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Story and photos by Rob Grabowski
Roger Daltrey rolled into a sold-out House of Blues last night and wasted no time
getting right into the mix of things with a roaring version "Who Are You." With a very diverse crowd,
ranging from the young to the young at heart, the crowd devoured Daltrey's weathered
voice as he still delivered with his signature range and emotion as if he were still in his mid 20s fronting The Who. Looking very fit and a man quite younger than 65 - he
made no excuses about why he chose to do this tour saying that he wanted to keep his
voice in shape for future Who projects and hence the tour name, Use It Or Lose
It.
Daltrey professed that one of his personal favorites is "Behind Blue Eyes" and
from the enthusiasm of the crowd as he belted out a very emotional version, it was
apparent that he wasn't alone with his affection for this Who classic. While Pete
Townshend may not have been shredding his guitar for last night's performance, his younger
brother Simon did an admirable job doing both guitar and vocals as he kicked the
crowd into gear singing "Going Mobile."
The great thing
about seeing one of the greatest rock 'n roll stars of all-time in such an intimate
setting was the interaction Roger had with his audience as he told stories about
the classic songs and gave a real storytellers feel to the evening. With a devilish
grin, Daltrey joked that while the Beatles were singing songs like "She Loves You" and "I Want to Hold Your Hand" that they (The Who) had other (maybe not so pretty) things
on their minds! The easy natural vibe in the room seemed to pull you into Daltrey's living
room as he made you feel like a welcome guest. Playing such Who classics as "I Can
See for Miles," the cheeky "Squeeze Box," and "Baba O'Riley" were awe-inspiring, as the songs
themselves have taken on a life of their own, and to see Daltrey perform them with
his own spin really gives an appreciation for why music is meant to be heard live.
While the classics are what really draws the crowds, it's the deep cuts
like "Pictures of Lily," "Blue, Red and Grey," and "Tattoo" that
made this performance a special treat.
To go one further, as if he needed to, Daltrey
explained how he admired Johnny Cash and unfortunately never had the opportunity to
meet him. Daltrey paid homage to the late great Cash by playing a medley that had
the crowd participating in a sing-along during the chorus of "Ring of Fire." While
he hasn't done a solo tour since 1985, he took this crowd on a musical roller
coaster for nearly an hour and forty five minutes delivering an unforgettable
experience. And while Daltrey may be the guy who sang "I hope I die before I get
old," he shows no signs of slowing down, his fans wouldn't let him even if he wanted
to, so perhaps he isn't 65 years old but, rather 65 years young.
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