On This Day in History

On this date in history, 9/29/1982, I saw The Who and David Johansen at Market Square Arena, in downtown Indianapolis. Johansen was the lead singer for the fantastic New York Dolls, but by the time of this concert, he had morphed into a solid solo career. He wasn’t particularly well received by an impatient crowd ready to be thrilled by The Who. Nonetheless, Johansen is a charismatic performer who knows how to work a stage. I personally enjoyed his set and am glad I had the opportunity to see him live. The Who were nothing short of magnificent. Roger Daltrey showcased one of the best sets of pipes in the business, and twirled his heavily taped up microphone ridiculously high in the air at strategic points in many songs. Pete Townshend executed ferocious windmills with his picking hand, fearlessly crashing it recklessly into his guitar and providing the most massive of power chords; indeed, putting the POWER into the term in the best possible way. John Entwhistle stood still as a statue, except for his fingers, which blazed elegant patterns of intensity on his various bass guitars. Kenny Jones filled in for the late, great, and sorely missed legend, Keith Moon. Jones kept it basic, something Moon never did a day in his life, but somehow it worked just fine, musically. Speaking of music, their set was a treasure trove of genius level rock anthems, penned by Pete, one of the greatest songwriters in the history of rock. The staging and light show were excellent, but simply served the music, which was quite enough for a phenomenal concert experience.

Written By Braddon S. Williams aka The Concert Critic