Review & Photos | The Who | Brooklyn

Images by: Joe Russo
Words by: Scott Bernstein

The Who :: 5.26.15 :: Barclays Center :: Brooklyn, NY

Read Scotty’s review after the gallery:

New York City has always held a special place in The Who’s history as the legendary rock band made their U.S. debut in the Big Apple on March 25, 1967. Guitarist Pete Townshend recalled the events of that fateful night, which also featured the U.S. debut of Cream, as part of an impressive The Who Hits 50! tour stop at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Tuesday night. Townshend explained how much NYC meant to the band and how thankful they were Big Apple crowds were still coming out to see them after all these years. The pleasure was all the audiences’ as The Who trotted out one well-played hit after another, as well as a few rarities for the die-hards, at one of five area visits for the band.

Yes, there are only two original members of The Who left -Townshend and vocalist Roger Daltrey -but the pair was joined by a stellar backing band of six musicians who helped them present spot-on versions of songs from throughout their career. Bassist Pino Palladino and drummer Zak Starkey are versatile performers who made names for themselves before meeting up with The Who. They each added a bit of their own style instead of attempting the impossible by trying to imitate late Who drummer Keith Moon and bassist John Entwistle. Multi-instrumentalists Loren Gold, Simon Townshend, John Corey and Frank Simes round out the current touring band and each contributed standout vocals that added depth to each tune as well as instrumental parts that beefed up the musical arrangements.

But let’s not kid ourselves, those in the audience were there to see Townshend and Daltrey who both recently celebrated 70th birthdays. While at a few points Roger struggled to hit the high notes, for the most part he nailed his signature vocals. Pete was his feisty old self delivering plenty of f-bombs and the pioneering guitar work that influenced so many who came in his wake. It was Townshend who acted as MC throughout the evening as he told the stories behind a number of the songs performed and kept the crowd engaged.

The Who’s two-hour, 21-song performance in Brooklyn began with “I Can’t Explain” and featured one classic rock radio staple after another through to the show’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again” finale. Some arrangements were true to the studio versions while others expanded beyond the song’s original parameters. “My Generation” contained a bit of a jam tacked on to the end which showed off the skills of the backing band. One exception to the “all hits, all the time” ethos of the evening’s setlist was “Slip Kid,” a song The Who had rarely performed before the tour. Pete showed off his self-depreciating sense of humor by explaining fans often request “Slip Kid” but he doesn’t have the foggiest idea of why before beginning the song.

Towards the middle of the show, The Who treated fans to an awe-inspiring sequence of “Eminence Front,” “A Quick One (While He’s Away)” and “Amazing Journey”/”Sparks.” It was here that the eight-piece especially shined. A quick vamp at the beginning of “Eminence Front” was among the instrumental highlights of the show, while The Who crushed each and every segment of the mini-opera “A Quick One” with impressive precision. While the audience, which was made up of music fans ranging from young children to senior citizens, was generally on its feet for most of the evening, many used “A Quick One” as a bathroom break. It was their loss. “Sparks” saw Townshend at his finest as he lit into the instrumental with power and authority. Daltrey banged tambourines throughout the Tommy track which was a bit distracting.

After the sequence noted above, it was back to “the hits” as The Who ended the show with “Pinball Wizard,” “See Me, Feel Me,” “Baba O’Riley” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again.” Two hours in and the band seemed to gain strength with each progressive song. “Baba O’Riley” received the biggest reaction of the evening as many in the crowd screamed along with its “teenage wasteland” refrain.

Seeing The Who in 2015 is a far cry from watching the band during their late ’60s/early ’70s hey day, but Townshend & Co. put on a dynamic show filled to the brim with some of rock’s greatest songs. If you like The Who, you’d be well advised to catch this tour before the group hangs it up for good. Next up for the group is a performance at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens.

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