Find your squeeze box and hop onto the magic bus, because The Who finally is returning to Cincinnati on May 15. It will be the legendary Rock band’s first local performance since Dec. 3, 1979, when tragedy struck at Riverfront Coliseum. On that day, 11 people were trampled to death when an impatient crowd pushed its way through the doors at the Coliseum before the band’s performance.
The group says it plans to donate to the P.E.M. Memorial, named after Finneytown High School students Stephan Preston, Jackie Eckerle and Karen Morrison, who died during the 1979 incident. The memorial’s committee annually raises scholarship funds for graduating Finneytown seniors who plan to study music or the arts in college.
Cincinnati’s performance will be part of a do-over after The Who’s tour had been halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic; the band originally had scheduled a Cincinnati concert for April 23, 2020.
“Pete (Townshend) and I said we’d be back, but we didn’t think we’d have to wait for two years for the privilege. This is making the chance to perform feel even more special this time around,” vocalist Roger Daltrey said in a press release earlier this year. “So many livelihoods have been impacted due to COVID, so we are thrilled to get everyone back together — the band, the crew and the fans. We’re gearing up for a great show that hits back in the only way The Who know how — by giving it everything we got.”
The show begins at 7:30 p.m. May 15 at TQL Stadium. More info: thewho.com.
Below, watch The Who perform "Won't Get Fooled Again" in 1978, the final gig with Keith Moon.
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