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The Who, The Borgata, Atlantic City, NJ, 10/31/08 |
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Written by Wes Orshoski
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Thursday, 13 November 2008 |
Some may deride The Who for pressing on with only two original members, for staging tour after tour even as Roger Daltrey’s voice shrinks progressively each night. Some may attack Daltrey and Pete Townshend for collecting massive payday after massive payday when the two quite obviously don’t get along, and don’t really seem to enjoy one another’s company onstage. But for all these reasons and many more, this is exactly why The Who of now is maybe more interesting than ever before.
To see The Who now is to see Roger Daltrey struggle to sing “Love, Reign O’er Me” or “Baba O’Riley,” but it’s also an opportunity to see Pete Townshend still full of fight and defiance, pushing the hourglass back with barbed, frayed riffing. It’s the story of two very different men coming together to relish each and every time they get to experience the visceral thrill of the power chord shooting through their veins. But it’s also a story of two men, two longtime friends who don’t really hang out together but are forever tied to one another and more immediately there to support one another—maybe one more than the other—every night.
Quite obviously, the band isn’t as powerful as it once was, it doesn’t roar with the same recklessness and abandon that it did in the 1970s, but of course it’s a ridiculous comparison: How could it? What makes shows like the band’s Halloween night stop at The Borgata in Atlantic City remarkable is just how close it comes to those former glories, despite the passage of time, despite the deaths of Keith Moon and John Entwistle.
But of course it’s all the stuff happening between the lines—as the largely greatest-hits set unfolds—the real human, emotional, compelling stuff that makes each chance to see the band these days that much more special. Because as you see Townshend roar through “My Generation” and “The Seeker,” you’re watching a guy whose let go of some of the hang-ups of his youth. He doesn’t need to be there on that stage, playing The Who’s greatest hits—he could be writing and recording his own albums—but he’s also there to support Daltrey. And truth be told, he certainly seems like he’s enjoying every opportunity to windmill on “Baba O’Riley,” no matter how many times he’s already done it in American stadiums and arenas.
And there will perhaps be no place better for fans to take all that spectacle and soap opera in on the band’s current or future tours than Atlantic City’s intimate Borgata, which was akin to seeing the band in a large high school gymnasium. Performing on a low stage most likely used for presentations during conventions at the hotel, the band looked out on some 20 rows of seats and a small riser section, and that’s it. And of course that meant the fans were closer than usual, maybe a little too close late in the set (when Townshend put a heckler in his place).
“Look, Roger, over there—actual screams,” the guitarist said after opener “I Can’t Explain.” Indeed, it being Halloween, this stop on the tour was perhaps more of a party than usual, which of course was fueled by bulletproof and bombastic renditions of “The Seeker,” “Who Are You,” “Behind Blues Eyes,” “Pinball Wizard” and other hits.
While almost all hits or near-hits, the new Who—a sprawling Who that features Pino Palladino on bass, Zak Starkey on drums, John “Rabbit” Bundrick” on keys and Simon Townshend on guitar—also threw in the likes of “Sister Disco,” “Sparks” and “Relay.”
If old favorites like “Getting in Tune” filled the room with joy, it was more of a treat to hear newer gems like “Real Good Looking Boy”—written about Elvis Presley—bound off the stage. In fact, with its use of black and white G.I.-era Presley footage, the band has turned the tune into a highlight of its current show. If he didn’t write it, Daltrey, per usual, noted how the song transports him to 1957 England. “Before this man, the world was in black and white,” he said. “Afterward, the colors came out in my life.”
Forever indirectly cementing his onstage persona as the sweet to Townshend’s sour—or sarcastic—in between songs Daltrey even feted an audience member with “Happy Birthday.” The whole while, a cantankerous Townshend sat with his arms on his sides, disgusted on the other side of the stage. “Let me introduce the band before he starts doing weddings and anniversaries, and the lives of the rich and famous.” And thus the drama that is The Who today reared its head, if only momentarily.
Elegantly, the 63-year-old Townshend, aware of the influence wielded by someone of his stature, took a few minutes before a mighty “Eminence Front” to speak of the failing economy, and how in the previous two decades, recessions have come and gone. Instilling hope, he referenced the lyrics to the track (from 1982’s It’s Hard): “The shares crash/Hopes are dashed/People forget.” “Let’s just pray that this one comes and goes,” he said. “For tonight, we don’t have to think about it.”
No matter how cold Townshend appeared onstage to Daltrey throughout the night—and especially during their acoustic closer, “Tea & Theatre”—in his fiery, roaring bursts of volume and physicality, he seemed more of a friend than ever to the singer, helping to carry the load as Daltrey’s voice tired. Townshend’s spirited vocal on “Eminence Front” was just another example. Even if it’s unintentional, or just flat-out false, that’s the impression that he gave on at least this night: That he’s stepping up. And it lent a softness, a tenderness to him that suits him, and the band, considering their age and accomplishments.
And even though 64-year-old Daltrey simply can’t hit or sustain the notes like he used to, the valiant effort with which he tries is honorable, especially during “Love, Reign O’er Me,” brilliantly augmented with scenes from Quadrophenia.
Daltrey and Townshend might not get along, but they respect one another, and, maybe even more than that, they play with a sense of pride, purpose and heart—which makes a post-Entwistle Who completely valid, and often as compelling as it was 35 years ago.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 13 November 2008 )
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