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Sunday, February 17, 2008

The Who: A Suitable Case for Medication

Or perhaps they were overmedicated, but The Who, (Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey, John Entwhistle, and Keith Moon) were in Peoria 40 years ago on March 10, 1968. Taking a break from the good times with Buck and Don, The Who were angry about something on stage and let it rip.

The Londonners played at the The Opera House, at Exposition Gardens, site of the Heart of Illinois Fair, with the Opera House described as

"THE OPERA HOUSE
An old fashioned, turn of the century 6,600 square foot building featuring a large stage at the rear of the building. Ready for your event - concerts, shows, theater productions and small trade shows"

The Opera House is still there, despite The Who trying to beat it into submission, thought it does look the worse for wear. I think the bus in the video is I-74, but cannot really tell. Anyone at this show? At the Opera House for other shows (Ted Nugent, The Kinks and many others appeared there)







11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Speaking of visitors bringing down the house, has W.com started a fund to bring Robt M Knight to Champaign to coach?

Someone oughta' sell tickets, I'd buy one...

BEP

Anonymous said...

"Mind you don't cut yourself, Mordecai...."

Love a story about The Who. I think they played with Pork and the Havanna Ducks once....

EEP's top British bands of the
60's, in order:

1. The Beatles
2. The Who/The Kinks (too close)
3. The Small Faces
4. The Stones
5. The Animals

Anonymous said...

"Mind you don't cut yourself, Mordecai...."

From the movie Raising Arizona. The Coen boys rarely miss.
I believe I was there to see REO sometime in the 70's. That was a blurry decade.

Anonymous said...

I'm pretty sure this show was not at the Opera House, but actually at the main building next door. A good friend of mine, who was not at the concert, but worked there for many years says it is definitely what is called the Youth Building.

Anonymous said...

I'll start a fund to keep RM Knight away from Champaign.

I'd take the Who over the Kinks but the Kinks would be my #3. The Animals might not hit triple digits.

Where do you count Wham. Spice Girls. How about Mister Mister are they British? bbd

Anonymous said...

bbd, Mr. Mister was American.

While we're at it, let's also consider the merits of Dave Edmunds, Nick Lowe, and their bandmates that gave us the band Rockpile.

Anonymous said...

What's with the hate for The Animals, BBD? Sheesh.

Good call Veeman. And if we're talking Edmunds and Lowe, then I'd have to mention E.C, Ian Dury, Dr. Feelgood, Wreckless Eric and the 101'ers, which would then lead me to praise The Clash and The Damned, Stiff Little Fingers and the like.

Greg T would like to add The Smiths.

P.S: The Jam may be my favorite band of all-time.

Anonymous said...

EEP is a little outlaw, he is...

What about the Wham reference? How do you rate them in the pantheon of bands? What about the Mod's all time fave, Air Supply?

BEP

Anonymous said...

EEP is a little outlaw, he is...

What about the Wham reference? How do you rate them in the pantheon of bands? What about the Mod's all time fave, Air Supply?

BEP

Anonymous said...

Were there any Wham! "Choose Life" shirts going 'round WHS? Did Kansas Cat have one? (I remember he had a scroungy Ramones t-shirt I always liked)

I think I was in 6th grade when WHAM were big. Them and Def Leppard. Mr. Davenport let the boom boxes rock the playground during recess until someone brought in Prince and it was deemed to risque for 6th grade Wildcat ears.

Anonymous said...

Air Supply was Australian. And here's another English band to throw into the mix: Ian McLagin & the New Barbarians.

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