The Who — still rockin’ hard on newest tour

By Jim Pasinski

Record-Journal staff

Not many bands can stake a claim to being around for 50 years, and even fewer can still rock as hard as The Who. The band’s members first stepped foot in Connecticut back in 1968, performing at a small venue called the Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford — a show my father attended — as they smashed their instruments at the end of their performance. Now 47-years later, The Who made its most recent visit to the state as part of its “The Who Hits 50!” tour, playing to a sold out arena at Mohegan Sun on Sunday.

Kicking off the night’s entertainment was a visit from Joan Jett and The Blackhearts, who were recently inducted into the Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame, in April. The 40-minute set touched upon every aspect of Jett’s career, beginning with “Bad Reputation” from her 1980 debut album. Jett then dove back into her catalogue for a rendition of “Cherry Bomb” from her time in The Runaways. Jett brought the audience to their feet with her No. 1 single “I Love Rock ’n’ Roll,” before closing with a rocking version of Tommy James’ “Crimson and Clover” and “I Hate Myself For Loving You.”

As the lights dimmed for the headliner, The Who, the members of the six-piece backing band — which includes Pete Townshend’s younger brother Simon on guitar and Ringo Starr’s son Zak Starky on drums — took their spots on stage. Then the remaining two original members, Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey, strolled onstage to a standing ovation. They started the night off with one of their earliest singles, “I Can’t Explain,” from 1965. Pete Townshend’s signature windmill guitar strumming got the crowd going early as “Who Are You” showcased the full potential of their backing band. As The Who dove far back into its catalog with the songs “My Generation” and “The Kids Are Alright,” a giant screen behind it would mix in live video with classic photos of the band’s early days. The thunderous rhythm of “Join Together” got the audience marching in unison to the beat, while Daltrey’s vocals on “Love Reign O’er Me” left no doubters as to his’ singing abilities. The Who included the mini-rock opera “A Quick One (While He’s Away)” as an introduction to its famous rock opera “Tommy.”

The four-song “Tommy” epic

See Who / Page D3