids through college...how he
> should be paid for therapy, or something like that.  How, when he was
> writing songs about teenagers, he was much older than that himself.  He
> has another angst now.  He also talked about how the WHO did cover songs
> when they first started...of Johnny Cash.  The Real Me - a great
> dramatic reading by Roger.
>
> Behind Blue Eyes - Roger twirled his mic into a frenzy - I'm surprised
> he didn't lasso Pete with it - then caught it just in time for the next
> note to be sung - the crowd went crazy.
>
> YBYB - at this point I remembered I had brought my 10 yr. old - I looked
> down at her, and saw that she was dancing her little heart out, red hair
> a flying, all arms and legs.  It's all good...
>
> Who Are You - no running in place by Roger, I noted.  But everyone else
> in the arena seemed to be doing it.  A lot of swaying to and fro.  A lot
> of people having trouble holding on to their beer.
>
> 5:15 - noted for John's extended jazzy bass solo, bringing the song to a
> different place.  Zak worked well with him...Zak is an excellent drummer
> - doesn't have Keith's humor, though.  And I'm just talking about the
> drumming.  Right before John's solo, Roger fell to his knees, sort of
> James Brown style, and the spotlight fell to John.  Afterward, Pete got
> on his knees and bowed down to John(we are not worthy?).
>
> WGFA - audience screamed louder than Roger.
>
> ENCORE
>
> Roger came out with acoustic guitar, with the WHO as back-up, and sang
> one verse of I Walk the Line...then quite a bit of Ring of Fire.  I
> would call this a MOMENT.
>
> Naked Eye...Pete pounding the guitar...this was not the trance-like
> soulful song I've seen on the videos.  This was a high-energy
> encore...Pete's moment.
>
> Let's See Action...Pete explaining a little about Lifehouse...it's here,
> the Grid, the Internet...this is what we should Do...(goes into song).
>
> Immediately then, into My Generation, Pete jamming, teasing us with the
> false endings.  Hugs...standing at all corners of the stage to wave to
> the audience...Thank you, they said.
>
> I turned to my 10 yr. old - "You will never see a concert this good
> again."  "I know," she said.  "You've spoiled me."  :-)
>
> -Jill-
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