The Who to Play at Superbowl XLIV Halftime Show

PR Newswire ^

[WillT]

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- For many, the World's Greatest Rock Band, The Who, will be seen by one of the largest television audiences in history when the group headlines the Bridgestone Super Bowl XLIV Halftime Show on CBS Sports at Dolphin Stadium in South Florida on Sunday, February 7.

The Bridgestone Super Bowl halftime show is one of the most anticipated musical events of the year. More than 151 million viewers in the U.S. watched last year's show. The Super Bowl and halftime show will be broadcast worldwide in more than 230 countries and territories. Many of the classic songs the band will perform are just a few of those included on Greatest Hits (Geffen/UMe), released December 22, 2009. The largest single-disc "best of" collection from The Who in more than ten years, it is the first to span the group's entire recording career to date, from 1964 to 2006. The 19-selection Greatest Hits brings together some of rock's most important, influential and incandescent touchstones, along with an essay by renowned music critic Dave Marsh.

The Who stands alone in rock music. The most explosive live act ever to appear on stage, propelled by the most staggeringly brilliant rhythm section in all popular music, layered with deafening power chords and thunderous vocal fury, The Who transcended its original billing as "Maximum R&B" to become the most musically inventive and structurally innovative band of all time. Together, the four divergent personalities of The Who produced a hurricane.

[Minn]

I think you may have been inhaling a bit too much weed at the show.

I don't see what that has to do with anything.

[ssaftler]

How about we don’t have ANY rock show for halftime of the Super Bowl? If you polled the teams involved, I’d bet that a huge majority of them find the extended time out a major nuisance to them, their timing, everything.

Yeah, yeah, I know it’s all about TV ratings, money, people who don’t normally watch football, money, advertising money, and, oh yeah, money.

[WillT]

Your recollection of the show seems a bit clouded.

[Fiji Hill]

Halftime shows should feature marching bands, not rock groups.

[Revolting cat!]

IUt’s for the fuddy daddies who watch the Super Bowel!

[raccoonradio]

Moon died at 32...31 years ago...long time ago...

[AnotherUnixGeek]

Great is great, no matter what generation.

Yes...but having The Who play the SB halftime now is like having the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra play the SB halftime back in 1979. It's better than Up With People, but it's no way to build up a following among kids, who'll be the season ticket buyers and halftime viewers 20 years from now.

I would rather see the The Who over such “contemporary” acts like Lady Ga-Ga or Green Day any day, any time.

Me too. But I'd rather see good modern acts instead of The Who.

[Jeff Chandler]

I hope they don’t look like the Stones did with Mick’s turkey-neck arm skin flapping around.

Yuk!

[Santiago de la Vega]

Thanks for posting this.

I saw them at the Boston Tea Party back in 1970.

They did Tommy. All of it. Straight through.

Pete was wearing the white jumpsuit.

It was the single most amazing musical performance I’d ever seen, and it still is today.

There is nothing that can top them, or that performance. It was the greatest live show - ever.

Everything else anyone has done - the Stones, the Beatles, the Boss, Metallica, Kiss, all the halfwit rappers and hip-hoppers, blah, blah,blah - are irrelevant. Amateur.

The combination of the band and the music for those shows were perfect. Beyond perfect. Celestial.

I’ve seen the Who many times since, and the new shows can’t compare. Their recordings - except for Tommy - are OK, but not great.

It was this one live show that demonstrated the power of music.

I’m still shaking my head today.

Thanks again for posting this.

[WillT]

Oh really? The NFL seems to be doing just fine despite having U2, The Stones, Tom Petty and Springsteen among the Superbowl halftime performers over the past few years. Having a classic rock band as the halftime performer is not going matter one way or the other. You won’t see a spike in ticket sales simply because they picked The Foo Fighters at halftime. The Who are one of the greatest rock bands ever, so it will attract plenty of viewers, just for curiosity.

[WillT]

You lost me when you said their recordings are ok, except for Tommy. Ever heard of Who’s Next? Live at Leeds? Quadrophenia? The Who Sell Out?

[Canedawg]

Live at Leeds was tremendous, best Magic Bus ever.

I have some hearing loss from The Who show I saw in 1977 in Buffalo, NY. I’ve been to well over 200 concerts all told, and that one was by far the loudest.

Guarantee they play “We Won’t get Fooled Again”, how apropos for the times...

[WillT]

Live at Leeds is my favorite live album ever. I think they will play Baba O’Riley, possibly Pinball Wizard or Behind Blue Eyes. How much time do they have? 15 mins? Not much time, really.

[Canedawg]

Leeds= great Summertime Blues, Magic Bus and My Generation Too bad that generation effed up this country...)

http://www.google.com/search?q=live+at+leeds

They’ll do a greatest medley and can finish with Won’t Get Fooled from right after the drum solo- prolly some Pinball, My Generation, Who Are You, a tight medley would be fine with me.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

The NFL seems to be doing just fine despite having U2, The Stones, Tom Petty and Springsteen among the Superbowl halftime performers over the past few years. Having a classic rock band as the halftime performer is not going matter one way or the other.

Not right away - but I remember how much my friends and I used to be into NFL football, starting in grade school. Are today's kids that interested? Doesn't seem like it - increasingly, the NFL is something their parents or grandparents watch while the kids play World of Warcraft or some other video game. Booking SB half-time acts their grandparents know and love, like the Who or the Stones, doesn't help.

[WillT]

Football is as popular as ever. The bad economy is affecting sports more than anything, not the SB halftime act. I don’t think booking U2, Springsteen, The Stones and The Who is going to drive away young fans. If kids are sitting in front of the TV playing video games too much, that’s another issue entirely.