ABC/Richard CartwrightWho frontman Roger Daltrey kicked off a brief solo tour Monday night in Clearwater, Florida, with a show featuring more than just the same old songs. The Tampa Bay Times reports that in addition to Who classics, the concert included rare and never-performed tunes by the band, plus solo numbers, and a brand-new song.
“The idea of tonight’s show is, we’ll have a bit of the familiar and, if you don’t know what it is, a bit of the unfamiliar,” Roger told the crowd at Ruth Eckerd Hall at the start of the concert. “If I forget the lyrics, it’ll be extremely unfamiliar.”
Among the rarities played was the 1982 Who hit “Athena,” which the band hasn’t performed in concert since the year it was released. Daltrey and his backing band — made up entirely of Who touring musicians — also tackled two songs The Who has never played live: 1975’s “How Many Friends” and 2006’s “It’s Not Enough.”
You can check out fan-recorded video of Roger singing “Athena” and “How Many Friends” on YouTube.
Daltrey brought the show to a close with a new original song that featured him accompanied by just piano and stand-up bass. “I’m still kind of toying with the lyrics,” he admitted, adding, “It’s a bit of a challenge at the end of a show for a vocal. But, fearless, aren’t I? Fearless!”
As previously reported, Daltrey has dubbed his solo trek “A Quick One (While Pete’s Away),” a play on the 1966 Who tune “A Quick One, While He’s Away” and a reference to band mate Pete Townshend’s decision to take a year’s sabbatical from the group. Roger’s next show is scheduled for Wednesday in Hollywood, Florida.
Here are the songs Daltrey played on Monday, according to Setlist.fm:
“Overture”
“It’s a Boy”
“Pinball Wizard”
“I Can See for Miles”
“Behind Blue Eyes”
“Another Tricky Day”
“Athena”
“Who Are You”
“Days of Light”
“Going Mobile”
“How Many Friends”
“It’s Not Enough”
“Getting In Tune”
“Giving It All Away”
“Without Your Love”
“Summertime Blues”
“Baba O’Riley”
“Young Man Blues”
“Heading Home”
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