Roger Daltrey just e-mailed me the set list for The Who’s (or A Who’s Who of Olivers, as they are thinking of renaming themselves) Super Bowl Halftime show.
“Baba O’Reily”: They may change the lyric to “Out here ON the field.” They will then skip the “Don’t cry…” part and segue from the “They’re all wasted!” power chords into…
“Join Together”: Lots of crowd shots for this segment. Then…
“Pinball Wizard”: No way they’re getting out of there without playing this one. Into…
“Long Live Rock”: Ignoring the recent ad featuring Eric Clapton hawking a Fender-edition cell phone, the very existence of which conclusively proves that Rock is, in fact, dead, Pete and Roger will trot this one out to the great delight of the crowd. More crowd shots and then into the big scream and last verse of…
“Won’t Get Fooled Again,” during which Pete will attempt to slide across the stage a’la his performance in The Kids Are Alright, but will misjudge it and end up smashing his crotch into the camera, making it the second time in as many years that the halftime performance has tea-bagged the nation. Somewhere in Minnesota, a diminutive man in ass-less pants will once again lament his missed opportunity from ’07.
That’s the set list. I assume that Townsman Alexmagic and some of the others have been working out over/unders on windmills and mic twirls and such, and will release them as we get closer to the game.
I actually think this will be easily the most predictable, least interesting of Super Bowl setlists. Especially because the game will be on CBS this year, making it a forgone conclusion that Rog and Pete will be sticking to their tried-and-true CSI theme songs.
Who Are You
Baba O’Riley
Won’t Get Fooled Again
While cdm’s set list is certainly interesting, but the only way “Join Together” and “Long Live Rock” will get in that stadium will be via someone’s iPod. They’re probably not even on Pete’s. In other words, The Jets have a better shot at making it to the Bowl than “Long Live Rock.”
Oats, I think you’ve nailed it. Easiest gig the band will play. If there’s a wild card, it will likely be “My Generation” or “Pinball Wizard.” But I doubt it.
TB
TB
Hey, folks. First of all, Happy 2010 all ’round! I agree with Oats. It’ll most likely be the “Concert for New York” set again. If I had my druthers (& it’s been YEARS since I have done), I would like the Qausi-Who to do the following set at the Super Bowel:
Run, Run, Run
Put The Money Down
We Close Tonight
A Quick One (While He’s Away)
Of course, I realize this would involve resurrection of the dead. and the transformation back to The *REAL* WHO, but, man, it’d be great!
As it stands, I could couldn’t give more than half a shit, really.
Yeah, Oats, that’s about the sum of it. Imagine if the Who in their prime had played a Super Bowl instead of, say, Up with People or the USC marching band or what have you.
I’d be surprised if My Generation isn’t in there somewhere.
I’d say this promises to be the least-relevant Super Bowl band since McCartney. Oh well, at least Daltry seems like a Brit who would like US football, if he’d been raised here.
Of course we don’t want Billy Joel to perform at halftime, but what US bands who’ve yet to perform should get a shot at the big time? Are there any current American bands that don’t suck and that would serve the pomp and circumstance of the Super Bowl halftime show?
My set list would be:
Tattoo
Pictures of Lily
Substitute
Long Live Rock
I may get Long Live Rock out of this — Thanks for reminding me of the goofiest album cover ever — who else bought Odds and Sods in the cutouts?
Pearl Jam. And though I kinda dislike them, Arcade Fire and Flaming Lips. I’m sure The Killers will wind up at the Super Bowl eventually.
I’m trying to think of artists I actually like. Neil Young might be interesting, if he were in a contrary mood. I saw a recent live thing of his at Hyde Park on VH1, and it sadly looks like he’s learning to be blandly competent.
Hall and Oates or Neil Diamond.
Pearl Jam is Super Bowl worthy, by my standards that only rockin’ American bands should play that event. I’m sure Vedder and some of his bandmates can wax poetic on things like The Immaculate Reception. Townshend would probably think that was a song sketch he had in the works for Tommy.
The only Superbowl halftime shows I have any positive memories of are U2 and Prince, whenever those were. Prince in particular was spectacular.
The complete list–and brace yourselves, it is brutal–is here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Super_Bowl_halftime_shows
Is it any wonder I have no memories, much less fond memories, of most of these?
It’s an open secret that the audio of these halftime shows is pretaped. So Pete will be able to windmill without worrying about whether he’s hitting the right notes. I wonder how long it’s been since the Who mimed a performance.
I would suspect the Who haven’t mimed a performance since the mid-70s Quadrophenia tape debacle on that tour.
Funniest part: Lynyrd Skynyrd opened for them on some dates
RTH vets know that they mimed as late as July 13, 1972:
https://www.rocktownhall.com/blogs/index.php/2008/12/05/join_together_rth_gets_serious_about_70s
so what did I miss?
It was
Pinball Wizard
Baba O’Reilly
Who Are You
Won’t Get Fooled Again
See me Feel Me was in there too. Also correct me if I’m wrong but it did not sound pre-recorded. There was a commercial heavily featuring My Generation, so they must have known it wouldn’t be in the halftime show.
Sorry, but I have to focus on what’s real, because I’m not sure that what just happened is real.