THE WHO, one of rock’s legendary and defining bands, continue their “Quadrophenia And More” tour in Nashville, Tennessee, with a performance on December 2nd at Bridgestone Arena, bringing their dynamic new stage set and fast-paced video footage to accompany their iconic 1973 double album QUADROPHENIA which is being performed in its entirety along with a selection of WHO classics.
This is actually the second time the rockers have taken the 1973 mod saga on a repertory tour. The first was in 1996. Another fun fact for you, this will be the first time that THE WHO has performed in Nashville, Tennessee. It took a lot of research but we discovered that THE WHO has been to the state of Tennessee six times over their numerous years of stardom:
August 17, 1967 – Chattanooga, TN – Memorial Auditorium (They performed two shows during this tour and this was also the first year their tour reached North America.)
June 21, 1970 – Memphis, TN – Ellis Auditorium (They would also play Memphis, TN two other times at the Mid-South Coliseum on November 28, 1971, November 23, 1975 & July 10,1980.)
November 25, 1975 – Murfreesboro, TN – Murphy Center
All these performances were surrounding Nashville, but they never made it here. One would wonder, was Nashville too country back then? Nashville has grown by leaps and bounds over the years welcoming all genres to find a home on our musical streets. Having THE WHO come to Nashville is just another step to show that we are MUSIC CITY USA.
Here’s What Nashvillians have to look forward to:
THE WHO are performing on a sleek, stripped-down stage with 10 musicians on board, a sophisticated lighting rig and multiple screens that provide footage of world events from World War II to the present day, concentrating on popular culture and the history of the band, including live footage from throughout their storied career. The visuals tie in closely to the QUADROPHENIA album and movie, particularly the themes of disillusionment, teen angst and rebellion, plus social issues—both from the ’60s and now—as well as the beach and ocean that are pivotal in QUADROPHENIA.
The Broward-Palm Beach New Times (11/1/12) described the visuals as “denoting the new millennium, complete with visual references to Columbine, 9-11 and the Iraqi invasion.” The review from their opening night’s show goes on to say, “Townshend treated the audience to several of his patented windmill gestures, while Daltrey occasionally lassoed his mic in his rock god ways of old…by the time the ‘Quadrophenia’ portion of the program wound its way to a conclusion, today’s Who were in full throttle…when they concluded with the stirring ‘Love Reign O’er Me,’ any doubts about whether the band was up to their task at hand quickly dissipated.”
On the “Quadrophenia And More” tour the band–including founding members ROGER DALTREY and PETE TOWNSHEND–are being joined on tour by Zak Starkey (drums), Pino Palladino (bass), Simon Townshend (guitar/backing vocals), John Corey (keyboards/backing vocals), Frank Simes (musical director, keyboards/backing vocals) and Loren Gold (keyboards). They’ll embark on a second leg January 28, 2013 in Anaheim, CA.
The AEG Live-promoted 37-date tour, the band’s first North American tour in four years, kicked off November 1 in Sunrise, FL with an initial six-week run. Tickets for the tour are available at www.aeglive.com
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