Chicago Sun-Times on House Of Blues

[Brian Cady <brianinatlanta2001@xxxxxxxxx>]

Sorry, I'm a bit late with this. I've been busy.
On line at:
http://www.suntimes.com/output/derogatis/cst-ftr-who25.html


The Who try to make it all right for the kids 
September 25, 2002

BY JIM DEROGATIS POP MUSIC CRITIC

Midway through the Who's passionate benefit
performance Monday night at the House of Blues,
bandleader Pete Townshend paused to dedicate "The Kids
Are Alright" to the Rev. John P. Smyth and to address
the controversy plaguing Maryville Academy.

Monday's event was the fifth benefit that the Who has
performed for Maryville in the last 3-1/2 years,
thanks to Townshend's friendship with one of the
academy's key fund-raisers, Marybeth Nawa. Renowned
for its work with troubled teens, Maryville has come
under fire recently because of incidents of fights,
attacks on staff members and suicide attempts at its
270-bed campus in Des Plaines.

"When I was a teenager, I never, ever realized that
one day we would be able to use our music to help
kids," said Townshend, now 57. "There has been some
controversy regarding the way Maryville does business,
and I can tell you, I never do anything like this
[benefit] without first going through the books and
going through the underwear drawer.

"This one is kosher!" Townshend concluded, adding that
the Chicago area was lucky to have a man like Smyth
running the facility. 

The Who's earlier House of Blues benefits raised more
than $1 million apiece for Maryville, and Monday's
show should be nearly as lucrative.

Some privileged concertgoers purchased balcony boxes
for $25,000, while rank-and-file Who fans paid $400
each to attend.

"That's still just $25 for us, and $375 for the Who,"
joked Eddie Vedder, an Evanston native, famous Who fan
and crusader for reasonably priced concert tickets. He
opened previous benefits with his side project, C
Average, but this time, he brought his real band.

In its first Chicago show since 2000, Pearl Jam
performed without rhythm guitarist Stone Gossard; a
cardboard cutout took his place at stage left, as
Vedder announced that Gossard was off working on a
conservation project in Papua, New Guinea ("Which is
sort of a good excuse"). A keyboardist filled in for
the band's co-founder, and lead guitarist Mike
McCready, always an energetic player, turned up the
intensity even higher.

The alternative-rock superstars' 10-song set boasted
several tunes from its eagerly anticipated new album,
still officially untitled, which is scheduled for
release Nov. 12. The songs included the moody but
melodic "Love Boat Captain" (which is dominated by a
haunting Hammond organ) and the lilting anthem "I Am
Mine."

Other highlights included a massive sing-along on
"Better Man" and a spirited cover of "Leaving Here," a
rollicking R&B number that the Who performed in its
earlier mod incarnation as the High Numbers.

Vedder's yarling baritone was in fine form throughout,
and he has thankfully let the goofy Mohawk that he was
sporting for a while grow out into a modest buzz cut.
But the star of the night was former Soundgarden
drummer Matt Cameron, whose rolling tom parts and
thunderous crash cymbals gave the band the most potent
wallop of its career.

As for the Who, they performed a nearly identical set
to the one they delivered at the Tweeter Center only a
few weeks ago, heavy on the greatest hits, with the
one added surprise of "I Don't Even Know Myself" from
the "Who's Missing" album.

The always-energetic Daltrey seemed to be a bit
hoarse, which is no surprise, as the band nears the
end of its tour. But Townshend was just as fiery and
inspired with his frequent bursts of lead guitar and
jammed-out endings to classic songs such as "My
Generation" and "Won't Get Fooled Again."

Bassist Pino Palladino rode higher in the mix in the
small-club setting than he did at the outdoor arena,
but he still seemed reluctant to fully assume the
front-and-center role once occupied by the late John
Entwistle. But then, it took Zak Starkey quite some
time to grow into his confident and self-assured
position on Keith Moon's drum stool.

The only real disappointments were that the Who didn't
dig deeper to deliver a few more rarities in these
intimate confines, and that Vedder didn't join his
heroes at any point, two things that made the earlier
House of Blues benefits even more special. Still,
given the good cause and the driven performances, it's
doubtful that a single fan went home feeling
unfulfilled, no matter how much they paid for their
ticket.


=====
-Brian in Atlanta
The Who This Month!
http://www.thewhothismonth.com
New DSL Internet Access from SBC & Yahoo!
http://sbc.yahoo.com