On Wednesday, March 20, The Who played the second of its two scheduled concerts at the Royal Albert Hall in London as part of the annual Teenage Cancer Trust Benefit Concert series. During the show, the British rock legends were joined by a surprise guest, none other than Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder.
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According to Setlist.fm, the concert featured The Who playing 21 songs, with the band being accompanied by The Heart of England Orchestra for the first eight tunes and the last six numbers. Vedder hit the stage for the first song of the second orchestral set, an inspired rendition of the classic Quadrophenia tune “The Punk and the Godfather.”
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As seen in fan-shot video posted on YouTube, Who frontman Roger Daltrey traded lines back and forth with Vedder throughout the performance. Guitar/songwriter Pete Townshend contributed lead vocals to the song’s bridge section, as he did in the original recording.
As the song neared its end, Vedder put his arm around Daltrey’s shoulder and the two vocalists shared a mic as they sang the final lines. Vedder then gave Townshend a hug before exiting the stage.
More About the Concert
During the orchestral portions of the concert, The Who showcased multiple songs from its respective 1969 and 1973 rock operas Tommy and Quadrophenia, as well as “Who Are You” and “Baba O’Riley.” Without the orchestra, the band played a selection of other popular tunes from its back catalog, including “Substitute,” “My Generation,” “You Better You Bet,” “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” and “Behind Blue Eyes.” The It’s Hard deep cut “Cry If You Want” also was performed during that set.
[RELATED: The Who’s Roger Daltrey Announces North American Tour in 2024]
The Who kicked off the 2024 Teenage Cancer Trust benefit series with a show on Monday, March 18. The band currently has no other concerts scheduled for this year.
Daltrey and Vedder Will Perform Again Sunday at the Albert Hall
However, Daltrey and Vedder will be back at the Royal Albert Hall this Sunday, March 24, for a star-studded special event that will close out the concert series.
As previously reported, the show, dubbed Ovation, will celebrate the charity series’ 24-year history, while paying tribute to Daltrey, who is stepping away from his duties as the event’s main organizer after this year. Daltrey and Vedder will both be performing at the event, as will Led Zeppelin legend Robert Plant and his side group Saving Grace, ex-Jam frontman Paul Weller, and Stereophonics singer Kelly Jones.
Townshend also had initially been announced as part of the Ovation lineup, but he won’t be able to participate in the show. As The Who co-founder recently explained, he has commitments in New York City at that time promoting the opening of the Broadway revival of the musical based on Tommy.
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Daltrey’s and Pearl Jam’s 2024 Tour Plans
Daltrey recently announced plans for a semi-acoustic tour of North America later this year. After an initial show on May 9 in San Diego, the Who frontman and his solo band will launch a nine-date trek running from a June 12 concert in Vienna, Virginia, through a June 29 gig in Highland Park, Illinois. Scottish singer/songwriter KT Tunstall will open most of the shows.
As for Pearl Jam, the Seattle grunge greats have a lengthy world tour mapped out in 2024 in support of their upcoming 12th studio album, Dark Matter, which will be released on April 19.
The 38-date Dark Matter World Tour kicks off with a North American leg on May 4 in Vancouver, Canada. The band also will visit Europe in June and July, then return to the U.S. for another run of shows in August and September. The trek will wrap up with a series of concerts Down Under in November, with the last show currently scheduled for November 23 in Sydney, Australia.
Tickets for Daltrey’s shows and Pearl Jam’s tour dates are available now via various outlets, including StubHub.
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