By Chyrisse Tabone, Rock At Night Tampa
Live Review: Roger Daltrey -Who Is I? Tour- Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, February 11, 2023
Roger Daltrey scheduled two singing engagements in Florida coinciding with the Rock Legends Cruise, X, which sails out of Fort Lauderdale on February 13th. So, who wouldn’t want to stop in sunny Clearwater, Florida, before setting sail? The last time his solo gig rolled into town was in 2019 during his A Quick Run (While Pete’s Away) tour. At age 78, he has been touring extensively with the Who since early 2022, making up for lost time due to the pandemic. Rock At Night was lucky to see him perform in Detroit in September, and he was in peak form.
On February 11, 2023, when Rock At Night arrived at Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, Who fans were observed wearing Union Jack t-shirts from years past and chattering about when they saw them last.
The support act for the evening was singer/songwriter Dan Bern, who performed folksy “coffee shop” songs on the stage while playing an acoustic guitar. At first glance, one might consider him a Bob Dylan convert, but after listening to the sardonic lyrics, he had the audience visibly chuckling. His song “God Said No” made references to going back in time to see Seattle to see Kurt Cobain (“take away his bullets/talk to him”) and later to Berlin to see Hitler (“I will stalk him/I will bring him down”). The song is listed in Roger Daltrey’s 2016 Music Industry Trust (Mits) Spotify playlist—the same year he was honored for his contribution to music and entertainment.
Daltrey came on stage with his solo band, which included his No Plan B regulars Simon Townshend on guitar, Loren Gold on keys, Frank Simes on guitar, Jon Button on bass, and Scott Devours on drums. A violinist provided additional support to round out the band.
To the delight of Who fans, the concert began with “I Can See For Miles”, bringing the audience back to the 60s mod and Carnaby Street period. He paid homage to Taj Mahal with “Freedom Ride” before performing “for the ladies,” the mid-70s era song “Squeeze Box.” He played an acoustic guitar and sang, “just like the record albums”—totally spot on.
Daltrey thanked a fan who came all the way from Uruguay to see the show saying, “I think I have his name right. Guil-lermo, wherever you are. Welcome to the show!” He continued with another question regarding the round symbol on the Who shirts and said, “You got the wrong bloke. I’ve never had a target on my back. I’ve had arrows and all kinds of things but never a target. I wasn’t that fuckin’ stupid.”
He remarked, “We had hearing in the 60s—and today, it’s ridiculous.” He shuffled papers, which had social media questions for him, saying, “One question is ‘Why is the album Live At Leeds so great? Was it the venue or the audience?” He continued, “It’s neither—it’s a fucking great band!” before launching into “Who Are You,” which garnered a standing ovation.
Technical difficulties began as Daltrey stopped the band during “Giving It All Away,” which was penned by fellow Leo Sayer for his debut solo album. The ear monitor gave him problems, which reminded me of the Who concert in Detroit. During that concert, Pete Townshend had similar issues, stopped the song, and jumped on his cell phone to call for assistance. Daltrey’s distinctive, powerful voice did not indicate a problem to the audience, as we were totally caught up in the song.
Performing “Getting In Tune” was my favorite evening song, bringing back memories of junior high days of listening to Who’s Next while doing my homework at the kitchen table. As I was closing my eyes and time-traveling, the music stopped again due to apparent technical issues. Daltrey then continued, completing it to my delight.
He announced the next song was “one of his favs” as Simon Townshend performed “The Way It Is” while performing on an acoustic guitar. The violinist brought a lovely touch to the moving ballad, which laments lost love. Unfortunately, the people sitting behind me were conversing, unaffected by the music, and the woman in front of me was vaping, filling the air with a perfume odor.
Then, the band performed “Tattoo,” one of the Who’s lesser-known songs. Daltrey attempted to sing “After the Fire,” paused, saying, “I haven’t felt well in the last few days,” before Simon stepped in to sing “Mobile.” Daltrey played the harmonica, but one could see he was visibly worried. The audience rose to their feet, clapping and cheering at the song’s end.
Daltrey sipped water, glanced at his watch, and sang with a raspy and weakened version of his voice, “Days of Light.” After barely singing a measure of “Naked Eye,” he paused, shaking his head, and said, “I’m definitely not well, and I’m not doing it to myself anymore.” I was immediately reminded of similar issues in 2019 when he halted a concert in Houston and promised to reschedule the event.
Daltrey explained, “I’m definitely not well, and I’m not doing it to myself anymore.” As he began to walk off stage, the audience rose to their feet, cheering and clapping to show support for his decision. He had performed blissfully for most of the show, which lasted approximately an hour. Any decent person (although I expect some rude comments on social media about being shortchanged) would understand that health comes first. People from far and wide came to see the icon—and they did. It was a brilliant yet abbreviated show by a legendary singer. Whether the show was two hours or an hour, I feel privileged to have been there.
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I grew up in a household full of rock music, studied journalism in college, and then became a scientist.Although my science career has served me well, music has always played a major role in my life. I grew up reading "Creem" magazine; I play several musical instruments as a "hobby";and it seems a camera has always been in my hand. Now, I am combining what I love the most--music and photography--serving as editor of Rock At Night. I travel between the US and UK seeking my dream! My motto: life is short...no regrets. Chyrisse
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