The Who, What, When, Where, Why and How
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, our Iowa correspondent and Man about Town, Loren Christensen, attended The Who in concert at Des Moines's Wells Fargo Arena Tuesday evening. Let's tune in to get his impressions of the show. Loren, are you there? Tell us your thoughts on The Who after all these years.
WELL, CHRIS, THE CONCERT AS AN EVENT WAS MERCIFULLY CENTERED AROUND THE MUSIC AND NOT THE HYPE SURROUNDING A BAND SPANNING SOME FIVE NUMBERED DECADES. GONE ARE THE "HEARTFELT" EFFIGIES OF PEOPLE'S UNDYING GRATITUDE FOR THEIR "INSCRUTABLE" CONTRIBUTIONS LAID ON THE ALTAR OF ROCK'S ELITE...........BLAH, BLAH, BLAH. THERE WERE NO FLASHPOTS, OR DANCING GIRLS, OR CATWALKS ON THE THIRD STORY OF THE ROOM SO 60 YEAR OLD MEN CAN TRY TO PULL THEMSELVES OFF AS SEX SYMBOLS. AGAIN, THANKFULLY, THERE WAS NONE OF THAT; INSTEAD, SIX MEN TOOK THE STAGE, A TRADITIONAL STAGE SET WITH THE INSTRUMENTS AND STACKS OF VOX AMPS NOT UNLIKE A STAGE THEY WALKED ONTO IN 1979, SHORTLY BEFORE KEITH MOON'S UNTIMELY DEATH. IF THERE WAS AN IRONY PULLED OFF THERE, AT LEAST IT WAS SUBTLE ENOUGH THAT ALMOST NO ONE WOULD KNOW. I THINK, THOUGH, IT WAS NO MANIPULATION OF THE PSYCHE. THE BAND SIMPLY WANTED TO PLAY IN THEIR WORKPLACE AND NOT SOME PRODUCED THEATRE OF DISTRACTION MEANT TO MUDDLE THE AGING MUSICIANS' IMAGE AND SOMEHOW MAKE US BELIEVE THAT SOME WAY, SOMEHOW, THEY WILL BE FIFTY AGAIN AND THAT ALL IS OKAY. NO, THEY ARE OKAY WITH TELLING IT LIKE IT IS : WE ARE SIXTY-TWO YEAR OLD SURVIVORS OF A NEARLY INSURVIVABLE ERA TO BE ARTISTS ON THE FOREFRONT OF A TEMPEST OF CULTURE DESTINED TO TAKE MOST OF ITS ELITE IN A MATTER OF A FEW SHORT YEARS. THEY, THEMSELVES, SHOULD NOT BE HERE...AND THEY KNOW IT.
THE NIGHT STARTED WITH MOD ERA SONGS SUCH AS "ANYWAY, ANYWHERE, ANYHOW" AND WAS FOLLOWED BY "I CAN'T EXPLAIN". AFTER A BRIEF THANK YOU BETWEEN PETE AND THE AUDIENCE THEY PLAYED "WHAT THEY HAD TO PLAY" FOLLOWED BY A THIRTEEN MINUTE ROCK MINI OPERA NOT YET RELEASED IN THE STATES, FOLLOWED BY A HEARTFELT TRIBUTE TO ELVIS VIA ANOTHER NEW SONG FROM ROGER DALTREY.
THEN THEY WENT TO WORK.
MY GENERATION EXPLODED INTO A TEN MINUTE FREE FOR ALL BETWEEN PETE TOWNSEND AND ZAK STARKEY THAT MADE THE HAIR ON YOUR ARMS STAND AS IT TRULY FELT LIKE KEITH SOMEHOW WAS WITH US (LAUGHING AS HE FELL OFF HIS STOOL AT THE END OF THE SONG). STARKEY WAS ALLOWED, AND I DO THINK ALLOWED IS THE CORRECT WORD, TO PLAY LIKE MOON; WHY NOT? AFTER ALL HIS DAD WAS KEITH'S BEST FRIEND, AND IT WARMED THE HEART TO KNOW THAT HE WAS THE FIRST DRUMMER ALLOWED TO EMULATE THE ICON IN A RESPECTFUL MANNER. PINO ON THE BASS WAS ANOTHER STORY ALTOGETHER, HOWEVER. HE WAS OBVIOUSLY TOLD TO KEEP A LOW KEY PLACE IN THE BACKROUND WITH FEW STAND OUT MEASURES WITH THE EXCEPTION OF "MY GENERATION" WHERE HIS FILLS WERE GREETED BY LOUD CHEERS FROM THE AUDIENCE, ALMOST DIRECTLY WHISPERING IN HIS EAR "WE KNOW THIS IS NOT EASY, BUT THANK YOU ALL THE SAME."
AFTER HAMMERING FOR TWO HOURS, THEY BAND TOOK A BREATHER AND CAME BACK WITH A VERY LOOOUUUD ENCORE, DOING TRACKS FROM TOMMY AS WELL AS QUADRIPHENIA. THE BAND FINISHED AS THEY SHOULD, WITH A ACOUSTIC BALLAD ABOUT TWO MEN HAVING TEA FEATURING THE BAND'S TWO REMAINING, RESILIENT MEMBERS: PETER TOWNSEND AND ROGER DALTREY.
GETTING EMOTIONAL.
I CAN'T EXPLAIN.
I understand, Loren. It must have been an emotional moment for you. What would you say was the highlight of the evening?
THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN DUEL ON THE QUADRIPHENIA SET BETWEEN STARKEY AND TOWNSEND.
And what, if any, would have been the low point of the show?
REMEMBERING THAT JOHN WASN'T THERE.
How would you characterize Roger Daltrey's voice and Pete Townsend's guitar playing?
ROGER'S VOICE WAS SLOW TO START, BUT AFTER FIVE SONGS, HE WAS GREAT.
PETE'S PLAYING WAS AS GOOD AS I HAVE EVER SEEN--HE CAN HEAR!
You mentioned that you felt John Entwhistle's death in 2002 influenced the style of the bassist. How was his playing?
PINO WAS QUIET AND DIGNIFIED ON THE BASS AS HE WAS CLEARLY INSTRUCTED TO BE. JOHN'S DEATH IS JUST TOO CLOSE.
How does Zak Starkey's drumming really compare with that of the late, great Keith Moon? And, how does it compare to his old man, Ringo?
HIS DAD COULDN'T HAVE HOPED ON HIS BEST DAY TO PLAY LIKE THAT. ZAK WAS KEITH MOON FOR US.
You sound almost as if he were channeling the ghost of Moon.
YEAH.
How were your seats for the concert?
WE WERE SEATED IN THE PARQUET WITH THE STAGE UP 10 YARDS.
Wow, that had to have made an impression on your family, who attended the concert with you. What did they think?
THEY ALL THOUGHT IT WAS THE BEST CONCERT THEY HAVE EVER SEEN. KAREN TOO. I ASKED KATIE IF SHE WAS DISAPPOINTED. SHE SAID NO, IT WAS AWESOME.
I AM TODAY PROUD...
Well, there you have it, straight from the Des Moines Metroplex, folks. Another generation discovers The Who. Thanks, Loren, for your commentary, and we'll check in again with you soon!
WELL, CHRIS, THE CONCERT AS AN EVENT WAS MERCIFULLY CENTERED AROUND THE MUSIC AND NOT THE HYPE SURROUNDING A BAND SPANNING SOME FIVE NUMBERED DECADES. GONE ARE THE "HEARTFELT" EFFIGIES OF PEOPLE'S UNDYING GRATITUDE FOR THEIR "INSCRUTABLE" CONTRIBUTIONS LAID ON THE ALTAR OF ROCK'S ELITE...........BLAH, BLAH, BLAH. THERE WERE NO FLASHPOTS, OR DANCING GIRLS, OR CATWALKS ON THE THIRD STORY OF THE ROOM SO 60 YEAR OLD MEN CAN TRY TO PULL THEMSELVES OFF AS SEX SYMBOLS. AGAIN, THANKFULLY, THERE WAS NONE OF THAT; INSTEAD, SIX MEN TOOK THE STAGE, A TRADITIONAL STAGE SET WITH THE INSTRUMENTS AND STACKS OF VOX AMPS NOT UNLIKE A STAGE THEY WALKED ONTO IN 1979, SHORTLY BEFORE KEITH MOON'S UNTIMELY DEATH. IF THERE WAS AN IRONY PULLED OFF THERE, AT LEAST IT WAS SUBTLE ENOUGH THAT ALMOST NO ONE WOULD KNOW. I THINK, THOUGH, IT WAS NO MANIPULATION OF THE PSYCHE. THE BAND SIMPLY WANTED TO PLAY IN THEIR WORKPLACE AND NOT SOME PRODUCED THEATRE OF DISTRACTION MEANT TO MUDDLE THE AGING MUSICIANS' IMAGE AND SOMEHOW MAKE US BELIEVE THAT SOME WAY, SOMEHOW, THEY WILL BE FIFTY AGAIN AND THAT ALL IS OKAY. NO, THEY ARE OKAY WITH TELLING IT LIKE IT IS : WE ARE SIXTY-TWO YEAR OLD SURVIVORS OF A NEARLY INSURVIVABLE ERA TO BE ARTISTS ON THE FOREFRONT OF A TEMPEST OF CULTURE DESTINED TO TAKE MOST OF ITS ELITE IN A MATTER OF A FEW SHORT YEARS. THEY, THEMSELVES, SHOULD NOT BE HERE...AND THEY KNOW IT.
THE NIGHT STARTED WITH MOD ERA SONGS SUCH AS "ANYWAY, ANYWHERE, ANYHOW" AND WAS FOLLOWED BY "I CAN'T EXPLAIN". AFTER A BRIEF THANK YOU BETWEEN PETE AND THE AUDIENCE THEY PLAYED "WHAT THEY HAD TO PLAY" FOLLOWED BY A THIRTEEN MINUTE ROCK MINI OPERA NOT YET RELEASED IN THE STATES, FOLLOWED BY A HEARTFELT TRIBUTE TO ELVIS VIA ANOTHER NEW SONG FROM ROGER DALTREY.
THEN THEY WENT TO WORK.
MY GENERATION EXPLODED INTO A TEN MINUTE FREE FOR ALL BETWEEN PETE TOWNSEND AND ZAK STARKEY THAT MADE THE HAIR ON YOUR ARMS STAND AS IT TRULY FELT LIKE KEITH SOMEHOW WAS WITH US (LAUGHING AS HE FELL OFF HIS STOOL AT THE END OF THE SONG). STARKEY WAS ALLOWED, AND I DO THINK ALLOWED IS THE CORRECT WORD, TO PLAY LIKE MOON; WHY NOT? AFTER ALL HIS DAD WAS KEITH'S BEST FRIEND, AND IT WARMED THE HEART TO KNOW THAT HE WAS THE FIRST DRUMMER ALLOWED TO EMULATE THE ICON IN A RESPECTFUL MANNER. PINO ON THE BASS WAS ANOTHER STORY ALTOGETHER, HOWEVER. HE WAS OBVIOUSLY TOLD TO KEEP A LOW KEY PLACE IN THE BACKROUND WITH FEW STAND OUT MEASURES WITH THE EXCEPTION OF "MY GENERATION" WHERE HIS FILLS WERE GREETED BY LOUD CHEERS FROM THE AUDIENCE, ALMOST DIRECTLY WHISPERING IN HIS EAR "WE KNOW THIS IS NOT EASY, BUT THANK YOU ALL THE SAME."
AFTER HAMMERING FOR TWO HOURS, THEY BAND TOOK A BREATHER AND CAME BACK WITH A VERY LOOOUUUD ENCORE, DOING TRACKS FROM TOMMY AS WELL AS QUADRIPHENIA. THE BAND FINISHED AS THEY SHOULD, WITH A ACOUSTIC BALLAD ABOUT TWO MEN HAVING TEA FEATURING THE BAND'S TWO REMAINING, RESILIENT MEMBERS: PETER TOWNSEND AND ROGER DALTREY.
GETTING EMOTIONAL.
I CAN'T EXPLAIN.
I understand, Loren. It must have been an emotional moment for you. What would you say was the highlight of the evening?
THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN DUEL ON THE QUADRIPHENIA SET BETWEEN STARKEY AND TOWNSEND.
And what, if any, would have been the low point of the show?
REMEMBERING THAT JOHN WASN'T THERE.
How would you characterize Roger Daltrey's voice and Pete Townsend's guitar playing?
ROGER'S VOICE WAS SLOW TO START, BUT AFTER FIVE SONGS, HE WAS GREAT.
PETE'S PLAYING WAS AS GOOD AS I HAVE EVER SEEN--HE CAN HEAR!
You mentioned that you felt John Entwhistle's death in 2002 influenced the style of the bassist. How was his playing?
PINO WAS QUIET AND DIGNIFIED ON THE BASS AS HE WAS CLEARLY INSTRUCTED TO BE. JOHN'S DEATH IS JUST TOO CLOSE.
How does Zak Starkey's drumming really compare with that of the late, great Keith Moon? And, how does it compare to his old man, Ringo?
HIS DAD COULDN'T HAVE HOPED ON HIS BEST DAY TO PLAY LIKE THAT. ZAK WAS KEITH MOON FOR US.
You sound almost as if he were channeling the ghost of Moon.
YEAH.
How were your seats for the concert?
WE WERE SEATED IN THE PARQUET WITH THE STAGE UP 10 YARDS.
Wow, that had to have made an impression on your family, who attended the concert with you. What did they think?
THEY ALL THOUGHT IT WAS THE BEST CONCERT THEY HAVE EVER SEEN. KAREN TOO. I ASKED KATIE IF SHE WAS DISAPPOINTED. SHE SAID NO, IT WAS AWESOME.
I AM TODAY PROUD...
Well, there you have it, straight from the Des Moines Metroplex, folks. Another generation discovers The Who. Thanks, Loren, for your commentary, and we'll check in again with you soon!
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