Seven cities added to the Who’s North American tour
ByJun 24, 2002 10:00 PM
The Who, which is scheduled to open a North American tour on Saturday (6/29), has added seven September dates to its itinerary.
The Who, which is scheduled to open a North American tour on Saturday (6/29), has added seven September dates to its itinerary.
New cities on the band’s itinerary are Englewood, Colo.; Dallas; St. Louis; St. Paul, Minn.; Moline, Ill.; Cleveland, Ohio; and Toronto. The outing is booked into amphitheaters, but the inaugural date takes place at the Joint, a 2,000-person-capacity club inside the Las Vegas Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.
Counting Crows are scheduled to support from June 29 through July 6, and former Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant opens dates from July 26 through August. The opening act for the tour’s September dates hasn’t been announced.
The Who has donated to the T.J. Martell Foundation for use in a charity auction an exclusive tour poster and two VIP tickets for shows in 18 cities on their current tour. The auction is live on eBay and will continue through July. Auction proceeds will benefit the foundation’s efforts to fund research into the cures for leukemia, cancer and AIDS.
Following the tour, the Who’s three remaining original members--bassist John Entwistle, singer Roger Daltrey and guitarist Pete Townshend--plan to head into the studio to record their first new album since 1982’s “It’s Hard” (MCA), according to management. The group also currently features drummer Zak Starkey (son of the Beatles’ Ringo Starr) and longtime keyboardist John “Rabbit” Bundrick. But in a recent VH1.com interview, Townshend tried to lower expectations.
“I’m ready to go in the studio and run the marathon, but I can’t promise to finish,” he said. “There was a time when I had to be bullied into going back to the Who, but that’s not the case today. I have the willingness to have a go at it, but I’m not optimistic. ...I wrote two final albums for the Who that critics, Who fans and even Roger slaughtered. I put my best into them at the time, but looking back, they’re not very good records.”
The Who resurfaced on the U.S. radar last October when it performed at the Concert for New York benefit at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. A two-disc audio compilation of the concert includes the Who’s performances of its classic hits “Who Are You,” “Baba O’Riley” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again.” A companion DVD release features the group’s entire four-song set, which also included “Behind Blue Eyes.”
The group has reunited a number of times during the past 18 years, and last toured the U.S. in 2000.