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Billboard review of Chicago



Available online at:
http://www.billboard.com/daily/2000/0626_07.asp?mn

Review: The Who Open U.S. Run In Good Spirits
A good 37 years after they first started making music together in
Shepherd's Bush, London, the surviving members of the Who -- Pete
Townshend, John Entwistle, and Roger Daltrey -- took the stage Sunday
(June 25) at the New World Music Theatre outside of Chicago to kick off
yet another American tour.
Backed by longtime keyboardist John "Rabbit" Bundrick and youthful
drummer Zak Starkey (son of Ringo Starr), the Who reprised 100 minutes
worth of hits from their '60s/'70s heyday and gave their best effort at
"being" the Who after all these years.
Nobody's making any excuses for the Who these days, 18 years after their
original "farewell" tour. Drummer Keith Moon's fatal drug overdose in
1978 was considered by many to be the creative death of the band, even
as the three remaining members produced two more albums and sporadically
continued to tour. In the sense that the Who are still a viable band,
the post-Moon era now spans a longer (though markedly less significant)
period in the band's existence.
But while the majority of the material played at Sunday night's show was
at least two decades old, the pluck and tenacity of Townshend,
Entwistle, and Daltrey had to be admired. Daltrey's mere presence on
stage, at age 56, unbuttoning his shirt, swinging around his microphone
and singing youth anthems with irony-laden lyrics like "I'm in tune" and
the classic "I hope I die before I get old" was a sight to behold.
Entwistle put the night in perspective when he took over vocal duties
for "My Wife":
"We used to make jokes about wives here," he quipped, "but my second
ex-wife is in the audience, so we'll just play the song."
Entwistle's characteristically spidery bass lines were very much up to
par, showing off with some impressive soloing in an exquisite rendition
of "5:15," from the 1973 rock opera "Quadrophenia." The song ended with
Townshend crooning "Why should I care / why should I care," and after a
chorus of applause, he added a coda: "We care because we love you so,
Chicago."
For his part, Townshend showed plenty of flash and stellar fretwork
worthy of his reputation as one of rock's greatest all-time guitarists.
Supported by Starkey's manic drumming and Entwistle's thunderous bass
barrage, Townshend pulled off some great riff-and-distortion workouts in
songs like "Magic Bus," "The Seeker," and the "Who's Next" classic
"Won't Get Fooled Again."
For all their years, the crew put on an enthused performance, and the
immense crowd cheered heartily throughout. Though the Who is certainly
past its prime, the band is a well-oiled engine that, at this late date,
can still put on an affecting stadium rock show. Sunday's performance
proved that diehard Who fans planning to see the elder masters on this
tour won't be disappointed.
The jaunt proceeds to Auburn Hills, Mich., tomorrow (June 27).

Setlist:

"I Can't Explain" 
"Substitute" 
"Anyway, Anywhere, Anyhow" 
"Relay" 
"My Wife" 
"Baba O'Riley" 
"The Seeker" 
"I Don't Even Know Myself" 
"Getting In Tune" 
"Pinball Wizard" 
"The Real Me" 
"Magic Bus" 
"Behind Blue Eyes" 
"You Better You Bet" 
"Who Are You" 
"5:15" 
"Won't Get Fooled Again" 
"The Kids Are Alright" 
"Let's See Action" 
"My Generation"

-- Troy Carpenter, Chicago

        -Brian in Atlanta
         The Who This Month!
         http://members.home.net/cadyb/who.htm