On This Day in 1976: The Who Played Its Final North American Concert with Drummer Keith Moon

On October 21, 1976, The Who played its last concert in North American with longtime drummer Keith Moon. The show, which took place at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, brought to a close the British rock legends’ tour in support of its 1975 studio album, The Who by Numbers.

According to Setlist.fm, the 23-song set included the group’s first-ever concert performance of “Who Are You.” The rendition of the apparently not-yet-finished tune began with a guitar solo by Pete Townshend and then became an extended jam, lacking the song’s recognizable verses. “Who Are You” wound up being the title track of The Who’s next studio album, which was released in August 1978.

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The Toronto concert also featured versions of many of The Who’s most popular tunes, as well as a segment focused on tunes from the group’s 1969 rock opera Tommy. Two songs from By Numbers were performed—the hit “Squeeze Box” and the deep cut “Dreaming from the Waist.” The band also delivered a rendition of Willie Dixon’s classic blues tune “Spoonful.”

During the show, Moon got the chance to address the crowd, as he introduced the Tommy section of the performance. He began by acknowledging the ballet and film versions of the rock opera that had been produced.

Keith then declared, “I now present for your edification and delight, presented by the original artists … the unedited version, originally as performed by … The Who, ladies and gentlemen, Tommy!”

The concert ended with an energetic version of “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” that Townshend brought to a raucous conclusion by smashing his guitar.

Moon’s Shows with The Who After the 1976 Tour

Moon performed with The Who at only a couple more shows after the Toronto concert. Those events were private gigs, organized specifically to be filmed for the 1979 Who documentary The Kids Are Alright. They were held on December 15, 1977, at the Gaumont State Theatre in London and May 25, 1978, at Shepperton Studios in the London suburb of Shepperton, U.K.

Between the end of The Who’s 1976 tour and Moon’s death on September 7, 1978, Keith worked with the band on the Who Are You album and The Kids Are Alright documentary. Moon, who struggled with alcoholism, died of an overdose of Heminevrin, a prescription sedative that helps prevent seizures caused by alcohol withdrawal. The lauded drummer was just 32.

Shortly after Moon’s death, The Who hired former Small Faces and Faces drummer Kenney Jones as his replacement, and the band continued on.