The Who Sell Out

Tribune photo by Bill Knowland Fireworks display signals the end of The Who’s Oakland Coliseum performance.

Weather’s mild; concert’s wild By Larry Kelp Tribune Music Critic

The rains came for two days, then let up just in time for a concert by the English rock quartet The Who on Saturday at the Oakland Coliseum Stadium.

Except for the usual problems with several hundred teen-agers who overindulged in alcohol or drugs and passed out before The Who hit the stage, it was pure heaven for the audience.

Afterward was another matter. One injury accident and several fenderbenders caused by cars pouring from the parking lot onto Highway 17 resulted in a big traffic jam.

The weather was warm, mild, perfect for catching a bit of sun and mellowing into the early evening hours outdoors. Instead of being mellow, the crowd was staggered by an onslaught of white-noise rock from The Who.

If the Rolling Stones at Candlestick Park was 1981’s “rock concert of the year,” The Who’s Coliseum appearance was this year’s biggie. In many ways it eclipsed the Stones’ show.

The concert was sold out almost as quickly as it was announced a month ago. Earlier, members of The Who had hinted that this might be the band’s final tour.

Sixty-thousand teens poured into the ballpark in the afternoon for the 5 1/2-hour concert.

Banners were hung from the second deck with such messages as “Castro Valley Daltrey Fans” (referring to Who singer Roger Daltrey) and

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