The Last Waltz. The Who, rock nostalgia.

The other night in Piazzola sul Brenta they disappeared without even offering an encore, but for a good ninety minutes The Who gave everything a farewell concert deserves. A final waltz, to use an image dear to The Band, which they offer tonight to the crowds at Milan's Parco della Musica in the second and final "preview" of their American tour , kicking off August 16th in Florida. The title "The Song Is Over" draws on the memories of an entire generation, as it harks back to one of Pete Townshend 's most beautiful ballads, conceived in 1971 as the final chapter of "Lifehouse," a sci-fi rock opera that the band had planned as a follow-up to "Tommy," which they later abandoned, relocating much of their repertoire to the everlasting "Who's Next." “The Song Is Over” should be the perfect gem for fans to polish off in the encore (as was the case in March at the Royal Albert Hall for the second benefit concert for the Teenage Cancer Trust), concluding a 1960s-1970s marathon that begins with “I Can't Explain,” the song that started it all sixty-one years ago (the very first, “Zoot Suit,” was released by The High Numbers), and culminates in the explosive “Won't Get Fooled Again,” to which Roger Daltrey , at 81 years of age and a confident 81, dedicates his final energies. In between, the pair, joined by their brother in the band Simon Townshend on rhythm guitar, Jon Button on bass, Loren Gold on keyboards, Scott Devours on drums, and John Hogg on backing vocals, deliver their greatest hits compilation, drawing heavily from the rock opera “Quadrophenia” and “Who's Next?” Two out-of-date Mods riding their Lambrettas through epochal memories of "Substitute" and "Love, Reign O'er Me," from "Bargain" to "My Generation," not to mention the visionary outbursts of another idolized rock opera, "Tommy," with "Pinball Wizard" and "See Me, Feel Me" (performed by Daltrey on the Piazzola stage while lying on the ground due to cramps). Townshend also sings a couple of songs, making "I'm One" and "Eminence Front" his own. For The Who, tonight's concert is their third in Milan, having previously only played at the Palalido in 1967 and the Forum in 2016. A bit too short to justify a show at the Ippodromo Snai in San Siro, as planned before the hasty change of venue forced by the languid advance sales.

But the desire to do well is still there. "Despite our age, Roger and I are going through a good period," Pete admits on social media. "That's why we're eager to meet up with our old fans again, and hopefully find some new ones among them who are curious to see what they've been missing."

Article Tags