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The Who have announced the final tour of their career, more than six decades after they first formed.
The British rock band unveiled the dates for their The Song is Over tour, which will kick off in August this year, during a London press conference attended by guitarist Pete Townshend, with frontman Roger Daltrey appearing over video call.
The shows are being billed as The Who’s final runs in the United States and Canada before they call it a day.
“Well, all good things must come to an end,” Townshend, 79, said in a statement. “It is a poignant time. For me, playing to American audiences and those in Canada has always been incredible.
“The warmth and engagement of those audiences began back in 1967 with hippies smoking dope, sitting on their blankets and listening deeply and intensely. Music was everywhere. We all felt equal. Today, Roger and I still carry the banner for the late Keith Moon and John Entwistle and of course, all of our longtime Who fans.”
The musician continued: “I must say that although the road has not always been enjoyable for me, it is usually easy: the best job I could ever have had. I keep coming back. Every time I do, I meet new fans and feel new energy. Roger and I are in a good place, despite our age, eager to throw our weight behind this fond farewell to all our faithful fans, and hopefully to new ones who might jump in to see what they have been missing for the last 57 years.
“This tour will be about fond memories, love and laughter. Make sure you join in.”
The full North America tour dates are as follows:
19 Aug – Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center
21 Aug – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
23 Aug – Atlantic City, NJ @ Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall
26 Aug – Boston, MA @ Fenway Park
28 Aug – Wantagh, NY @ Northwell at Jones Beach Theater
30 Aug – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
2 Sep – Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage
4 Sep – Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage
7 Sep – Chicago, IL @ United Center
17 Sep – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl
19 Sep – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl
21 Sep – Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre
23 Sep – Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
25 Sep – Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena
28 Sep – Las Vegas, NV @ MGM Grand Garden Arena
No UK and Europe dates have been announced, but it is expected that the band will share further news in the coming months. The North America announcement comes after the band fired, then re-hired, their longtime drummer Zak Starkey over “communication issues”.
Focusing on the US dates, frontman Roger Daltrey, 81, said: “The warmth of the American audiences over the years have been inspirational to me, and reflect the feeling I remember getting after hearing the first rock records coming across the radio.
“To me, America has always been great. The cultural differences had a huge impact on me, this was the land of the possible. It’s not easy to end the big part of my life that touring with the Who has been.
“Thanks for being there for us and look forward to seeing you one last time.”
The band had previously alluded to the possibility of a farewell tour, with Townshend telling The New York Times: “It feels to me like there's one thing The Who can do, and that's a final tour where we play every territory in the world and then crawl off to die.“
He continued: “I don't get much of a buzz from performing with the Who. If I'm really honest, I've been touring for the money.”
Townshend has also spoken about his fear of retiring “too late”, telling Rolling Stone in 2022: “I don't want to be like one of these guys that dies on tour.
“Roger is of the opinion that he wants to sing until he drops,” he said. “That's not my philosophy of life. There are other things that I want to do, still want to do, and will do, I hope. I hope I'll live long enough to do them.”
Meanwhile, in a 2022 interview with The Independent, Daltrey suggested a difference of opinion with his bandmate, insisting that he wanted to go on for as long as possible.
“I’ve always said about this business, ‘You don’t give it up, it gives you up,’” he said. “I’m going to do it as long as I can, but then one day it will give me up and I won’t be able to do it. Simple as that; I make no apologies.”
He did, however, say he was amazed by the sheer intensity of The Who’s early touring schedule.
“You look at our tour schedule in ’65, ’66, ’67, it’s just crazy,” he remarked. “We used to go everywhere at 120 miles an hour, there were no speed limits, lighting was very poor. We used to have very fast cars, and everywhere was foot on the floor. How we ever survived it I don’t know. But we worked bloody hard for it.”
The storied rock band last toured North America and the UK between 2019 to 2021, partly in support of their 2019 album, Who.
Their 12th studio album marked their first release in over a decade, and comprised a number of ballads, rock tracks and experimental electronic songs.
“It’s the musicianship that’s most impressive here,” The Independent’s three-star review said.
“Even the clunkiest of lyrics are rescued by steely guitar licks and sharp percussion; closing track ‘She Rocked My World’ unfurls with a deft piano intro from Townshend, accompanied by Latin-influenced guitar and the subtle intricacies of Pino Palladino on bass. Beneath that languid tempo, the fire is still burning.”
English (US) ·