On the one hand, it must frustrate Roger Daltrey to go around doing solo tours like the one that played Durham Wednesday night. Whenever he'd fire up a Who song, everybody in the crowd would jump up, rock out and cheer wildly. And then whenever he did one of his solo songs or a cover, everybody would sit right back down. It was yet another example of the dilemma that singers from legendary bands face when they go solo.
Still, being the pragmatic sort, Daltrey probably didn't mind too much. He was singing, people were listening and all was right with the world. By the end of the set, his shirt was open and he was swinging the microphone around just like old times. That moment at the beginning of "Baba O'Riley" when the drums kick off and lock in with the synthesizer squiggle and the anthemic piano riff, just as Daltrey made like a lasso with his microphone -- it just doesn't get any better than that.
For me, the high point actually came from one of Daltrey's sidemen. That was Simon Townshend, Pete's younger brother and longtime guitarist in Daltrey's solo band, who took a star turn as vocalist on the manic ode to being in motion, "Goin' Mobile." Nailed it just perfectly, too.
