The Who: Moving On- 2019 North American Tour / New Album

Lifetime LA resident here - I despise the Bowl. Two or three times a year I'm forced to go, last weekend for the Who was one of those times. There is no good seat in the house - I suppose if you get a box then that may be a different experience (I've never had a box seat there.) We were first row after boxes for the Who - and that is still so far away that the screens are basically the only thing you will watch, and, get this - the screens themselves are so tiny, that you still get little detail of the band.
Next, the early curfew is strictly enforced. No show goes later than 11 on weekends, it'll be 10 for the Monday show. Which means Liam Gallagher will hit the stage in daylight.
The benches are uncomfortable and crowded.
Obviously the traffic is horrid and there is only stacked parking.
Once you take an obligatory selfie at the iconic location, the joy of being there is quickly sapped.

It is really almost always, just an awful evening out. But to be clear, I still see 50+ shows a year all throughout LA - lots of venues, clubs and freeways - so I'm not reporting as a grumpy guy who hates going out or being at shows - it is just the Bowl.

With that said, I understand the fear of missing The Who play one last time - and the joy of the concert, in the end, will outweigh the misery of the venue. If you come out for the show - there is a really cheap and convenient round trip shuttle ($6) that leaves every few minutes from Ventura Blvd. in Universal City (in the Valley.) Your best bet would be to get a motel in the South East corner of the Valley nearby the Bowl Shuttle parking lot.

 

Yeah back in 2012...
The Who Sell Out: Pete Townshend Gets Millions for Back Catalog
Although I’ve yet to hear Call Me Lightning in a Hollywood blockbuster...

 

Elliotmarx is correct on all the above. The balminess of the night, if you get a balmy night, is the only real plus for the Bowl. ONCE i spent the over 300 to be in row 3 (for B Gibb) and that was awesome....I too was in row one in section behind boxes for the Who on Sunday the 13th and while better than any row after, still not very good.

The Who started within five minutes of 8:30 on the Sunday show, with a 7 pm official start time. I don't know when Liam stopped, but he was no longer playing at the I think 8:10 time I walked into venue. They were done comfortably before the 11 curfew, I think it was 11 by time I got back to a parking shuttle. His advice to NOT bother with actual hotel NEAR the Bowl is great; there are numerous cheap shuttles in, check the Bowl website, and best to get hotel near one of THEM.

Unless Pete or Rog got sick in past week, it will be an amazing night. Stubhub willing I may even show up again.

 

Wrong airport. You want Burbank airport

 

Thanks for the replies!

 

If he can afford the plane ticket & concert ticket...he doesn't need to save $20 by going to the druggie porno motels...the first decent one that way is Sportsmans lodge or Mikado..

Holiday inn is what ? $80 for a single room ? There's food & drinks right there on Highland..its a 5-10 minute walk.

 

Sad to say, but The Sportsman's Lodge is being demolished. At the beginning stages of a $100 million renovation.
I wasn't trying to save the poster dollars, just traffic headaches. Also, I haven't a clue if he/she finds drugs and pornography a plus or a minus (especially considering what ended one half of The Who).
Standard room at the Holiday Inn Burbank on the night of the show is $152.

 

Well the Mikado is probably still there on Whitsett & Riverside...Sportsmans lodge Noooo...but yeah those motels around Ventura & Vineland etc, are all crime infested eyesores, don't send him there ! They're probably 55-60 bucks....he's a tourist !....if he has money there's the Roosevelt & all the refurbished places...or the big Holiday Inn on highland & Hollywood...its probably 80 bucks For single......or if he goes valley....there are no hotels except Universal...if Sportsmans is gone....

 

I loved The Sportsman's Lodge. One of my earliest memories of all memories was attending a Father and Son event there when I was a first grader in military school. After that, the spot had a personal magic to it. Had many happy Christmases at one or the other restaurants there. It has long needed an overhaul though, so I'm glad it is getting that instead of, say, turning into condos or whatnot.

 

Did you catch the trout in the barrel ?

No not holiday inn burbank... the one in Hollywood! That's $152 really ?.... if he doesn't rent a car...he cant do anything in the valley..but on highland he can eat, drink, walk or cab to the show, The Mikado on Whitsett & Riverside used to be good, a little pricey, quiet, nice restaurant, but without a car..no good..

 

I'm shocked Daltrey has been able to return to the stage so relatively quickly and by many accounts in good form. I expected those few postponed shows last month iirc to be the end of the U. S. tour for 2019. Am really extremely surprised by both his fairly quick return and the good reviews. Looking forward to the new album, Pete's novel, and whatever else Who-related can be released in 2019 and early 2020.

 

I'm most curious about the 4k videos that have been posted from TKAA.

My hopes are , that there will be some type of career spanning "4k" video.

 

Try to get seats in secs f-j 1 or 2. Best bang for buck

 

They played a fantastic show in Seattle last night. They surprised everyone with a guest appearance of Eddie Vedder. He & Daltrey traded lead vocals on The Punk And The Godfather, which sounded fantastic.

Does anyone know if professional audio recordings from this tour are being made available as with previous tours? I didn't see anything at the merch booths.

 

I think thats exactly it. Hollywood Bowl is a great place to record a concert, and The Who already recorded some gigs at the Albert Hall abd Wembley. HB will be a great choice imo.

 

I haven't heard of any current plans to make audio recordings available from this tour. However, it's my understanding that the majority of shows are filmed. So, it's cerainly possible that an official release from this Orchestral tour will eventually show up.

 

Killer show in Seattle, thoroughly enjoyed it. Last minute ticket, glad I went.

 

I also got a last minute ticket for the Seattle show and am glad I went. This was my 8th Who show going back to 1980 and it had some highlights that would rival many of those ('80 is still my favorite).

Frankly, I've heard the Tommy material so many times I'm glad they got it out of the way early. By the time they hit Eminence Front, Substitute, You Better You Bet, and especially the Quad material they were on fire. The orchestral backing was especially perfect for the Quad songs, and the band rocked hard during those as well - 5:15 was probably as good as I've ever seen them do it. Roger's voice is surprisingly good, and Pete's high, melodic vocals are still intact (e.g. his lead vocal on I'm One).

BTW the last two tours have convinced me Zach is perfect for the band (I didn't feel that way during his first couple of tours). He and Pete are at a point where they play off each other really well.

 

Seattle show on a cold night with the roof closed. Key Arena is in the middle of a long renovation and Tacoma Dome has it's own sound/travel issues.

 

TacDome is a dump, I despise that place.

 

Most insnane Orchestra + Rock tour since ELP Works 77 and then some!!!!!!!!!!

 

I was there
you took my picutre

 

All this chat about the new album, & how it will stack up against their 60s--80s work, has reminded me how volitale & varied the opinions are, & we haven't heard it yet !!

I'll pose a different type of question & comparison. Regarding the WHO & all their contemporaries, from the 60s & classic rock era, who continued to work in the studio, late in life. McCartney, The Stones, WHO, Bob Dylan, Brian Wilson & The Beach Boys, Kinks-Davies brothers..Plant & Page...etc etc....

Is the new album "WHO" going to be, the best, or arguably the best of all the surviving contemporaries, written & recorded past say age 60 ? Or whatever the parameters are.

Comparisons to Quadrophenia or Who's Next is one kind of thing, but of the greats that survived.into the 21st century, , couid this end up being the best late period album of our hero's...granted it's a shrinking list, but some pretty stiff competition still...Ray Davies has 3 late period albums held in high regard, Dylan did Love & Theft in his 60s, McCartney aged about 65-75 did several well recieved works...Brian Wilson also...

Can't wait I'm gonna explode !! & at the moment I'm thinking of their 12 studio albums, This certainly has a strong chance to place IN THE TOP HALF.. or at least 7th or 8th...and that would be saying a lot....of course it's subjective too.

 

Isn't 2020 in the US all but confirmed including New Orkeans Jazz Fest?

 

The USA dates, afaik are rescheduled shows from 2019 that were cancelled due to Daltrey's sudden onset of bronchitus.