Roger Daltrey unveils explosive Who songs, covers with cheer and humor on solo tour

VIENNA, Va. – It doesn’t matter if he’s playing Who classics, covers by John Fogerty or his own solo material.

It also doesn’t matter if he’s grasping an acoustic guitar or the corded microphone that has dangled by his side for decades.

Put Roger Daltrey on a stage and he’s going to rock.

On June 12, the second date of the month's block of solo concerts, Daltrey and his outstanding nine-piece band enchanted a packed Filene Center at Wolf Trap in northern Virginia with a 100-minute set that breathed with fresh energy.

As soon as he walked onstage in his typical uniform of white button-down shirt, jeans, sneakers and spectacles, Daltrey warned the crowd that the show “is not going to be perfect.”

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And so what if the band needed a restart on “Days of Light” (“Talk amongst yourselves,” Daltrey joked as he conferred with his musical mates for a few seconds)? Or Daltrey couldn’t initially hear guitarist/backup singer/right hand man Simon Townshend on what turned into glorious harmonizing for “After the Fire?”

This is a show structured by authenticity, not flawlessness.

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Roger Daltrey tailors crackling renditions of Who songs

But even with a couple of muffs, Daltrey and this top-notch troupe brought the audience on a rollicking journey dotted with Celtic bents (Taj Mahal’s take on “Freedom Ride,” highlighted by Katie Jacoby’s vigorous violin and Geraint Watkins’ accordion), resonant percussion (Jody Linscott was a joy to watch on the cajon and cymbals during “Waiting for a Friend”) and, of course, timeless gems from The Who.

“The truth is, I’m trying to get away from Who songs,” Daltrey said as the crowd groaned. “There are other things to do. I’m a good painter and decorator.”

But still, the robust 80-year-old knows he has to appease fans to an extent. Flashing blue and red lights swirled above the stage and guitarist Doug Boyle uncorked a bluesy electric solo during “Who Are You,” the song’s pinpoint harmonies ping-ponging around the stage.

Generations are irrelevant when it comes to “The Kids are Alright,” which Daltrey said he thought Pete Townshend wrote for him when he was going through a divorce at age 20 (“My only one … I didn’t have a collection,” he quipped). And the loping “Squeezebox” – obviously another showcase for Watkins on accordion – hasn’t lost any of its naughty charm.  

This Who classic has rarely sounded so alive in concert

But the highlight of a show stocked with several came with a loose-yet-visceral rendition of “Won’t Get Fooled Again.”

“I have done the scream for 50 years and I don’t want to do it anymore,” Daltrey said, noting that he’d go backstage after Who concerts and not have a voice until the next afternoon. “So, I want you to have no voice tomorrow,” he added by way of inviting fans to inject the song with its patented roar.

With no synthesizers in his show, Daltrey assigned Jacoby and her violin to mimic the building intro of the anthem, which quickly burst into its full blossom. The crowd fervently stood and shouted along, and by the time drummer Scott Devours arrived midway for that explosive drum break, it was confirmed: a song wearing this much age has rarely felt so alive.

It was apparent throughout the night that as much as Daltrey wants to bring joy to his fans, he was clearly reveling in the moment as well.

Pre-submitted questions were rifled through with sarcastic humor (one serious response – the music he fell in love with first came from Hank Williams) and Daltrey fired off a few snarky asides as idiots in the crowd yelled idiotic things.

But while he was perplexed that many questions referenced The Kinks, it also led to an unplanned moment when Daltrey grabbed his acoustic guitar to perform a gentle version of band’s “Days” – or at least until Boyle attempted to hop in with rhythm guitar and Daltrey yelled, “Shut up!” before breaking into a cheeky grin.

Daltrey gets blunt: 'The whole music business has been stolen from musicians'

His brawny voice, which cracked on occasion but still sounds remarkably intact, offered the perfect amount of grit on a cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Have You Ever Seen the Rain.” Daltrey praised CCR frontman John Fogerty as “a treasure of a guy,” but also took the opportunity to share some pointed reminders with the crowd.

“The whole music business has been stolen from musicians. There are no record sales, no publishing (income). The only thing left is what we do here,” he said. “The average musician struggles to put bread on the table – I’ve been lucky – and these musicians work their butts off.”

He also remarked, with his usual forthrightness, that those taking video “who go and put it on YouTube” are infringing on his and the band’s copyright. He’s absolutely correct. And while it might be an unpopular opinion, there are plenty who will quietly cheer his candor, as well as his continued love of the music that has fueled him for six decades.

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KT Tunstall 'excited to be in the same room' as Daltrey as tour opener

Opening the show was KT Tunstall, the Scottish sparkplug who is sharing the bill on many of these June dates.

Armed with an acoustic guitar, looping pedal and keen wit, Tunstall started her 30-minute set with the aptly titled, “It Took Me So Long To Get Here, But Here I Am.”

Both gracious and self-deprecating (“I’m as excited as you are to be in the same room as Roger Daltrey,” she said), she interlaced her own songs with snippets of covers that showcased her vast influences and warm, throaty voice.

Her “Dear Shadow” was overlaid with Ella Fitzgerald’s “Summertime” and Edie Brickell’s “What I Am,” while her biggest U.S. hit, “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree” – a spirited singalong as might be expected – was spiked with the stomping beat of Ram Jam’s “Black Betty,” a harmonica solo and what sounded like a kazoo laying the familiar foundation of The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army.”

Tunstall engaged the crowd with witty stories before wrapping her performance with her melodically lush epiphany anthem, “Suddenly I See.”

She’s a fitting complement to Daltrey, who called her “really gutsy” in an interview with USA TODAY, and well worth an early arrival.