The Blog for the Classic Concertgoer
Sep 9, 2011
10:11 AM
The Who's Roger Daltrey Dazzles With 'Tommy'
By Debbi Calton
(page 1 of 2)
In a two-and-a-half-hour performance that's sure to impress, Roger Daltrey brings the iconic, groundbreaking rock opera Tommy to the Mann Center for the Performing Arts on Sept. 21. The tour is unique in that Tommy has never been performed song-sequentially in its entirety by The Who. Daltrey was waved off on this journey by an approving Pete Townshend, who said he “will be there in spirit” and Daltrey has his “complete and most loving support.”
In the 43 years since he dazzled onlookers with his pinball skills, Tommy no doubt would’ve become head Nintendo honcho and, by now, been in recliner-retirement mode, remote in hand. But not so the singer who gave him life. At 67, Daltrey hasn’t stopped twirling the mic and shaking that tambourine quite yet. In fact, he’s said that it’s vital for him to keep singing, or lose the power in those pipes.
These days, Earl Grey tea couples with the "Acid Queen" as the eternally youthful Rog saunters onstage, mug in hand, with some lighthearted banter and a few Who warm-up tunes—1960s gems “Pictures of Lily” and “I Can See for Miles." After a smidgen of congenial chatter, it’s all business as the band launches into the “Overture” strains of Tommy, accompanied by visuals on a giant backdrop screen.
Continued on page 2 ...
Email
Print
FeedAdvertisement
About This Blog
Debbi Calton has done middays on Classic Rock 102.9 WMGK-FM for more than 16 years. Catch her on the air 9 a.m.-2 p.m. every weekday. You might also remember her from her 10-year stint at WYSP-FM. She and her husband, guitarist Chip Roberts, along with their teenage son, Dustin, reside in Media, well known as “Everybody’s Hometown.”
Recent Posts
- Lynyrd Skynyrd Brings the Whole Crew to Chester | Comments: 0
- Bruce Springsteen Makes a Triumphant Return to Philadelphia | Comments: 0
- Van Halen Tours Through Philadelphia and (Now) Atlantic City | Comments: 0
- Debbi Calton’s 2012 Concert Picks | Comments: 0
- Utopia's Todd Rundgren Comes Home to Upper Darby | Comments: 3
- Sting Hits the Road for His Back to Bass Tour | Comments: 0
- The Who's Roger Daltrey Dazzles With 'Tommy' | Comments: 1
- ZZ Top Brings Its Classic Blues-Rock Boogie to the Borgata | Comments: 0
- Philadelphia Radio DJ Turns Singer: WMGK’s Michael Tearson Releases His First Album | Comments: 0
- U2: The 360° Tour Comes Around (Finally) to Philly | Comments: 0
Archives
- April 2012
- March 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
Reader Comments:
Great pre-game review…wish I was going. Quite a merit badge to see, hear and feel Tommy straight-through! Congenial chatter should be interesting. Comment made me think about the upcoming Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman show which is billed as story-tellers format. Wondered if you had plans to interview them when they come to town? Scott K.