Roger Daltrey Kicks Off A Great Night Out Tour In Mesa

Roger Daltrey launched his A Great Night Out tour on Sunday, with a show at Mesa Arts Center in Mesa, Arizona. Daltrey delivered a 19-song set that mixed The Who classics with solo material and an eclectic collection of covers. The 82-year-old singer also marked what would have been his longtime bandmate Keith Moon’s 80th birthday during the performance.

Opening night featured support from Dan Bern. Daltrey performed with the same nine-piece band that backed him on his 2024 tour, including Simon Townshend on guitar, Billy Nicholls on mandolin, Jody Linscott on percussion, on guitar, John Hogg on bass, Katie Jacoby on violin, Steve Weston on harmonica, Geraint Watkins on keyboards and accordion and Scott Devours on drums.

Daltrey began the 1-hour, 50-minute performance with Pete Townshend’s “Let My Love Open the Door,” followed by “Freedom Ride,” a song from the 1998 Large project originally sung by Taj Mahal. He then served up a run of Who favorites with “Who Are You” and “The Kids Are Alright” surrounding solo selections “Waiting for a Friend,” “After the Fire” and “Days of Light.”

The singer’s set reflected the eclectic approach promised when he announced A Great Night Out earlier this year. Daltrey said the tour would combine Who rarities, solo songs and reimagined covers, with his nine-piece backing band providing new soundscapes rather than relying on backing tracks.

That reimagined covers concept was on full display in Mesa. Along with Townshend’s “Let My Love Open the Door,” Daltrey tackled Leo Sayer’s “Giving It All Away,” Paul Simon’s “The Boy in the Bubble,” Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?” and Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World.” He also revived Billy Nicholls’ “Without Your Love,” a song Daltrey recorded for the 1978 film McVicar.

The Who material ran throughout the performance, with “Squeeze Box,” “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” “Going Mobile” and “Baba O’Riley” all making the cut. Daltrey’s choice of “Happy Birthday” was particularly poignant. The brief celebration honored Moon, who was born on August 23, 1946, exactly 80 years before Daltrey’s A Great Night Out debut. Moon played drums for The Who from 1964 until his death in 1978 and appeared on every Who album through Who Are You.

The set continued with Garnet Mimms’ “As Long as I Have You,” the title track from Daltrey’s 2018 solo album, before he moved into “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?” and “Without Your Love.” “Baba O’Riley” and “Rockin’ in the Free World” then brought the main set to a close. The latter was a live debut and had a few rough moments.

Daltrey returned for an encore with a particularly stripped-down finale: The Kinks’ “Days,” performed solo on acoustic guitar.

The vocalist made one change to the setlist on the second night. At his Monday night concert in Highland, California, he replaced “As Long as I Have You” and the Keith Moon birthday tribute with “I Keep It to Myself,” the Wilko Johnson collaboration from Daltrey’s 2018 album As Long as I Have You.

The tour continues through September, with stops including a rare Daltrey solo performance at The Town Hall in New York City on September 27 before closing September 29 at the Chevalier Theatre in Medford, Massachusetts.

Watch more fan-shot videos from the first two nights of Roger Daltrey’s tour, including his second go at “Rockin’ In The Free World”: