The Who Announce Final North American Tour, ‘Live At The Oval 1971’ Release
The final tour dates will wrap up the band’s iconic six-decade career.
The Who are officially saying goodbye. The rock band announced its “The Song Is Over” farewell tour, which will be the grand finale of a legendary six-decade career.
Guitarist Pete Townshend made the announcement at a London press conference, with singer Roger Daltrey making an appearance via video. The North American tour, named after The Who’s 1971 song “The Song Is Over,” kicks off in Newark, N.J., on Aug. 19 and stops in cities like New York City, Boston, Toronto, Los Angeles, and more.
“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,” Townshend said in a press release.
“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 also shared: “Every musician’s dream in the early ’60s 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 has been inspirational to me, and reflects 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.”
Tickets for the tour will be available starting with a Citi presale and through the Who Fan Club starting May 13. Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general onsale beginning on May 16 at 10:00 AM local time.
Along with the tour, The Who announced the release of Live At The Oval 1971, as part of the Whooligan Fan Club. Fans who sign up for the club will receive early ticket access, exclusive Whooligan merchandise, and a copy of the album. It will be available on August 22 on all DSPs, CD, Atmos, and 2LP 180g Black Vinyl, and limited edition 2LP Sea Blue and Red Hot Color Swirl and Splatter Vinyl.
Live At The Oval 1971 is the first-ever official recording of The Who’s set at Goodbye Summer: A Rock Concert in aid of Famine Relief for the People of Bangladesh. The band—Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, John Entwistle, and Keith Moon—headlined The Oval cricket ground in Kennington, South London, for an audience of over 35,000. They performed classics like “Behind Blue Eyes,” “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” “Pinball Wizard,” and more.
