William Snyder/TrinifoldThe Who kicked off their Moving On! Tour on Tuesday night at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan, featuring the band accompanied by a 49-piece orchestra for the bulk of the show.
Billboard reports that the British rock legends delivered a 22-song performance that began and ended with symphonic sets sandwiching four tunes played without the orchestra.
The concert started with a seven-song block from The Who’s classic 1969 rock opera Tommy, and also included a few tunes from the group’s 1970s and ’80s catalogs. Among them was the rarely played “Imagine a Man,” from 1975’s The Who by Numbers.
The non-orchestral set featured an acoustic rendition of “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” a version of “Behind Blue Eyes” augmented by touring violinist Katie Jacoby and cellist Audrey Snyder, and duo performance of the 2006 gem “Tea & Theatre” by singer Roger Daltrey and guitarist Pete Townshend.
The final set featured six songs from The Who’s 1973 concept album Quadrophenia and wrapped up with a rousing performance of “Baba O’Riley” that included a violin solo by Jacoby.
According to Billboard, the concert was a hit-and-miss affair that included many highlights, but also featured issues with the sound mix. At times, Townshend joked from the stage about the orchestral aspect of the show, which was Daltrey’s brainchild.
“I just think this is a s*** idea Roger had,” Pete quipped at one point.
The Who’s next concert takes place on Thursday, May 9, at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York.
Here’s the full set list of the Grand Rapids show:
“Tommy Overture”
“It’s a Boy”
“1921”
“Amazing Journey/Sparks”
“Acid Queen”
“Pinball Wizard”
“We’re Not Gonna Take It”
“Who Are You”
“Imagine a Man”
“Eminence Front”
“Join Together”
“The Kids Are Alright”*
“Won’t Get Fooled Again” (acoustic)*
“Behind Blue Eyes”*
“Tea and Theatre” — Daltrey and Townshend only*
“I’m One”
“The Punk and the Godfather”
“5.15”
“Drowned”
“The Rock”
“Love Reign O’er Me”
“Baba O’ Riley”
* = without orchestra.
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