The Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut hosted one of rock’s most iconic frontmen. Roger Daltrey, the voice of The Who brought his electric-acoustic tour to the Connecticut faithful. His Mohegan Sun show was the second of back-to-back shows after he played the previous night in Massachusetts.
As fans were piling into the arena, promptly at 7 p.m., KT Tunstall graced the stage. Before she could even play a note, a member of the road crew announced that it was her birthday. The crew and Daltrey all came out and sang Happy Birthday to her. This put the crowd in high spirits even before any music was played. When Tunstall finally got settled in, she started the show with “It Took Me So Long to Get Here, but Here I Am,” off of 2016’s KIN. I wasn’t sure how Tunstall was going to perform. All she had with her was her two guitars and pedal, but by the end of the first song, it was safe to say she won the crowd over.
Tunstall unfortunately only played six songs. If her set was slightly longer, it would have been perfect. Her powerful voice was awe-inspiring. At one point in the show, she did a mashup of one of her more famous songs, “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree,” along with The White Stripes‘ “Seven Nation Army.” I never thought that those two songs could have been woven together yet she made it work.
To close out her set she played her most well-known hit “Suddenly I See,” which brought applause from the crowd. This is my favorite song of hers – I was even listening to it on the ride to the venue. As she left the stage, she thanked the audience one last time before Daltrey took the stage.
KT Tunstall’s Touring Band Is:
KT Tunstall – Lead Vocals/Guitar/Pedals
Setlist:
1. It Took Me So Long to Get Here, but Here I Am
2. Dear Shadow
3. Other Side of the World
4. The Acid Queen (The Who cover)
5. Black Horse and the Cherry Tree / Seven Nation Army (The White Stripes cover)
6. Suddenly I See
The band kept to their tight schedule and were already on the stage by the time 8 p.m. rolled around. Daltrey’s solo band has a ton of different musicians. There were nine other musicians – not including Daltrey. Despite the crowded stage, the band sounded great. Daltrey sounded so much better than when I saw The Who back in high school at Madison Square Garden.
As most fans would assume, Daltrey did a ton of Who songs which included hits such as “Squeeze Box” and “Who Are You.” It’s difficult to mention Daltrey without guitarist Pete Townshend. It’s like mentioning Mick Jagger but not Keith Richards. In somewhat of a little head nod to Townshend, Daltrey opened the show with “Let My Love Open the Door” which appeared on Townshend’s 1980 solo album, Empty Glass. Throughout each song, Daltrey read questions from the audience that were written down on paper. This allowed the band to tune up and get ready for the next song. It was great to hear Daltrey joke around with the audience.
As the band chugged through the set, they got to The Who’s smash hit, “Won’t Get Fooled Again” off of Who’s Next. Before the start of the song, Daltrey told the crowd that he “ain’t doing it anymore,” when referring to the iconic scream in the song. As the band got to the middle portion of the song, Daltrey cut them off and told them to stop. During the song, the band got separated from Daltrey and they had to start again. The fans didn’t mind as once the band started the tune from the very beginning, they all cheered as if it was the first time.
On top of Townshend’s cover, Daltrey also included a few covers that were awesome to hear. First, he picked “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?” by Creedence Clearwater Revival. Daltrey said that John Fogerty was his “favorite rock singer.” The band put on a fantastic cover of that song, and it wouldn’t be the last of the night. The third to last song was a cover of Paul Simon’s “The Boy in the Bubble.” At the start of this song, Daltrey went on record to announce that Simon is his “favorite songwriter of all time.” Daltrey did Simon justice and did another fantastic cover.
By the end of the show, the fans were on their feet. The fans were in awe of seeing a living legend, from a legendary band in a more intimate arena. Daltrey’s electric-acoustic tour is one you will not want to miss. From solo songs to classic Who tunes, Daltrey’s voice still packs a punch. I highly suggest seeing Daltrey on this tour before it’s too late.
Roger Daltrey’s Touring Band Is:
Roger Daltrey – Lead Vocals/Acoustic Guitar/Harmonica
Simon Townshend – Guitars/Lead Vocals/Background Vocals
Billy Nicholls – Mandolin/Background Vocals
Jody Linscott – Percussion
Doug Boyle – Guitars
John Hogg – Bass/Backing Vocals
Katie Jacoby – Violin/Backing Vocals
Steve Weston – Harmonica
Geraint Watkins – Keyboards/Accordion
Scott Devours – Drums
Setlist:
1. Let My Love Open the Door (Pete Townshend cover)
2. Freedom Ride (Largo cover)
3. Who Are You
4. Waiting for a Friend
5. So Sad About Us
6. After the Fire
7. Days of Light
8. Giving It All Away
9. The Kids Are Alright
10. Squeeze Box
11. Naked Eye
12. Won’t Get Fooled Again
13. Going Mobile
14. Have You Ever Seen the Rain? (Creedence Clearwater Revival cover)
15. Without Your Love (Billy Nicholls cover)
16. Love Ain’t for Keepin’
17. The Boy in the Bubble (Paul Simon cover)
18. Baba O’Riley
19. Young Man Blues (Mose Allison cover)
Follow Roger Daltrey/The Who Online:
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My love for live music started with my first concert ever, Guns N’ Roses back in 2016. Since then, I’ve been able to capture photos of some amazing artists like Alice Cooper, Judas Priest, Ace Frehley, and Post Malone. I am based in New York/New Jersey and go to school in Connecticut majoring in Journalism and I am always looking for the next concert to attend.
