Legendary Who singer Roger Daltrey brought his “A Quick Run (While Pete’s Away)” tour to the Fallsview Casino in Niagara Falls, ON last Monday night and it was a rare close-up glimpse of a rock and roll icon. The tour title is a play on the Who song “A Quick One (While He’s Away)”. It promised to be a great show and Daltrey did not disappoint. He strolled onstage , coffee cup in hand, and advised the crowd to “listen to the words tonight”. Good advice as the setlist was chock full of Who hits and songs rarely played in concert. With over 50 years onstage, Daltrey looked fit and ready to rock. His backing band was made up of Who touring regulars including Pete’s brother Simon Townsend and keyboardist/music director Frank Simes.
“Overture” was first up and gave a taste of what was to come. Daltrey took center stage banging two tambourines together like a 19 year old. “Pinball Wizzard” followed and Daltrey took the mic and powered through the song with the usual spins and whips of the mic cord. Between songs, he told stories about their origins and meanings. “Behind Blue Eyes” came with a touching story about the pain he felt losing a pet dog at 17 years old. “Another Tricky Day” and “Athena” followed and Daltrey was just getting warmed up. Bouncing about the stage and coaxing the crowd to sing along, he used the close up venue to reach out to front row fans who appreciated the view from just a few feet away. “Who Are You?” was a highlight with the band hitting hard with some great solos and Daltrey belting out the lyrics like a young man. “Days of Light” and “How Many Friends” brought some old tunes out of the songbook and Daltrey enjoyed the crowd response. A touching tribute to Fats Domino in “Blueberry Hill” saw Daltrey pay huge respects to a rock and roll founder. “Summertime Blues” and “Baba O’Riley” had Daltrey and the band in top form as the crowd responded with the loudest cheers of the night. Even though Daltrey stopped “Baba O’Riley” in the middle of the song due to a sound problem, the second time around was perfection. Ending the show with the slow “Always Heading Home”, Daltrey exited with a huge smile on his face. There is no doubt he thoroughly enjoys his position in rock and roll history. At the age of 73, let’s hope he keeps rockin’ for a long time to come.
Setlist:
Overture (Tommy)
Pinball Wizard
I Can See for Miles
Behind Blues Eyes
Giving It All Away
Another Tricky Day
Athena
Who Are You?
Days Of Light
Going Mobile
How Many Friends?
It’s Not Enough
Blueberry Hill (Fats Domino Tribute)
Dreaming From The Waist
Without Your Love
Naked Eye
Summertime Blues (Eddie Cochrane cover)
Baba O’Riley
Young Man Blues (Mose Alison cover)
Always Heading Home
We would like to thank Mike O’Drowsky from the Fallsview Casino for the credentials to review the show.
