The Who Bring “The Song Is Over” North American Farewell Tour to Jones Beach Theater

The Who, photo by William Synder.

On Thursday, Aug. 28, The Who pulled into the Empire State for the latest stop on their “The Song Is Over” North American Farewell Tour.  With their stop at Wantagh, N.Y.’s Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater, the legendary rock innovators tore through a 21-track set spanning their six-decade career.

The Who set off their Long Island show with “I Can’t Explain,” the group’s very first single released as The Who in 1965. This retrospective opening set off an early focus on the beginning of the band’s discography, including further groundbreaking singles “Substitute” and “The Seeker.” The group dug deep into 1971’s Who’s Next with “Love Ain’t for Keepin’,” which they revisited later in the set with “Behind Blue Eyes” and “Going Mobile”; the latter arrived onstage for the first time at their Florida tour kickoff and featured guest vocals from guitarist Pete Townshend’s younger brother Simon.

The Who proceeded by turning to their 1969 rock opera Tommy with “Pinball Wizard” and “See Me, Feel Me,” then jumped forward to the pioneering electrified grooves of 1982’s It’s Hard with “Eminence Front” and “Cry If You Want,” the latter of which was deftly merged with their early anthem “My Generation.” The band’s 2000s revival saw some play with “You Better Bet” before the group provided an in-depth exploration of Quadrophenia with four cuts, including “The Real Me,” “5:15” and “Love, Reign O’er Me.”

To conclude their performance, the band tore through the titanic hits “Baba O’Riley” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” followed by introductions to the band. “The Song is Over” provided the last blast of energy before an intimate finale of “Tea & Theatre,” delivered acoustically by the founding duo of Townshend and vocalist and frontman Roger Daltrey. While much of Thursday’s set held true to prior stagings, the inclusion of “The Song is Over” after its absence from shows in Boston and Newark, N.J., was a notable instance of recurring slight variations. Other songs that have floated in and out of the mix on the tour so far include “I Can See for Miles,” “Bargain” and “I’ve Had Enough.”

The Who currently feature Daltrey and Townshend alongside guitarist Simon Townshend, bassist Jon Button, keyboardist Loren Gold, percussionists John Hogg and Jody Linscott and drummer Scott Devours, previously of Daltrey’s solo band and joining in place of his publicly ousted predecessor Zak Starkey.

Through Sept. 28, the iconic outfit will cross the U.S. and Canada with their final dates in the region, including stops at Toronto’s Budweiser Stage, Chicago’s United Center, Los Angeles’ Hollywood Bowl, Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena and a closing program at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena. They’ll take the stage tonight at New York’s Madison Square Garden. So far, they’ve hit a few bumps in the road, with canceled shows in Philadelphia and Atlantic City still to be rescheduled. Fans who missed out on the sold-out series can hold on to some hope, as recent interviews with the band indicate an openness to return to markets they missed on their latest in a long history of farewell tours. 

Find tickets and more information on The Who’s “The Song Is Over” North American Farewell Tour here. Read more on the final outing, with potent reflections from Daltrey and Townshend, here.