The Who announce farewell tour (again)

Maybe this time, the farewell will actually stick. After suggesting the end of the road in 1982 and 2015, The Who are saying goodbye to the U.S. and Canada with “The Song Is Over, The North American Farewell Tour.” The group has been playing together since 1964 with some breaks and threats of retirement in between, but with the remaining original members Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey entering their octogenarian years, they’re saying this North American tour really is the last.  

“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,” guitarist Townshend said in a statement (via Billboard). “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 [drummer] Keith Moon and [bassist] John Entwistle and of course, all of our longtime Who fans.”

Daltrey added, “Every musician’s dream in the early 60’s was to make it big in the U.S. 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.”

News of the British Invasion band’s last hurrah comes shortly after a bit of in-fighting led Daltrey and Townshend to fire, and then rehire, drummer Zak Starkey (son of Ringo Starr). Days after announcing they had “parted ways” with Starkey, Townshend cited “communication issues, personal and private on all sides, that needed to be dealt with, and these have been aired happily” (via The Guardian). He went on to say that “Roger [Daltrey] and I would like Zak to tighten up his latest evolved drumming style to accommodate our non-orchestral line up and he has readily agreed.” Starkey, who has been playing with his father’s peers since 1996, wrote on social media, “V grateful to be a part of the Who family Thanks Roger and Pete xx.”

“The Song Is Over” tour (named for the 1971 track off Who’s Next) will kick off at Florida’s Amerant Bank Arena in August and conclude in September at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. You can check out the full list of tour dates below. 

The Who The Song Is Over North American Farewell Tour Dates

Aug 16—Sunrise, FL—Amerant Bank Arena

Aug 19—Newark, NJ—Prudential Center

Aug 21—Philadelphia, PA—Wells Fargo Center