WILLIAM SNYDER
Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend of The Who, shown performing at Wembley Stadium in 2019.
I wouldn’t blame you if you don’t believe it — this is a band that has claimed to have presented farewell tours before — but The Who say their upcoming North American tour will be their last. It is called their The Song Is Over North America Farewell Tour, and it will come to The Prudential Center in Newark on Aug. 19, and Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, Aug. 23. Other area stops include The Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Aug. 21; The Northwell at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, New York, Aug. 28; Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, Aug. 30.
Tickets will go on sale May 16 at 10 a.m., with pre-sales beginning May 13 at 10 a.m. Click on the venue names in the above paragraph to go to the appropriate Ticketmaster page.
A press released included the following statements from co-founders Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey:
Townshend: “Well, all good things must come to an end. 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. 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.”
Daltrey: “Every musician’s dream in the early 60’s was to make it big in the US charts. For the Who, that dream came true in 1967 and our lives were changed forever. 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. Musical freedom! Rock gave us a feeling of generational rebellion. 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 tour is currently scheduled to begin Aug. 16 at The Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida, and end on Sept. 28 at The MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. For information and updates, visit thewho.com/tour.
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