The Who Makes Musical Farewell Tour Stop in South Philly

Members of the legendary rock band The Who delivered a heartfelt farewell concert tour stop in South Philadelphia on Wednesday, Sept. 10. The concert in Philly was three weeks later than initially planned.

This event was part of The Who's “The Song Is Over — North American Farewell Tour,” which also included a tour stop at Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall on Friday, Sept. 12. 

Held at the recently renamed Xfinity Mobile Arena, the show featured a setlist of classic hits such as “I Can't Explain,” “Substitute,” “Who Are You,” and “Won't Get Fooled Again,” with special guest violinist and Delaware native Katie Jacoby energizing key performances.

Despite their age — Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend are both in their early 80s — the band performed with nostalgia and poignancy. Daltrey and Townshend acknowledged some health issues that led to their concert postponement while still delivering a powerful performance.

The lineup included new members and substitutes, such as Scott Devours on drums replacing Zak Starkey, who took Keith Moon's place following Moon's death in 1978, and Townshend's brother Simon, who is 16 years younger than Pete. Jon Button contributed on bass, Loren Gold on keyboard, Jody Linscott on percussion, and John Hogg on vocals.

Dan DeLuca noted in The Philadelphia Inquirer that Townshend's guitar work remained sharp, and Daltrey's vocal power, though diminished, was still effervescent on iconic songs like “Love Reign O'er Me.”

The concert concluded with a reflective performance of “Tea & Theatre,” symbolizing the end of their Philadelphia appearances, as Daltrey paid tribute to The Who's shared history with Philly and its fans.

Daltry concluded the epic concert by telling the crowd, “We've had nothing but fabulous audiences in Philadelphia all these years,” while advocating for support for Teen Cancer America, a cause he and Townshend have championed for decades. He then ended with his signature signoff, one last time: “Be happy, be healthy. And most of all, be lucky!”