Kennedy Center Honors The Who, Others Tonight

Tonight at 9 o’clock on CBS, the Kennedy Center Awards show will air which was taped earlier in the month. The honorees are The Who’s surviving members Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend, Barbra Streisand, Morgan Freeman, George Jones and Twyla Tharp.

This has to be the crowning achievement for Pete and Roger being welcomed to the White House. Roger stated that The Who were influenced by American music so things have kind of come full circle. I don’t know how much of the event will be aired, but I would imagine that the much talked about performance of “Love Reign O’er Me” by Bettye Lavette will make the broadcast. Lavette's rendition of the tune brought Townshend to tears and caused Streisand to ask Pete if he was the one that wrote the song!

I’ll be watching…

The Who News

Things never seem to be dull for the boys from Shepherds Bush...

Roger Daltrey will narrate a special documentary commemorating the 25th anniversary of the death of Beach Boys' drummer, Dennis Wilson, for BBC Radio 2, called Pacific Ocean Blues: The Life and Death of Dennis Wilson.

Meanwhile, Pete and Roger were among the honorees at the annual Kennedy Center Awards. Click this for more.

Spitfire Productions has been, well, on fire, lately for The Who; The Who: Live at Kilburn 1977 sits atop the Billboard DVD music charts, while Amazing Journey: The Story of The Who has been nominated for a Grammy in the category of "Best Long Form Music Video."

Book Review of Mark Wilkerson's Who Are You: The Life of Pete Townshend

Who Are You: The Life of Pete Townshend
by Mark Wilkerson

This was a well-written and extensively researched book. I didn't think there was much more for me to learn about Pete Townshend, but thanks to what must have been author Mark Wilkerson's tireless work, I came away knowing so many interesting things about PT after finishing this book.

I think this book is great for any fan of classic rock and is a must for Pete Townshend's fans. I have always had the utmost respect for Townshend's work, but now understand the depths of it even more so. Wilkerson's fairness provides an extremely objective view of PT; warts and all.

The Who News

Michael J. Fox recently rocked out with The Who during a charity fundraiser. For more on the story, click this.

Meanwhile, WNEW.com has this item about the pending release of The Who at Kilburn 1977. I got to see snippets of the show on PBS recently and although the usually difficult-to-please Pete Townshend predictably thought the band was awful, I thought that they did a very good job.

Thanks WNEW.com

My friends (I sound like John McCain with that one) over at WNEW.com posted an excerpt and a link from my review of The Who concert at the IZOD Center. Click this for more.

The Who Rock The Izod Center

The Who rocked New Jersey’s Izod Center (née Meadowlands) last night in a show that saw the band play a wide array of songs from their incomparably expansive music catalogue.

The loquacious Pete Townshend was at his most arrogant and played guitar the best I have ever seen him. Roger Daltrey was masterful; swinging his microphone and singing Pete's songs with an unbridled passion. He hit the high notes on "Love Reign O’er Me" and "Won’t Get Fooled Again" like he was 30 years younger. Drummer Zak Starkey was at his most manic on the drums; while Pino Palladino delivered strong bass playing.

Palladino and Simon Townshend (extra guitar) combine to try and replicate the rich sound of the dearly departed, John Entwistle, and do a fine job. Meanwhile, long-time Who-mate John”Rabbit” Bundrick was brilliant on keyboard.

The opening act, Canadian trio Inward Eye, were also very impressive, although the arena was probably a third full when they performed. I look forward to their album coming out in January on iTunes.

But, the very enthusiastic and surprisingly young crowd, filled up the building for the legendary twosome from Shepards Bush, England. The Ooo once again did not fail to take me away on a spiritual voyage, quite thankfully bereft of “Joe the Plumber” and “promises of change.” No, this was something better and more fulfilling then almost anything I have ever experienced. This is something that I have seen over and over again and have never grown tired, nor bored of.

This was a Who concert: brilliant, arrogant and spiritually uplifting!

Setlist:
I Can’t Explain
The Seeker
Anyway Anyhow Anywhere
Fragments
Who Are You
Behind Blue Eyes
Real Good Looking Boy
Sister Disco
Baba O’Riley
Gettin’ In Tune
Eminence Front
5.15
Love Reign O’er Me
My Generation
Won’t Get Fooled Again
Pinball Wizard
Amazing Journey/Sparks/See Me, Feel Me
Tea and Theatre

Very Cool Video Montage of The Who

"Real Good Lookin' Boy" off of The Who's 2004 greatest hits album, Now and Then. Greg Lake (of Emerson, Lake and Palmer fame) plays bass on this song.

Courtesy of YouTube.