| 30th November 2006 02:04 PM |
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| Lil Brian |
I guess there's always that filling station across the street... |
| 30th November 2006 02:36 PM |
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| Joey |
quote:
Lil Brian wrote:
I guess there's always that filling station across the street...
** ? *** |
| 2nd December 2006 04:20 PM |
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| lotsajizz |
Off to get my daily fix--this time live. The Pretenders open at 7:30--the Who should be on sometime just after 9!!!
Mike Post!!! |
| 2nd December 2006 05:08 PM |
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| Joey |
quote:
lotsajizz wrote:
Off to get my daily fix--this time live. The Pretenders open at 7:30--the Who should be on sometime just after 9!!!
Mike Post!!!
Enjoy the Show Jizzy ..................
Say , " Hi " to Pete for me .
Please file a complete report tomorrow ( when Healthy )
Joey ! |
| 2nd December 2006 06:29 PM |
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| glencar |
Just palyed the first 5 songs on the new Who album & yes, The Mike Post Theme is the WORST song of the bunch. Wow, it's stunningly bad. I like the other songs I've heard with "Purple" being my favorite. |
| 3rd December 2006 02:12 AM |
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| lotsajizz |
just back...Roger said 'The Mike Post Theme' was his favorite to sing from the new album....more tomorrow, but WOW!! |
| 3rd December 2006 07:20 AM |
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| Jumping Jack |
I think Mike Post has the worst vocals on EW.
Reports say that Boston was great and the tech problems that had Pete throwing his guitar in disgust had been solved. |
| 3rd December 2006 09:18 AM |
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| lotsajizz |
Roger's microphone disintergrated Friday night while he was twirling it and he commented about cheap Chinese made mikes....so last night he apologized to the Chinese LOL!! Roger was in FINE voice last night....even better than September and this was his second night in a row. Two months on the road has the band playing tighter and Daltrey back in form as one of the top roarers out there.
We had dickheads behind us who kept tapping our backs demanding we sit!! WHERE do these people come from?!???? So after 3-4 songs we gave up and went to the upper balcony where we could flail away and dance to our heart's content and even grab some quick puffs. Shit, we ended up closer to the band from there. The new songs just get better and better as the tour progresses. 'Baba' got the biggest reaction but I think the encore 'Tommy' set was the best played. 'Won't Get Fooled Again' has had more obvious starts and stops played into it--very syncopated. Pete congratulated Zak (whi, with Peno, was on fire!!) and said press reports that Zak with Oasis held up the new Who album were bullshit, that it was Pete's fault as a songwriter that it took so long. Anyway, folks, this band still delivers the goods, in major way...
The set list
I Can't Explain/The Seeker/Anyway Anyhow Anywhere/Fragments/Who Are You/Behind Blue Eyes/ Sound Round/Pick Up the Peace/Endless Wire/We Got a Hit/They Made My Dream Come True/Mirror Door/Baba O'Riley/Eminence Front/A Man in a Purple Dress/Mike Post Theme/You Better You Bet/My Generation/Cry If You Want/Won't Get Fooled Again/Pinball Wizard/Amazing Journey--Captain Walker--Underture/Sparks/See Me Feel Me/Tea & Theatre
lastly, the Pretenders were good--Chrissy is still quite fuckable and wore some niiiiice boots and her voice is better than ever...in honor of her PETA rap at the end of the show my buddy and I stopped for steak on the way home!
Cazart!!
[Edited by lotsajizz] |
| 3rd December 2006 10:15 AM |
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| Jumping Jack |
Kins, this is what is headed your way. This review by someone who has seen 8 shows this leg with none rated over A-.
Well this is what it's all about A+ that's right A freaking +
The Who are a pain in the ass they tease you they disappoint you they drag you in but when they play like last night it's all worth it's A freaking+ baby.
You knew right from the second they hit the stage they were on and that this was going to be a special night.
This show was as good as I ever seen rivaled the best shows I seen in the 70's The boy's were red hot I mean on fire from the get go.
No problems tonight I'll bet the crew got a major ass chewing. It was was one of those nights when everything clicked.
Pete was on fire right away you knew it when he started windmilling right away and when he play's like that he is the absolute best. All night long solo to solo song to song he was on fire.
He had that look in his eyes. This was an all out effort by Pete. He attacked the guitar as only he can do. Need I say more As we all know it all starts with Pete when he is on he fuels the engine that drives The Who evryone else plays off his energy. Man was he ever on.
Right away Roger started twirling his mic I mean right away. Great vocals he really pushed himself all night dont know how it's going to sound on sirrus but live he was incredable he attacked each and every song probably a lot of screaming. When he let out his yell it was a blood curtling scream. Roger as Pete was on the top of his game Man oh man.
Zak forget it I'm sure wineaman is more than pleased with his effort. He attacked the drums all night long with a vengance. I mean attacked them.
He pushed everybody real hard all night long Now everyone knows what Pete means when he say's Zak is a great drummer. I mean he's right up there with the best of them He was Moonie reincarnated last night I could just see Keith smiling saying that's it Zak way to go Zak Great great performance just a great performanc by Zak Starkey.
Pino and Simon were also really into it played great but I have to be honest with you I really didn't watch them that much. When Pete is windmilling and Roger is twirling his mic and Zak is beating the shit out of the drums Im sorry but its overlaod I couldn't take my eyes off those guys especially Pete and Roger.
What an incredable night a performance I'll remeber the rest of my life.
As you can imagine the crowd was going crazy This is one of those nights like Woodstock When years from now you tell your kids I was there at the Boston Garden on December the 2nd 2006 when The Mighty Who tore the house down I mean tore the freaking house down. You know how it goes even if you weren't there your going to say you were.
Met someone from WZLX last night who said she was there to see The Pretenders never seen The Who before Ha Ha Forget the freaking Pretenders The Mighty Who kicked some major ass last night. I'm sure there are more than a few new Who fan's in the Boston area. Ha Ha
Met a lot of great people at The Harp last night met wineaman man he is a major Who fan big time can you blame him Hey wineaman how was Zak Starkey thing he earned his full share in the band last night Ha Ha
Met litterette hope I spelled that right another major Who fan and Tracey and of course Georgiel don't know where he ended up I stayed in the 10th row I'll tell you once the boy's started I was totally focused on the stage and The freaking Who I couldn't talk couldn't move all I could do was scream and yell at the top of my lungs.
Sorry if I missed anyone else I met but it was a wild crazy night.
As you all know I call it as I see it. I give the boy's hell when they are off but I'm telling you I don't even know if I came anywhere near giving the the credit they deserved last night.
This is why were Who fan's The greatest live rock and roll band ever after last night it's not even a question the only question is who is second best.
That's it I'm still in major shock I'll be playing my Who CD's straight from now to March Ha Ha
It's time for all of us to stop bitching and moaning we should be all praying that when The Mighty Who come to town we get a performance somethning anyting like last night.
LONG LIVE THE MIGHTY WHO wait a minute let me say that again
LONG LIVE THE MIGHTY Hey The Horse would be proud of me hey look it's all CAPS.
That's it for me I'm going back to bed to dream about last night. |
| 3rd December 2006 04:23 PM |
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| Left Shoe Shuffle |
Nice reviews.
Seems like those coupla days off did them a world of good.
Read elsewhere that Black Widow's Eyes was also played for the first time in a while last night.
Caught The Pretenders doing a club show in NJ the other night - effin' great!
Chrissie really does sound better than ever.
Highlight was a stirring cover of Forever Young. |
| 3rd December 2006 04:24 PM |
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| Jumping Jack |
This is a friend's review from Thewhotour.com who lives in NH. It is pretty much the consensus that Boston 2, Philly 2, and Atlanta were the best shows so far. All these were within the last few weeks with some "off" nights in between because of tech problems, but the band is definitely picking up momentum headed toward Omaha!!! |
| 3rd December 2006 05:09 PM |
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| Joey |
quote:
Jumping Jack wrote:
This is a friend's review from Thewhotour.com who lives in NH. It is pretty much the consensus that Boston 2, Philly 2, and Atlanta were the best shows so far. All these were within the last few weeks with some "off" nights in between because of tech problems, but the band is definitely picking up momentum headed toward Omaha!!!
I am now so excited that I am typing this with BOTH my penis and nipples .......
Kins |
| 3rd December 2006 05:12 PM |
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| Joey |
" The set list
I Can't Explain/The Seeker/Anyway Anyhow Anywhere/Fragments/Who Are You/Behind Blue Eyes/ Sound Round/Pick Up the Peace/Endless Wire/We Got a Hit/They Made My Dream Come True/Mirror Door/Baba O'Riley/Eminence Front/A Man in a Purple Dress/Mike Post Theme/You Better You Bet/My Generation/Cry If You Want/Won't Get Fooled Again/Pinball Wizard/Amazing Journey--Captain Walker--Underture/Sparks/See Me Feel Me/Tea & Theatre "
I like this set list Jizzy ...... Yes I DO !!!!
" the Pretenders were good--Chrissy is still quite fuckable and wore some niiiiice boots and her voice is better than ever...in honor of her PETA rap at the end of the show my buddy and I stopped for steak on the way home!
Cazart!! "
Funny !!!! I plan on a steak BEFORE the gig and many drinks at Mr. Toads after the concert as I have Friday off work . Word .
Nice Review -- THANKS
Your young Joey can not WAIT for Thursday Evening's gig .
Kins , Established 1999
..............
[cc:ss]
[Edited by Joey] |
| 3rd December 2006 06:03 PM |
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| glencar |
Don't get Joey's hopes up; you know that simply EVERYONE mails it in to Omaha. |
| 3rd December 2006 06:18 PM |
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| rolling who |
How was the crowd? Did it sell out, or were there visible empty seats? |
| 3rd December 2006 06:22 PM |
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| Joey |
quote:
Jumping Jack wrote:
All these were within the last few weeks with some "off" nights in between because of tech problems, but the band is definitely picking up momentum headed toward Omaha!!!
Jumping Jack ..........
Please elaborate !!!! .... " Tech Problems " ?!?!
How bad ..?!?! .... sound issues ?!
Please ...........I's justs gots to's knows .
KINS !
.......
[cc:ss]
[Edited by Joey] |
| 3rd December 2006 06:35 PM |
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| Left Shoe Shuffle |
Legendary Who Returns to Omaha After 40 Years
By Niz Proskocil, Omaha World-Herald
Dec. 3--Musically ambitious, widely influential and notoriously intense, The Who has given fans four decades of adventurous, thought-provoking music.
In 1967, the British rock group brought Omaha a chaotic live show that one local reviewer described as boasting a sound that reached "bone-vibrating intensity."
Nearly 40 years later, numerous generations have embraced The Who's music.
The group's guitarist, Pete Townshend, is regarded as one of the finest songwriters of his era.
As the legendary rockers plow through one of their lengthiest tours ever -- in support of "Endless Wire," the Who's first album of new material since 1982 -- local fans will have another chance to experience the explosiveness.
In an e-mail interview, Townshend, 61, shared his thoughts about the bond he shares with singer Roger Daltrey, the connection with audiences and what it's like to be touring after all these years.
Q: It's been nearly 40 years since the Who played in Omaha. What can fans expect at your concert here Dec. 7?
A: We're 40 years older, for starters. Two men down, two to go. Send the chopper. Since we played in Omaha, I have written most of the classic rock that the fans will know and love, excluding a few early songs like 'Can't
Explain' and 'My Generation.' We play a lot of classic stuff and about 10 new songs, but don't panic. Six of those are the mini-opera 'Wire & Glass,' and that fairly flies by. The shows so far have been pretty good. Anyone who sees me after one of them tells me they've been a part of something special.
This is all about the audience, really. We just show up and do our thing.
Q: How is world tour 2006 going?
A: It's going very well, better than ever. I am fit, Roger looks fit. We do pretty well. I enjoy it. It's so much easier than it used to be. You'll probably find that in Omaha in 1967 someone took the time to stop me in the
street and tell me to get my hair cut. Today they will stop me to tell me I changed their life, that my music got them through hard times, and how is Roger doing, like we are the family friends, or even like the local physician or priest.
Q: What is the onstage relationship with Roger like these days?
A: Never been better. We are dependent on each other like never before, but feel lucky to be alive and to have each other. He's doing great work on this tour. Even when his voice is a little sore or raw, he sings my songs as though his life depended on it. It is moving and humbling to me to see how hard he works to get the songs across.
Q: How are the new songs from "Endless Wire" translating in a live setting?
A: They work very well. It is hard for the audience to settle down and listen to completely new music, but audiences have been really generous about this. A couple of the songs are performed by Roger and myself alone,
and what that does is concentrate their focus. It's quite wonderful.
Q: Multiple generations of fans attend Who concerts. What is it about The Who's music that resonates with a wide audience?
A: Don't the older ones just drag their kids along? There are lots of younger fans at our shows, but our main audience is still those between 35 and 60. If younger ones come, it might be as part of the pursuit of legend.
Of course, what they will discover is that the legend is carried by the older ones around them, not the old guys on the stage. So all they ever had to do was ask their folks.
Q: What are your thoughts on new technology such as Myspace, blogs and webcasting? It looks like the Who has its own Myspace page. Is it an official, band-sanctioned site?
A: It's not a band site. The Who don't have one yet because Roger is so backward about the Internet (though we are hoping to put one up together later this year). I have used the Internet intensely for a lot of projects.
Lately, I have concentrated on trying to develop live webcasting. My partner, Rachel Fuller, has her own Internet show she calls 'In the Attic,' music and chat, and this seems to me to be a good model.
Q: Bono from U2 has said, "More than any other band, The Who are our role models." Who were your role models?
A: The Rolling Stones at first, and, of course, the Beatles. Then Bob Dylan.
That doesn't mean we got close to what they achieved; neither does it mean we wanted to. But the blues artists we listened to were not always very good role models. Sadly, we probably didn't turn out too well ourselves.
Q: As they've done on past tours, the Pretenders are opening for you. Why did you pick the Pretenders?
A: I did not pick them, but their work creates a synergy with the Who that really sets up an electric concert atmosphere for us. Chrissie (Hynde, the Pretenders' lead singer) was making her first Pretenders record with
producer Chris Thomas in parallel with me doing the same, so we met early on and had hits at the same time. We are good friends.
Q: What would you like to tell fans in Omaha?
A: If you have not seen The Who before, or haven't seen us since 1967 (in which case you might be a little creaky), don't come with too many preconceptions. Hopefully there will be some magic, and if there is, you will be making it. We will be honored to stand on stage and watch, and, of course, accompany you with some great rock 'n' roll, new and old. I can't wait to see your faces.
[Edited by Left Shoe Shuffle] |
| 3rd December 2006 06:37 PM |
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| glencar |
I have GOT to go! |
| 3rd December 2006 07:00 PM |
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| Jumping Jack |
Joey, they have been having problems with monitors, mics and guitars resulting in things being launched, stepped on and kicked.
Here is the MS review by the same guy who did the above Boston review:
Well lets start with the good because there is not much good to talk about at Mohegan Sun
The casino is really nice was surprised as good as Vegas best make Borgata look like a dump.
Tickets were aviable at the box office all night even floor seats they droped front row seats at 6:30PM there are always seats aviable.
I managed to get 3rd row in front of Pino my normal seat was 10th row center 3rd is best I could do.
Both theseeker and georgiel had front row center right in front of Roger
The Pretenders were fantastic they should have headlined much better than Bridgeport. The crowd loved them.
I'm going to make this short and sweet it's late and I'm tired.
To put it bluntly the boy's had an off night to say the least.
My grade and this is taking into consideration techincal problems is C+ and this is giving them the benefit of the doubt. Without problems it would be C-
Both Pete and Roger had major techinal problems Rogers mic went out and he threw a fit said it was the 5th time this tour and their was no call for that.
Pete had just as many problems maybe more He got so mad during the seeker he took the cord off his gguitar and with both hands lifted the guitar over his head and flung it off to the side of the stage Quite a launch job if I may say his tech runs up gives him another guitar and it doesnt work for awhile to say Pete was pissed is an understatement.
But problems put aside this was one lackadasical performance it wasn't even going thru the motions.
I have seen 6 shows this tour and this was by far the worst.
Petes guitar playing was way below average never mind no solos or jams he didnt even extend or play out most of the songs Not a good night for Pete all the way around.
Roger's performance was about the same as Petes way below Bridgeport
The effort just wasn't there
Even Zak's performance was laking.
It was just a total lack of energy and effort by the whole band. A night to forget on to Boston.
Now one thing here some people might be upset by this review but I have always called it as I see it .
If this was your first Who show I'm sure they looked great.
But I have seen what this band is capable of and this was no where near average.
Here is another report from last night's show at Mohegan Sun:
It struck me as a relatively small venue, but the last Who shows I saw
were at MSG -- this place seated about 10,000. It seemed to take Pete
a song or two to really get revved up, but Roger was in absolutely top
form throughout. In fact, his performance reminded me of nothing so
much as the Voorburg '73 show. There were moments when he seemed
unable to stop singing, and at least one song (I believe it was MG)
had a ridiculously glorious (gloriously ridiculous?) drawn-out ending;
they simply could not stop. Zak was on fire as usual, and I was
really impressed with his hi-hat-less work on "The Seeker." The
mini-opera went over well; most of the floor crowd was on their feet
throughout. Pete seemed to be having some sort of guitar trouble
throughout the night, as he changed guitars several times during a
couple of songs; whatever the trouble was wasn't clear (nothing out of
tune, no obvious effects or tone problems). Roger had some mike
trouble, and remarked that even though he hardly swings the mike
anymore, he's broken five over the last few shows. "Crap made in
China!" he said. This prompted a funny reply from Pete who said that
he'd been admiring a Chinese-looking woman in the crowd right when
Roger said that, and was afraid she'd be offended. They were both
extremely talkative throughout...in fact, much more talkative than
I've ever seen. "Sparks" was a master class in dynamics. Parts of it
were positively gentle, and then of course it completely exploded.
When Pete struck the birdman pose he smiled to himself almost as if to
say, "Ha! See? I can still do this!" He took a lot of sonic risks
and even experimented with the tremelo in the reverse position
(bringing the pitch up instead of down). "Tea And Theatre" was even
more moving than I expected, which is to say, it was overwhelming.
Roger's vocals on this were otherworldly.
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| 3rd December 2006 07:06 PM |
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| lotsajizz |
quote:
rolling who wrote:
How was the crowd? Did it sell out, or were there visible empty seats?
fortunately for us, the balcony was only about 20% full...hence our migration from in front of the dickheads in loge up to where we could dance and smoke....the venue does about 19,000 for a show, perhaps 15-16,000 showed up....
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| 3rd December 2006 07:08 PM |
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| Joey |
" Q: What would you like to tell fans in Omaha?
A: If you have not seen The Who before, or haven't seen us since 1967 (in which case you might be a little creaky), don't come with too many preconceptions. Hopefully there will be some magic, and if there is, you will be making it. We will be honored to stand on stage and watch, and, of course, accompany you with some great rock 'n' roll, new and old. I can't wait to see your faces. "
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| 3rd December 2006 07:09 PM |
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| Joey |
quote:
glencar wrote:
I have GOT to go!
Come To Joey this Thursday !!!!!
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| 3rd December 2006 07:15 PM |
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| Joey |
quote:
lotsajizz wrote:
the venue does about 19,000 for a show, perhaps 15-16,000 showed up....
Pretty Damn Good !!!!!!! |
| 3rd December 2006 07:21 PM |
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| lotsajizz |
Joey--it seemed a 1,000 or so less than September, but a return visit within three months is pushin' it!
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| 3rd December 2006 07:44 PM |
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| Joey |
quote:
lotsajizz wrote:
but a return visit within three months is pushin' it!
Amen Jizzy ......
Glad you enjoyed the concert --- " My Crew " and myself will be in ROW THREE --- Yes , RIGHT in front of Pete
Please Enjoy THIS article : !
http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=1458&u_sid=2289194
" Scoring tickets to a big show can take a mix of luck and a lightning-fast Internet connection.
Many local fans who wanted tickets to Paul McCartney and the Rolling Stones were out of luck minutes after tickets went on sale. Former Beatle McCartney sold out his October 2005 show in 14 minutes. The Stones sold out their January 2006 concert within a half-hour.
But it has been a relative cinch for fans to get their hands on tickets to the Who concert Thursday at the Qwest Center Omaha. Tickets went on sale Sept. 23, but plenty of good seats are still available. Arena officials expect a turnout of about 10,000 to 11,000 fans - not too shabby, but far from a sellout.
If the Beatles, the Stones and the Who are considered the "holy trinity" of British Invasion rock bands, what makes the Who less of a local draw than fellow classic rockers?
Gary Bongiovanni, editor of the concert industry publication Pollstar, cited a number of reasons.
"The Who have done several farewell tours over the last 15 years. They have not had any new music get airplay in a long time. Their ticket prices are higher this time around, and their number of top 40 hits doesn't come close to either the Stones or McCartney," Bongiovanni said.
Associate professor Scott Anderson, who teaches a course on rock history at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, said the fact that only half of the original foursome remain could be a factor.
Singer Roger Daltrey, 62, and guitarist-songwriter Pete Townshend, 61, are the two surviving members of the founding lineup. Bassist John Entwistle died of a cocaine-induced heart attack in 2002. Drummer Keith Moon died of a drug overdose in 1978.
"The Who was diminished when Keith died, and when John died, they were done," said Anderson, although he added that he's surprised the concert hasn't already sold out, given the amount of publicity the tour has received.
The Who is on the road supporting "Endless Wire," its first studio album since 1982's "It's Hard."
Townshend himself recently told Rolling Stone magazine he wouldn't pay to see his own band.
"I don't want to go out and see Bob Dylan. I don't want to go out and see the Stones. I wouldn't pay money to go see the Who, not even with new songs," he said. "When I say that, what I mean is I'm ageist about it. I don't want to look at these old guys in their self-congratulatory mode."
Though generations have embraced the Who's music, the band's audience isn't as broad as that of the Stones or McCartney. And the Who doesn't have as many hits.
"They were never on that level, as far as being mainstream," said Anderson. "There were no screaming girls. The Who were a guys' band, a rough-and-tumble kind of band. The Who weren't interested in hit singles. They didn't write that way. Popularity-wise, they weren't in the same league. Musically, it's a whole different story. Townshend was one of the most innovative writers. He was way ahead of his time."
Nevertheless, fan Ted Baer of Omaha doesn't understand why the Who didn't generate an immediate sellout.
Baer, who will attend Thursday's concert, has been to about 20 Who concerts since 1980. His most recent was Chicago in September.
"It was fantastic," he said. "They sounded really, really good. Townshend was very animated. I could go see them once a week if they were a local bar band."
Baer became a serious fan of the group in 1978. He was 18, and the band's "Who Are You" album had just come out. He loved the rawness, emotion and overpowering quality of the music.
"Their music made me feel connected to them, especially Townshend. I think he's a genius. He changed the way music sounded," he said.
Baer, who also has attended several Rolling Stones concerts, including the one in Omaha, said Mick Jagger and company may have more hits, but compared to the Who, the Stones seem "plastic" onstage.
"I'm not a Stones hater. I just don't think they come close to the Who," said Baer, an avid collector of Who memorabilia.
Sam Burt of Omaha has been a Who fan for the past three years. He's been hooked on the British rockers since he found his dad's copy of the Who album "Meaty, Beaty, Big and Bouncy."
The Omaha show will be the 15-year-old's first Who concert. A budding rock musician, Burt patterns his guitar playing after the distinctive power chords of Townshend, his hero.
"I like the spontaneity of it and how it sounds like it's about ready to fall apart," Burt said of Townshend's riffing. "He doesn't try to fit a whole lot of notes in."
For avid music fan Bruce Karlquist of Omaha, the Who is very much the "elite old guard," which was why he was surprised tickets hadn't been snapped up like they were for McCartney and the Stones.
"They're icons just like the other bands," said Karlquist, who saw the Who perform in Kansas City, Mo., in the late 1980s. "I just assumed that the tickets were gone."
Karlquist noted that a Who concert in Des Moines in recent months, a surge in big-name concerts and limited entertainment dollars also could be affecting local ticket sales.
"Could attendance be down because we're getting so many great shows?" he said. "Maybe everybody was broke."
Kins !
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| 4th December 2006 05:52 AM |
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| Jumping Jack |
another story from the OWH
Guitar-smashing act was far out
BY RICK RUGGLES
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
The last time the Who played in Omaha, they were the opening act for a teeny-bopper band and were known in the United States mainly for tearing up their instruments.
The band they opened for, Herman's Hermits, soon faded. The Who went on to become one of rock 'n' roll's most innovative bands.
Two members of the original Who, guitarist Pete Townshend and singer Roger Daltrey, will perform Thursday night at the Qwest Center Omaha. The band now includes Ringo Starr's son, drummer Zak Starkey.
Dan Crouchley, now an Omaha attorney, was 16 when he attended the Who's performance at Rosenblatt Stadium the evening of Aug. 4, 1967. He recalled looking at a buddy and saying something like, "Now these are the guys that destroy their instruments, right?"
They were and they did.
Rock 'n' roll was fresh and intriguing 39 years ago. At the same time, the United States was mired in the Vietnam War, the nation was racked with racial tension, and the hippie counterculture had begun to thrive.
Kathleen Krick was in junior high school and could not wait to see Herman's Hermits and their singer, Peter Noone. Noone was her "teeny-bopper love," she said.
Her father, Martin Dineen, was Omaha's fire chief. He stuck around Rosenblatt Stadium, making sure his daughter and her friends were safe at the rock concert, which also featured the Impacts, the Chancellors and a band of some acclaim called Blues Magoos.
At the end of the Who's song "My Generation," which includes the lyrics, "Hope I die before I get old," Townshend tore up his guitar while drummer Keith Moon trashed his drum set. Smoke bombs went off.
"It was kind of scandalous because Herman's Hermits were so totally different from the Who," Krick said. Not only was it scandalous, she said, but it was somewhat exciting. "It seemed dangerous."
Her father was skeptical of rock 'n' roll's influence anyway. It was a scary, troublesome time in the United States, she said, and she remembered his anger over the Who's performance.
A Westside High School student whose World-Herald review of the concert focused mainly on Herman's Hermits devoted a paragraph to the Who. She concluded that paragraph with: "It was frightening."
That was not the Who's intent, Townshend said.
"We wanted to make our audience feel empowered, not frightened," he said in a recent e-mail interview. "We wanted to free ourselves from the notion that property mattered, that art mattered - in a world where we were quite obviously headed for pollution, nuclear radiation and lunatics in the White House."
The Who's act of destruction was just what some adolescent boys in Omaha were looking for. Tearing up instruments was fresh in 1967, Crouchley said.
"It wasn't that we didn't like Herman's Hermits, but they were of lesser interest than the Who," Crouchley said. "Of course, we just loved it when they destroyed their instruments."
If Herman's Hermits and the Who seem to be an odd pair now, Noone said it was not that strange back then. The Who wanted to break into the American market, and Herman's Hermits already had, with cute songs such as "Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter" and "I'm Henry VIII, I Am."
Noone said Herman's Hermits wanted to help fellow British bands such as the Who.
"And none of their records were being played in America," Noone said in a telephone interview from Santa Barbara, Calif., where he has a home.
Townshend, now 61, said in his e-mail message that it "seemed like a good idea" to tour with Herman's Hermits and "blow away a band whose audience was all 12 years old. We liked the guys in the band, and Peter Noone himself. . . .
"The Who have never been snobs. We started on British Pop package tours, supporting silly little bands like Gerry and the Pacemakers and the Rolling Stones - and, um, the Beatles."
Mike Drahota loved the Who's violent show. Drahota, now an Omaha business consultant, said that as a teenager, he was full of energy, excited by the emergence of rock and disturbed by the images of the Vietnam War on the nightly news. He relished seeing "hooligans" from England play driving music "not only that you hear, you feel in your body," he said.
"So they're out there just tearing it up and you're going wild," Drahota, now 54, said. "I remember Townshend throwing it (his guitar) up real high in the air and not even trying to catch it."
Drahota and his friend, Bill Eustice, rushed to the Rosenblatt dugout after the Who's performance. Eustice hoped Townshend would give him his broken guitar. Instead, Townshend was trying to put it back together.
Eustice said Townshend gave him a guitar string, which is framed and in Eustice's Omaha law office. They asked Moon for drumsticks, but he did not have any to give away. They asked Daltrey for an autograph. He diligently tried to find a pen but could not come up with one.
Crouchley, Drahota and Eustice eventually started their own band, which performed for years in the Omaha area. Among the songs they played was the Who's "My Generation."
Kathleen Krick now lives in Texas, and only a few weeks ago she saw Peter Noone perform in a Fort Worth club. "It was real fun," she said.
Townshend and the Who went on to create the rock opera "Tommy," made songs such as "Won't Get Fooled Again" and "Baba O'Riley" (which some know as "Teenage Wasteland"), and toured the United States many times - never again as the opening act for Herman's Hermits or anyone else. They eventually stopped tearing up their gear.
"I won't smash a guitar again," Townshend said. "That kind of artistic statement is not appropriate to these times. . . . We need hope and vision, not confrontation and complaint."
As for what to expect of the Who this time around, Townshend made a pledge. "I promise this time no one will be scared." |
| 4th December 2006 08:03 AM |
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| lotsajizz |
Globe review....
More than a riff of familiar in Who's new songs
By Joan Anderman, Globe Staff | December 4, 2006
The showstopper at every Who concert is "Baba O'Riley." So it was interesting (but not especially surprising) when Pete Townshend announced to the audience that the iconic anthem that inspires them to heights of ecstasy doesn't do much for him anymore. The cheers are "a reminder that this music is more yours than ours," Townshend said. "But I still own the copyright."
The Who dutifully plumbed the back catalog Saturday, cranking out faithful and occasionally potent renditions of the crowd pleasers: "I Can't Explain," "Who Are You," "Behind Blue Eyes," "Won't Get Fooled Again," and "Pinball Wizard" with support from British session bassist Pino Palladino and drummer Zak Starkey (Ringo Starr's son) -- a sumptuous, loose-limbed rhythm section that did the late Keith Moon and John Entwistle proud. Townshend's brother Simon contributed harmony vocals and guitar parts.
Roger Daltrey bellowed honorably, replacing what he's lost in vocal girth with extra gravel and phlegm and twirling his microphone like an old rock 'n' roll cowhand. Townshend, who at this point probably isn't inclined to windmill his way through two hours of furious power chords, made persuasive use of his right arm. The copyright owner knows what the consumer wants.
But while the fans were here to relive the past, Townshend and Daltry are touring behind the Who's first album of new material in 24 years, and that's what turned them on. "Endless Wire" often harks back to classic Who sounds and forms: the inimitable synth loop from "Baba O'Riley" is quoted almost verbatim on "Fragments," and the pummeling triplets from "The Punk Meets the Godfather" reappear in "Mike Post Theme." But in concert both were delivered with a freshness and relish that they found harder to muster for the old material.
A performance of last summer's "Wire & Glass" EP -- extended versions of all six tracks are on the new album -- served as the proverbial new-song bathroom break for many fans. It was their loss. "We've Got a Hit" captured the amazed joy of a young band breaking out, and Townshend's pinched singing on "Endless Wire" was a human-scale pleasure tucked amid Daltrey's bluster.
While the Who's nostalgic roar feels a bit manufactured, the show's stripped-down moments were unexpectedly moving. At 62, Daltrey clearly feels a closer kinship with the erudite mocker of organized religion in the new folk ballad "Man in a Purple Dress" than the stuttering kid snarling "My Generation."
And "Tea And Theatre," the last encore, was a quiet stunner: Townshend bent over his acoustic guitar while Daltrey, one hand jammed in his jeans pocket and the other holding a mug, sang: "A thousand songs still smolder now / We played them as one, we're older now / All of us sad, all of us free / Before we walk from the stage / Two of us / Will you have some tea at the theatre with me?"
The Pretenders -- led by a radiant and exuberant Chrissie Hynde in white tails and top hat -- opened up with a spectacular-sounding set of fan favorites that included "Precious," "Back on the Chain Gang," and "My City Was Gone."
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| 4th December 2006 10:54 AM |
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| Joey |
quote:
lotsajizz wrote:
Globe review....
More than a riff of familiar in Who's new songs
By Joan Anderman, Globe Staff | December 4, 2006
The showstopper at every Who concert is "Baba O'Riley." So it was interesting (but not especially surprising) when Pete Townshend announced to the audience that the iconic anthem that inspires them to heights of ecstasy doesn't do much for him anymore. The cheers are "a reminder that this music is more yours than ours," Townshend said. "But I still own the copyright."
The Who dutifully plumbed the back catalog Saturday, cranking out faithful and occasionally potent renditions of the crowd pleasers: "I Can't Explain," "Who Are You," "Behind Blue Eyes," "Won't Get Fooled Again," and "Pinball Wizard" with support from British session bassist Pino Palladino and drummer Zak Starkey (Ringo Starr's son) -- a sumptuous, loose-limbed rhythm section that did the late Keith Moon and John Entwistle proud. Townshend's brother Simon contributed harmony vocals and guitar parts.
Roger Daltrey bellowed honorably, replacing what he's lost in vocal girth with extra gravel and phlegm and twirling his microphone like an old rock 'n' roll cowhand. Townshend, who at this point probably isn't inclined to windmill his way through two hours of furious power chords, made persuasive use of his right arm. The copyright owner knows what the consumer wants.
But while the fans were here to relive the past, Townshend and Daltry are touring behind the Who's first album of new material in 24 years, and that's what turned them on. "Endless Wire" often harks back to classic Who sounds and forms: the inimitable synth loop from "Baba O'Riley" is quoted almost verbatim on "Fragments," and the pummeling triplets from "The Punk Meets the Godfather" reappear in "Mike Post Theme." But in concert both were delivered with a freshness and relish that they found harder to muster for the old material.
A performance of last summer's "Wire & Glass" EP -- extended versions of all six tracks are on the new album -- served as the proverbial new-song bathroom break for many fans. It was their loss. "We've Got a Hit" captured the amazed joy of a young band breaking out, and Townshend's pinched singing on "Endless Wire" was a human-scale pleasure tucked amid Daltrey's bluster.
While the Who's nostalgic roar feels a bit manufactured, the show's stripped-down moments were unexpectedly moving. At 62, Daltrey clearly feels a closer kinship with the erudite mocker of organized religion in the new folk ballad "Man in a Purple Dress" than the stuttering kid snarling "My Generation."
And "Tea And Theatre," the last encore, was a quiet stunner: Townshend bent over his acoustic guitar while Daltrey, one hand jammed in his jeans pocket and the other holding a mug, sang: "A thousand songs still smolder now / We played them as one, we're older now / All of us sad, all of us free / Before we walk from the stage / Two of us / Will you have some tea at the theatre with me?"
The Pretenders -- led by a radiant and exuberant Chrissie Hynde in white tails and top hat -- opened up with a spectacular-sounding set of fan favorites that included "Precious," "Back on the Chain Gang," and "My City Was Gone."
A LOVELY article --- Thanks Jizzy
Joey ! |
| 4th December 2006 12:04 PM |
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| Jumping Jack |
Someone please explain the difference between Stones fans and Who fans. Whether it is a RO Summit or a Shidoobee party there is no problem pulling 100 or more people together and it last al night. For The Who shows you are lucky to get a half dozen, and 2 hours after the show they are typing reviews on their computers. Why don't Who fans like to party? |
| 4th December 2006 12:15 PM |
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| Joey |
quote:
Jumping Jack wrote:
Why don't Who fans like to party?
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