The Who 2019 Moving On! Tour Finale - The Hollywood Bowl Review

How lucky are we? It’s the end of 2019, and one of the greatest, if not the greatest rock band of all time has given us fans yet another opportunity to be graced by their presence nearly six decades after their formation on The Who’s Moving On! Tour.

For me, that meant attending their final show of the 2019 North American leg at the renowned Hollywood Bowl. Of course, this was also their third of a three-night stint at the Bowl, which began a couple of weeks ago. However, it’s no surprise that the rock ‘n’ roll pioneers saved the best for last, and I truly mean that.

The Who Tweets About Final Hollywood Bowl Show

I could sit here all day and talk all about the mind-boggling grand production of choreographed light shows and large-scale multi-tiered stage setup, but that would be doing the show a disservice. While the production was one of the most well put-together sets I’ve seen in awhile, nothing compares to music put forth on the Bowl stage. And it all comes down to one key component — the orchestra.

The Who’s Moving On! Tour has differed from previous tours as surviving members Roger Daltrey (vocals) and Pete Townshend (guitar & vocals) sparked an idea that would take their already distinguished sound to monumental heights.

While the orchestral arrangements themselves were enough to serve as an individual performances, what really made the orchestra special was the influence it had on the rest of the band. It was as if every song was given an entirely new life, encouraging both Roger and Pete to test the limits of their musicianship throughout the night.

Although not uncommon of Pete, the legendary guitarist windmilled his way through solo upon solo, improvising at every chance he got to show off his musical genius. To his left, stood an even more confident Roger (if that’s possible), who hit notes that would be unfathomable to the average singer, nevermind a voice that has been so graciously used and worn for decades.

Combine that unquestionable live mastery with a perfectly crafted setlist, and The Who just turned their final bow of the year into a highlight of their entire career.

See the full setlist from the final Hollywood Bowl show here!

The Who Setlist @ Hollywood Bowl 10/24/19

Prepared to play a nearly two and a half hour show, Roger and Pete entered the stage to a thundering mix of applause and cheers. Fortunately, the band was just as eager as the crowd, ready to match and even surpass our passionate energy.

Split into three parts or acts, The Who kicked off the show alongside the full-piece orchestra with a portion of Tommy. Featuring songs like “Overture,” “1921,” “Amazing Journey,” “Sparks,” “Pinball Wizard” and “We’re Not Gonna Take It,” the opening act immediately set a demanding bar for the rest of the night as the composition of each performance surpassed anything The Who has done before.

The Who Perform "Pinball Wizard" Live @ Hollywood Bowl 10/24/19

Before losing the orchestra for a few songs, the full band put together a series of four more individual performances, spanning The Who’s full career. From definite hits like “Who Are You” and “Eminence Front” to a deeper cut in “Imagine a Man” and an unreleased track entitled “Hero Ground Zero,” the latter half of part one of the set was impressive enough to leave fans in awe of each performance. Just ask the audience members around me who seldom failed to express their amazement following every final note.

The Who Perform "Who Are You" Live @ Hollywood Bowl 10/24/19

As the night rushed on, Roger and Pete found themselves amongst only their immediate band as the orchestra took an intermission during the second act of show. Utilizing minimalism for the first time of the night, the guys moved forward with more individualized performances including “Substitute,” “I Can See For Miles,” “You Better You Bet” and “Behind Blue Eyes.”

The Who Perform "You Better You Bet" Live @ Hollywood Bowl 10/24/19

However, they would take that very concept of minimalism even further with an entirely stripped down rendition of “Won’t Get Fooled Again” which ended with Roger proclaiming the performance as the best version of the song we’d ever get the chance to hear. Funny enough, despite the hard rock nature of the song, I would almost agree with the frontman.

Dressed in their famous attire – a blue jumpsuit for Pete and a plain navy shirt for Roger — the bandmates-turned-best friends stood side-by-side, two individual spotlights shining down on either of them, as they jammed to a timeless hit like it was a songwriting session in the garage. For a split second the two men were magically warped back in time, sporting the same wardrobe with longer hair, as they created a song that would stand the test of time, even when altered for the masses.

The Who Perform "Won't Get Fooled Again" Live @ Hollywood Bowl 10/24/19

After the orchestra returned to stage, the final act of the night was inspired by Quadrophenia, featuring performances of “The Real Me,” “5:15,” “The Rock” and “Love, Reign O’er Me.” The real standout in this Quadrophenia run however, was Pete’s musicianship during “I’m One.”

To be honest, I’m not quite sure if an acoustic guitar had been played that hard or skillfully since its origin. Couple that with a more than impressive vocal from a man who doesn’t often sing lead, and the performance of “I’m One” became one of the best of the night.

The Who Perform "I'm One" Live @ Hollywood Bowl 10/24/19

Following the Quadrophenia set and a performance of “Ball and Chain” off of their upcoming album Who, Pete introduced the touring band one-by-one, giving every member a final moment to bid farewell to the Bowl and the 2019 tour altogether. With legends like Roger and Pete on stage, it can be easy to overlook the support around them including drummer Zak Starkey, son of Ringo Starr and godson of The Who’s original drummer Keith Moon. Luckily, Pete was attentive enough to let their presence be known and appreciated before closing the night with one last performance.

As we mentally organized the current set in our heads, it quickly became clear that there was only one song remaining that The Who simply couldn’t leave off of the setlist — ”Baba O’Riley.” Perhaps the most well-known of The Who’s entire catalogue and critically regarded as one of the greatest rock songs of all time, the band finished off the night with a typical rendition of “Baba O’Riley,” minus the orchestral influence of the act. With every one of the seventeen-thousand fans in attendance on their feet, The Who closed out the night and ultimately the tour with a performance informed by their roots, reminding fans exactly why we came to the show in the first place.

The Who Perform "Baba O'Riley" Live @ Hollywood Bowl 10/24/19

While this leg of The Who’s Moving On! Tour has officially come to an end, the band has scheduled a UK run for 2020. Check out all of those dates below and see The Who’s official website for ticketing details!

The Who 2020 Tour Dates:

03/16 - Manchester, England @ Manchester Arena

03/18 - Dublin, Ireland @ 3Arena03/21 - Newcastle, England @ Utilita Arena

03/23 - Glasgow, Scotland @ The SSE Hydro Arena

03/25 - Leeds, England @ First Direct Arena

03/30 - Cardiff, Whales @ Motorpoint Arena

04/01 - Birmingham, England @ Resorts World Arena

04/03 - Nottingham, England @ Motorpoint Arena

04/06 - Liverpool, England @ M&S Bank Arena

04/08 - London, England @ SSE Wembley Arena

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Last updated: 29 Mar 2024, 01:30 Etc/UTC