The Song Is Over: Watch The Who Perform For Final Time In U.S.

The Who brought The Song Is Over: The North American Farewell Tour to an end on Wednesday night. Co-founders Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend held the legendary band’s final performance in the United States at Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs, California.

“For me, playing to American audiences and those in Canada has always been incredible,” Townshend said at the tour announcement in May. “Roger and I still carry the banner for the late Keith Moon and John Entwistle and of course, all of our longtime Who fans.”

The farewell run was The Who’s first with drummer Scott Devours, who replaced longtime touring member Zak Starkey. Along with Devours, Daltrey and Townshend were accompanied by keyboardist Loren Gold, percussionist/backing vocalist John Hogg and bassist Jon Button.

Townshend’s son, multi-instrumentalist Simon Townshend, was also part of the tour, handling lead vocals on “Going Mobile.” Violinist Katie Jacoby joined to perform her “Baba O’Riley” part.

The tour’s final setlist stuck to the format of The Who classics “I Can’t Explain,” “My Generation,” “Pinball Wizard,” “Who Are You,” “Behind Blue Eyes” and Quadrophenia favorites, “The Real Me,” “5:15,” “I’m One” and “Love, Reign O’er Me,” among others.

The penultimate song of the concert was “The Song Is Over,” though the show continued with Daltrey and Townshend ending the night — and their 57-year career of touring in North America — with “Tea & Theatre.”

“I suppose then that’s goodbye, to what we know as The Who, is goodbye,” Townshend said as he and Daltrey stood alone onstage. “What Roger and I will get up to next, who knows. If we last any longer, I’m sure we’ll get into all kinds of mischief. And we’ll do stuff together, I’m sure, charity stuff, and all kinds of bits and pieces. But for this kind of thing, it’s goodbye. And you were last.”

“It was every band’s dream in the sixties to make it in America, and thanks to you guys, you made it happen for us,” Daltrey added.

Captured from the audience at Acrisure Arena, footage of Daltrey and Townshend bringing the final U.S. The Who concert to an end can be viewed below: