Touring to promote the first new Who album since 1982’s It’s Hard, Pete Townshend led the band’s current formation before a packed house at Chicago’s United Center. The guitarist made an earnest case for his special fondness for the city, thanking the crowd for turning out in force.
The show began with snapshots of the band’s distant past, coupled with a glimpse of the near future. Townshend and Co. charged into their debut single, “I Can’t Explain,” as images of their younger selves (including late bassist John Entwistle and late drummer Keith Moon) flickered on screens overhead. Following the mod anthem “Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere,” Townshend introduced “Fragments,” the first track from the forthcoming Endless Wire. The song began with undulating synthesizer loops reminiscent of “Baba O’Riley,” tapping into the Who’s mid-‘70s FM rock history before unfolding into a lush chorus featuring harmony between Townshend and lead vocalist Roger Daltrey.
A particular highlight of the evening was a rendition of the band’s mini-opera, heard on this year’s import-only Wire & Glass EP. These segments ranged from the bluegrass snatches of “They Made My Dreams Come True,” to the cathartic pop of “We Got a Hit,” culminating in a tale of rock nirvana titled “Mirror Door.” The songs followed Townshend’s recent novella, The Boy Who Heard Music, while updating themes from his Lifehouse and Psychoderelict projects. Although Townshend thanked people for the indulgence, the new material proved a worthy addition to the Who canon.
It soon became apparent that Daltrey was having difficulty with his voice. Although he soldiered through anthems such as “Who Are You” and the new “Mike Post Theme,” swinging his microphone and striking iconic poses in his everyman attire, by the forty-five minute mark, the frontman sounded like he was gargling the broken glass he cautioned against previously during “Fragments.” After an acoustic duet and one more song, Daltrey excused himself from the stage.