The Who’s farewell show was both powerful and poignant (REVIEW, PHOTOS, VIDEOS, SETLIST)

WES ORSHOSKI

From left, Roger Daltrey, Scott Devours and Pete Townshend of The Who perform at The Prudential Center in Newark, on Aug. 19.

“The Song Is Over,” from The Who’s 1971 Who’s Next album, has never been played in concert by the band until this year. And it became the perfect climactic number of the band’s Aug. 19 concert at The Prudential Center in Newark — a show that was part of the band’s The Song Is Over North American Farewell Tour.

The band performed it second-to-last in the show, with some lyrical changes. “I’m gonna sing out” became “Come on, let’s sing out.” More significantly, the last verse was changed from:

The song is over
I’m left with only tears
I must remember
Even if it takes a million years

to:

The song is over
Thanks for all the years
I’ll always remember
Even if I live for a million years

WES ORSHOSKI

Roger Daltrey of The Who performs at The Prudential Center in Newark, Aug. 19.

As a nearly lifelong Who fan — they were the first band I saw in an arena, as a teenager, all the way back in 1979 — it felt personally meaningful to be there, for that moment, in 2025. Also quite moving was the number that followed, when Daltrey, 81, and guitarist Pete Townshend, 80, performed the show’s last song, “Tea & Theatre,” as a rare acoustic duet. Two guys who started out together in London, more than 60 years ago, and are — despite not always seeing eye to eye, and losing their original bandmates — still together, making music.

Daltrey sang, in this song:

We did it all, didn’t we?
Jumped every wall instinctively
Unraveled codes ingeniously
…
Lean on my shoulder now
This story is done, it’s getting colder now
A thousand songs still smolder now
We play them as one, we’re older now

WES ORSHOSKI

Pete Townshend of The Who performs at The Prudential Center in Newark, Aug. 19.

Is this really the band’s last tour? They have said that before, but I kind of believe them this time. Early in the evening, Townshend said: “It’s sad that this will be our last time through, but you know, we may appear with other artists, we may do some other stuff together, Roger and I, in the future. But we will not be touring as The Who again.”

Townshend also said the main memories he has of New Jersey, in the band’s early days, was of performing at The Capitol Theatre in Passaic with “this kid,” Bruce Springsteen, watching from the side of the stage.

Townshend then joked, “he’s close behind us (in age), but he’s still fucking baring his chest.”

Townshend and Daltrey didn’t bare their chests literally, at this show, as Springsteen has done at some recent concerts. But they did so figuratively, flashing some of their old musical muscle on songs like “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” which built, as it always does, to Daltrey’s final, cathartic scream. He nailed it, on this night, as well as he ever has. Other great moments came from Townshend’s snarling vocals on “Eminence Front,” and slashing guitar on “5:15,” and a version of “I’m One” with a harder rock edge than it had on the Quadrophenia album.

It was also nice to hear “Love Ain’t for Keeping” (from Who’s Next), which, before this year, had only been played once since the band’s first farewell tour (in 1982!).

“Behind Blue Eyes” had a false start; something went wrong, early on, and the band stopped, and went back to the beginning. Simon Townshend — Pete’s 64-years old brother, who plays guitar and sings backing vocals for the band — took over on lead vocals for “Going Mobile,” with Daltrey playing harmonica; like “The Song Is Over,” this Who’s Next song has never been played by the band in any form, before this year.

WES ORSHOSKI

Scott Devours of The Who performs at The Prudential Center in Newark, Aug. 19.

Zak Starkey served The Who mightily as its drummer from 1996 on, but has been replaced by Scott Devours, who handled his new role well. Any Who drummer must display at least a hint of co-founder Keith Moon’s wildness, and Devours was up to the task, making his presence felt particularly strongly on “My Generation.”

Other band members included bassist Jon Button, keyboardist Loren Gold, percussionist Jody Linscott and backing vocalist John Hogg.

Most numbers were accompanied by video images that often included photos from throughout the band’s history, which added to the nostalgia factor.

It was not a tremendously long set, at 103 minutes. (The show also featured an opening set, by actor-musician Billy Bob Thornton and his band The Boxmasters).

Was this version of The Who as great as The Who in their prime? Of course not. But like few other rock icons of their generation — Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones — The Who can still summon enough of their old magic to seem larger than life, at least at a good moment. And this show had a lot of them.

WES ORSHOSKI

From left, Jon Button, Roger Daltrey, Scott Devours and Pete Townshend of The Who perform at The Prudential Center in Newark, Aug. 19.

Here is the show’s setlist, with a photo gallery and some videos below it.

“I Can’t Explain”
“Substitute”
“Who Are You”
“The Seeker”
“Love Ain’t for Keeping”
“Pinball Wizard”
“See Me, Feel Me/Listening to You”
“Behind Blue Eyes”
“Eminence Front”
“My Generation”
“You Better You Bet”
“Going Mobile”
“The Real Me”
“I’m One”
“5:15”
“Love, Reign O’er Me”
“Baba O’Riley”
“Won’t Get Fooled Again”
“The Song Is Over”
“Tea & Theatre”

The Who will perform at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Aug. 21; Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, Aug. 23; The Northwell at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, New York, Aug. 28; and Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, Aug. 30. For band information, visit thewho.com. (UPDATE: The Philadelphia and Atlantic City shows were postponed and will now take place on Sept. 10 and Sept. 12, respectively.)
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Here is a gallery of photos from the event, taken by Wes Orshoski: