1 Sep 2025
Tuesday 26 August 2025: Boston, MA
Show report: 26 Aug 2025; Fenway Park, Boston
(all photos copyright William Snyder)
“Welcome to FENWAY PAHK!”
I heard this a few times, in that famous Bostonian accent . . .
Yeah, welcome back to us! We’ve been here before, a great night, very memorable. And tonight is our return from the two shows just-postponed; Philadelphia and Atlantic City. The Philly show was basically set up – nearly – when we were notified it may not happen. It was some kind of illness, but we were never told what it was. No matter, the doctors and promoters were satisfied and it was called off.
Info: You do have to prove these things, with all the issues involved. Usually we are required to set up anyway – to prove that the company is able to do a show, not claiming an excuse because we aren’t ready or prepared. And a doctor usually has to examine and authorize it. So much effort and money is on the line, and certainly everyone is thinking about the thousands of people who are expected to arrive that day. Some live locally – they can just come back if/when a show is rescheduled. But others – and there are many – have to travel, use time and money to make hotel and other bookings, and all of that is considered before we have to pull the plug for sure. It’s intense.
Stranger still, to set up for a show and then NOT DO IT: This feels like setting up for a picnic or birthday party, all those preparations, and then pulling it down and canceling it before it happens. A very weird and strange feeling – like nothing got accomplished. Our whole purpose is those two performance hours at night, everything else is subordinate to that, as much as it is a long day of work to get ready for that, it’s weird when it falls apart like this.
And so, we headed to Atlantic City a day early, hoping for a show there in two days. When we arrived there were severe hurricane warnings coming, so we took a quick look around before the storm – which actually never hit our area. Day 2 was our scheduled day-off there anyway, and the crew took various looks around the town, while the band was holding up in NYC. Sadly, the news came later that day that there would also be no show in Atlantic City. Damn . . . because we like to work. As much as we don’t complain with a paid “day off” situation, it’s truly boring (certainly not exciting at all) and we are still uncertain about the future, so not able to make plans like going home for a day, or what future cities we will get time to see.
After Atlantic City, we follow the map up to Boston, for two more days off – and the situation makes more sense. The Boston show is in Fenway Park, likely the largest show we’ll play on the whole tour. Taking one more day off in Atlantic City makes a full recovery possible, because we will need it for big old Fenway. There are over 30,000 seats here, that’s nearly double or triple most of our shows. Boston fans are intense rockers, especially for classic rock – a genre they are rather good at here! Many of my favorites are from here: Aerosmith, Boston, The Cars, Modern Lovers, Til Tuesday, Jen Trynin, The Upper Crust.
As if to prove the point, our opening act is a great one today. The Joe Perry Project. The 2025 version of this band is amazingly strong: Joe Perry AND Brad Whitford, the dual guitarists of Aerosmith. Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes singing, and Robert DeLeo of Stone Temple Pilots on bass. Buck Johnson (on keys and very strong vocals) has been with Aerosmith for over a decade. And no slouch on the drums, Jason Sutter is a successful pounder for many top artists and longtime friends with our backing band, too. (He is unbelievably LOUD, as well, so tell Roger Daltrey to keep away!)
Video courtesy of George George
Seriously, I’d say this is one of the most-serious and heavy opening bands we’ve ever had. Hometown, yeah, that’s a great factor for the Aero guys. There are lots of their fans here. And songs – tons of Aerosmith, both hits and album classics. Some Black Crowes, some STP, too – it all makes sense and they sound and play it so well, that it’s pure gold for this audience of rock fans. My only regret is we (and they, especially) have So Much Gear, that they had to line up squished across the front of our stage. We did our best, pulling up all the stage monitors, mic stands, pedalboards, cable – all of it to make room for them. But they’re a big band, with actually more amps and such than we have. Pretty tight spacing, but lined up right in a line across the lip of the stage, they killed. Go see them if they come near you. We’ll have them again with us in LA!
By the way – after their band finishes, and they start to leave, Joe Perry plays the riff from ‘Young Man Blues’ as loud as he can, then walks off! Great. Even the legends look up to somebody, and Joe knows what’s cool.
And then – The Who. No surprise there but – we do have some surprises. Just the night before this show, the edict came down that we were making a big change. Rog and Pete had discussed sound issues and stage placement and made a decision. We’re to move the rear stage musicians across to opposite sides: Loren Gold shifts over to behind Simon Townshend, and Jody Linscott and Jon Hogg move back behind Pete. It’s not that drastic – it’s a hope to fix some sound issues mainly – but it’s weird, given how long it’s been this way (since Rabbit on keys, who went from onstage right next to Pete, over to just-behind Pete about 20 years ago.) We have to try this experiment on a huge show, not enough time to change back – so it’s a big risk. But might work . . . After soundcheck, Roger declares it a success, and we move forward to showtime.
The band enter quietly in the dark as the new opening film announces the band. Then Pete comes out, followed immediately by Roger. “What a city, what an arena; it doesn’t come better!” Roger salutes this big crowd. You can tell people are having a great night already. It’s nearly perfect weather, great views of the stage and the massive video screens. At one point, Pete looks across stage and waves to Loren – much farther than usual. Soon after he looks up at Jody behind him and smiles – old friends for ages. And then waves to Jon Hogg, our newest member just behind him.
Video courtesy of Edward Ingraham
‘Who Are You’ is third in the show, and it’s the first time we hear this crowd at full roar. It’s powerful and the song punches back. And I start to see it – that onstage attitude, the known sense of personal power from Rog and Pete who are hitting hard and sounding great. It’s that feedback loop that Pete often describes; the fans push the band who climb higher, and that drives the fans wilder. After the song, Roger exclaims “This is Binky! What would we do without ‘im!?” Binky has been with us since about 2006 and is one of the most-popular and memorable of all the Who crew. He’s great with Roger, and handles both Simon’s and Roger’s guitar/harmonica/tea/water etc stuff. As Binky has a small limp going today, Pete comments jokingly, “It’s not just US that’s getting old, right, Binky?” True. Binky was an original Mod in 1965, with his scooter and jacket and all that.
Pete talks about coming to Boston over the years, so many shows at The Garden arena downtown. And how he’s “keen on” boats, so he’s often come here and Rhode Island and Maine – just to sail up/down the coast. Roger mentions being in a Montreal jail the night before a 1973 show, back in the days of crazy Keith Moon, and how much it meant to get out and get to play in Boston for a welcoming crowd.
I notice a small but amazing thing. Simon St Louis is our onstage cameraman; he roves around getting all the cool closeup shots for the video screens. He’s one of the new-to-us crew members but very welcome and cool. He’s dressed all in black and even up close, he’s usually ninja-like-invisible. I see that he’s behind Jody’s big riser of percussion instruments filming. She hits a big crash on a cymbal and it starts to tip and fall over backward. Simon reaches out with one hand, grabs the cymbal and puts it up back in place, all the while keeping the camera shot going with the other hand. I don’t think anyone else saw it, not even Jody. A brilliant save!
Video courtesy of George George
Pete gets the chair out for ‘Behind Blue Eyes’, and even Roger calls him out on this, sitting down onstage to play: Pete says “It’s important that I sit down for this one . . . So I don’t fuck it up!” During this one, the stadium fills with cell phone lights, always a nice touch. Remember when those were real lighters, and people actually used them!?
‘Eminence Front’ is a peak, and I realize tonight that it’s kind of become Pete’s moment, very much how Roger’s moment is always ‘Love Reign O’er Me’. Eminence has a few things going for it; Pete starts off these 2025 versions with a solo lead guitar exploration, kinda cool and always different. The song has incredible graphics and visuals this year. Pete adds his growly/tough voice, with the attitude to match. Most of all, I think the long-ish solo that kicks in before Verse 1 is probably where you’ll see the best guitar work of each night, he just sinks right into that one and soars.
‘My Generation’ has a great new video; many of our songs do on this tour, and even those keep evolving sometimes. It adds so much to our shows now. ‘My Generation’ – it’s ironic now, yeah, but even more so, it’s ICONIC. One of the greatest rock music entries in the book! It ended a bit weird, however, but Pete explains (he’s just had his guitar modified with an on/off switch like the old Rickenbackers, to make it stutter on and off quickly in rhythm.) “I got too excited with my thingy – sending Morse code. Wanna know what I was signalling? ‘Help me! I’m too old for this!” The audience almost boos this as they seem to think he’s not too old . . . “I guess that depends on which drugs you’re taking!” Roger looks a bit worn, and he challenges the audience, “Talk about YOUR generation!” He’s clearly in a good mood, too.
‘Going Mobile’ is another great breakaway, a song everyone knows. Simon T is trying to finish it up, but it seems Scott on the drums is following Pete (usually a good idea, or The Only Idea) but tonight it’s Simon T that really knows the song, knows how it’s supposed to end, and is pulling hard to get them back on-board with his attempted finish. Then ‘The Real Me’ is a stormer, and for a non-single song, it brings out the real Who fans. There are a LOT of them tonight. The new video for this is also incredible. It’s hard to describe videos, but someday soon I will try.
‘Love Reign O’er Me’ – I never get tired of saying it, Roger is just astounding on this one. Everyone in the place feels it. And feeling is what it’s all about. During the MASSIVE applause after this one, Roger gestures over to Pete “He wrote the music!” Kind, but it’s Roger’s moment for sure. ‘Baba O’Riley” kicks off and everyone’s up. When Pete’s big power chords come in, I can feel our mixer Robert Collins slam the guitars UP in the P.A. and I honestly went “F*CK!” because it hit me so hard. I’ve heard/seen them do this one live probably over 700 times, so for it to affect me – that’s good. ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’ – a thought crosses my mind. “You say stadium rock like it’s a bad thing.” We’re in a stadium, and music that is exactly perfectly engineered to do-that-thing is set in motion. There’s nowhere else in the USA (or probably world) that any of us would rather be.
Video courtesy of Johnny Snapps
After a rough first show in Florida, we had a pretty good one in Newark a week ago. Then a stumble, a brief unexpected pause in the tour. Now back, when and where it counts, we get this monster of a show.
To be honest with all of you, I was a little bit worried about 2025. The Royal Albert Hall was two shows – pretty good, but not great (in my humble whatever.) Then Italy for a few – also fun, enjoyable, basically functional. Then the first two in the USA – these were also good to see, and audiences did really like it, but I didn’t feel attitude as much as performance. But tonight, that Thing was back: The power and reality of what a GREAT Who show can be. I wasn’t quite sure it was going to come back ever anymore – was it all too late, too old, too expensive, too many times ‘round the block? No, glad to say: I’m absolutely sure that anyone who came tonight saw something they will remember, why this band has almost no staging, no props, no dancers or moving stages. It’s about real people doing real things with great music. There is no pretense, this band is still working hard to “get you” – nobody phoning in a show of old hits. They are taking chances and allowing both mistakes and greatness. They are still trying to prove to you that they are The Who in 2025. And they did.
(PS – We were honored to have our old photographer friend, William Snyder – maybe our only friend with multiple Pulitzer prizes – join us again and shoot some for us here. He certainly knows and loves The Who and always makes them look superb in any context.)
Onward!
Tonight’s Set List follows. So if you don’t wish to know it, look away NOW!
I Can’t Explain
Substitute
Who Are You
The Seeker
Love Ain’t for Keeping
Pinball Wizard
See Me, Feel Me / Listening to You
Behind Blue Eyes
Eminence Front
My Generation
Cry If You Want
You Better You Bet
Going Mobile
The Real Me
I’m One
5:15
Love, Reign O’er Me
Baba O’Riley
Won’t Get Fooled Again
Tea & Theatre
Check out The Who Store for exclusive tour merchandise including this Limited Edition Boston, MA 2025 Poster