SUNRISE, Fla. – A mere 42 years ago,The Whoplayed what it calledThe Final Concertin Toronto. That, of course, turned out to be false advertising. But this time,it really is the end. Fini. Ciao. Au revoir. The Who –Roger Daltreyand Pete Townshend and a coterie of top flight musicians – kicked off the fittingly namedThe Song Is Over North American Farewell Tourat Amerant Bank Arena in suburban Fort Lauderdale on Saturday, Aug. 16. The band will play16 more concerts through September before Daltrey unfurls his "Won't Get Fooled Again" bellow and Townshend windmills on his guitar during "My Generation" for the final time. Though a few technical glitches and sound problems visibly irritated Daltrey, the pair appeared in good spirits throughout the 23-song, two-hour-ish show. "For those with deep pockets, Roger and I are available for private parties," Townshend told the full arena following a declaration that this is truly theThe Who'sswan song. The Who setlist:All the songs on the iconic band's farewell tour Prior to thisNorth American tour, named for a song on The Who's 1971 "Who's Next" album, the band played a pair of concerts in Italy in July. While they retainedthe obvious staplesof any Who show – "Baba O'Riley," "Pinball Wizard" and set opener "I Can't Explain" among them – for this run, they also chucked a few curveballs. A pair of songs from that landmark "Who's Next" release incited cheers from hardcore fans who haven't had many opportunities to hear "Bargain," its romantic message buried inside a swish of psychedelic rock, and"Going Mobile,"a Townshend-penned song being played for the first time as The Who. Toward the end of the show, Townshend sat with an acoustic guitar while Daltrey emoted during "Tea & Theatre," an infrequently played cut from 2006's mini opera "Endless Wire" that showed how dedicated the band is to mixing up its setlist for this final run. Given hisown admissionsabout vocal struggles and hearing loss, it's fair to wonder if Daltrey, at 81, still possesses a modicum of the robust voice associated with one of the greatest rock singers in history. The answer would be mostly. After a raspy few opening songs, Daltrey, a silver fox in tinted glasses, a long-sleeve T-shirt and practical sneakers, found his comfort zone on "The Seeker." Though three band members – guitarist Simon Townshend, keyboardist Loren Gold and backing vocalist John Hogg – routinely handled the heavy lifting on the harmonies, especially during the ping-pong vocals that form the coda of "Who Are You,"Daltrey found the noteswhen he needed them most. For every strained vocal, such as on "Behind Blue Eyes," which the band restarted after technical difficulties, there was a visceral "See Me, Feel Me," the insistent "Tommy" overture that Daltrey poured his soul into. At song's end, Daltrey grinned at Townshend with a look that said, "Somehow I got through it." Townshend clapped Daltrey's shoulder in affirmation, a show of affection between two very different personalities who nonetheless created 60 years of memories. Throughout the show, Townshend, 80, the black-clad guitar architect, shredded riffs and nimbly raced his fingers down the fretboard. While he acknowledged his own vocal shortcomings and turned the mic over to brother Simon for "Going Mobile," he steered "Eminence Front" with barked lyrics over the song's metronomic cadence. The Who was also joined by longtime collaborators Jon Button on bass, Jody Linscott on percussion, and, sliding onto the throneoccupied by Zak Starkeyfor nearly 30 years, drummer Scott Devours. "I have no idea who he is," Townshend joked when introducing the band. Devours is a veteran ofDaltrey's solo band, and he exhausted himself with The Who's hard-hitting tom-tom fills and snare slaps immortalized by original drummer Keith Moon. Though the song is soon-to-be over for The Who, they've orchestrated a concert that wraps their legacy with pride. "You'll never remember the perfect show," Daltrey said after another technical issue paused the start of the sprightly "You Better You Bet." "You'll remember the (screw)-ups." So was this show "perfect"? No. But that was never the point of rock 'n' roll. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:The Who farewell tour mixes hits with rarities – Review
