I WAS FEELING sorry for myself yesterday because The Who was supposed to play in St. Louis and I wasn't going. Turns out the band announced a few days ago that singer Roger Daltrey had throat problems and they had to cancel three shows, including the one in St. Louis.
I don't know if I want to watch a bunch of 70-year-olds play. But then again, if they are in shape and able to perform, The Who live is an amazing thing.
However, you could have predicted this would happen. It did a few years back on another tour, and to say Roger Daltrey wouldn't lose his voice at his age as the band plays so many shows in such a short time borders on absurd.
I'm not comparing what I do around here to The Who. But I can say that after playing a four-hour Cheeseburger show, I'm exhausted. Townshend and Daltrey don't have to set up and tear down, but all the travel and preparation and sleeping in strange beds has to catch up with them, especially at their ages.
The Who has always been more about raw power and expression than musical brilliance. They forced themselves upon audiences with massive volume and showmanship. Sure, you gotta love the songs. But The Who were among the first to make going to a concert an event, and the times I saw them in the 1980s were mind-boggling. It took several days to recover from bellowing along with the band and soaking it all in.
I hope Roger gets better. I hope they make up the dates they canceled this week. I'd love to go see them again one more time - if I'm not too tired and still have a voice left, that is.
I'm getting older, you know.
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