Legendary rock band kicks off farewell tour with rare performance
The Who kicked off the band's farewell tour by playing a song that had never performed at one of their own concerts.
On the opening night of "The Song Is Over North America Farewell Tour" in Sunrise, Florida on Saturday, Aug. 16, fans were treated to a special performance of "Going Mobile."
The rare moment was captured in a video that was uploaded to YouTube . While Pete Townshend is the lead vocalist on "Going Mobile," his younger brother Simon Townshend took the reins during the Who's live performance of the song.
"Perfect," one comment on the video read. "Good to see the brothers take this one on. Excellent guitar parts. Classic song."
"Going Mobile" is Pete Townshend's ode to living a life lived on the road.
"I don't care about pollution," he sings on the song. "I'm an air-conditioned gypsy/That's my solution/Watch the police and the tax man miss me/I'm mobile."
"Going Mobile" was one of several tracks the Who performed from their 1971 landmark project, "Who's Next," according to Rolling Stone . Members of the band have played the song live before, just not at a Who concert.
Rolling Stone reported that Pete Townshend played "Going Mobile" at two solo shows at Sadler's Wells Theatre in London, England in February 2000. Roger Daltrey has also played the tune at his own concerts between 2009 and the present.
Therefore, Saturday night was the first time that "Going Mobile" was played at an actual Who concert. The song has now been performed live 144 times, Rolling Stone reported. Simon Townshend, who has been part of the Who's touring band since 1996, has sang "Going Mobile" 142 times, per the outlet.
"The Song Is Over North America Farewell Tour" continues Tuesday night in Newark, New Jersey and wraps up Sept. 28 in Las Vegas. The tour includes a stop at Fenway Park in Boston on Tuesday, Aug. 26.
Information on where to find tickets to the Who's Boston show can be found here .
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Read the original article on MassLive .
