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Fans cheered wildly at the sight of Roger Daltrey taking the stage on Wednesday, Oct. 9, at San Francisco’s Chase Center.
And they certainly had an added reason to hoot and holler this time around, given that it was anything but a sure thing that the Who front man would even make it to the show.
The last time he took the stage was some two weeks ago, when he lost his voice and had to stop midway through a show in Houston. It was later announced that Daltrey had bronchitis and that two other concerts, in Denver and Dallas, would also need to be postponed.
Thus, there was some heavy anticipation, and maybe even a little trepidation, to be felt in the crowd as The Who prepared to perform its first show since that abbreviated Houston gig.
Would Daltrey be ready to sing? And, if so, how would he sound?
Fortunately, the 75-year-old vocalist was able to put those fears to rest as he grabbed the microphone and launched into a string of strong offerings from 1969’s iconic “Tommy” double-LP set.
Daltrey was definitely back ready for the spotlight, leading the charge with longtime mate Pete Townshend and the rest of the touring band, which includes guitarist Simon Townshend (Pete’s younger brother), keyboardist Loren Gold, bassist Jon Button and drummer Zak Starkey (yes, Ringo Starr’s son).
And they weren’t alone. The band was accompanied by a wonderful 48-piece orchestra, led by conductor Keith Levenson, giving these Who classics extra oomph and depth.
Just pick up my guitar and play 🎶
Nothing but @TheWho strumming with the audience for this one pic.twitter.com/A5cSp6GeTu
— Chase Center (@ChaseCenter) October 10, 2019
Townshend, as per usual, did most of the talking onstage, saying how happy the band was to be back in the Bay Area and showing concern for the situation that locals are currently facing with power outages and the threat of fires.
“We know you have some worries tonight,” said the 74-year-old guitarist. “But for those of us with faith, we can only count on a higher power to keep our homes safe tonight.”
He also wanted to get a sense for the crowd — especially in terms of its age range. After performing what he described as the band’s first U.S. hit, 1967’s “I Can See for Miles,” he’d ask, “So, who wasn’t born in 1967?” And not many hands went up.
“(Expletive) hell, there isn’t many. Well, it’s great to be at the old people’s Who show,” said Townshend, adding that there would be wheelchairs and oxygen available to fans at the end of the gig.
He’d also send a message out to what he estimated to be about four millennials in the crowd:
“We just hope you get to have a laugh sometime soon.”
Daltrey didn’t add much to the between-song stage banter other than to make his usual request for people to stop blowing smoke in his direction.
“Whoever is smoking pot in the front row, can you please smoke it the other way or eat it?” he said.
The band’s set — which followed a performance by opening act Liam Gallagher of Oasis fame — was divided up into three parts. The first and third had the band performing lush arrangements with the orchestra, while the middle section was just the band itself.
Taking a moment to wish the late & great @TheWho bassist John Entwistle a happy birthday 🎈 pic.twitter.com/KcY2FtXIPk
— Chase Center (@ChaseCenter) October 10, 2019
The collaboration between rockers and orchestral musicians really paid off handsomely, taking songs such as “Overture” and “We’re Not Going to Take It” to heights that they probably haven’t reached for many years prior to this tour.
Yet, the band-only portion was also quite enjoyable and served as a nice complement to what came before and after, allowing The Who — and especially Townshend –- the chance to stretch out in ways that would have been hard to do in the more-regimented environment that comes with performing with an orchestra.
As the show passed its midpoint, it grew increasingly difficult to even remember that Daltrey had recently been dealing with serious vocal issues. His voice only grew stronger and more assured as the night progressed, as he rocked the house with big versions of “The Real Me,” “5:15” and other fan favorites.
Here’s the set list from the show, based on my notes and information from setlist.fm:
1. “Overture”
2. “1921”
3. “Amazing Journey”
4. “Sparks”
5. “Pinball Wizard”
6. “We’re Not Gonna Take It”
7. “Who Are You”
8. “Eminence Front”
9. “Imagine a Man”
10. “Hero Ground Zero”
11. “Substitute”
12. “San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)” (partial version)
13. “I Can See for Miles”
14. “You Better You Bet”
15. “Won’t Get Fooled Again”
16. “Behind Blue Eyes”
17. “Ball and Chain”
18. “The Real Me”
19. “I’m One”
20. “5:15”
20. “The Rock”
21. “Love, Reign O’er Me”
22. “Baba O’Riley”
