Roger Daltrey, Ravinia Festival Orchestra pump The Who’s “Tommy” with splendor

Photos by Andy Argyrakis

Rank them in any order of preference, but The Who mean just as much as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd when it comes to rock n’ roll that changed the course of the entire globe. And for five decades, one massive component in that claim is the album turned movie and Broadway musical “Tommy,” which served as the quintessential rock opera archetype and continues to set the bar for ambitious thematic concepts colliding with intertwined song cycles.

With a guitar in tow, Roger Daltrey and company ripped through “Who Are You,” then took a trip to “teenage wasteland” for the immortal “Baba O’Riley” enhanced by a stunning violin solo.

Vocalist and co-founder Roger Daltrey is no stranger to performing the work penned by his lifelong creative partner Pete Townshend, but when Ravinia scored a pair of engagements for the Chicago area out of less than a dozen cities across America, he opened an entirely fresh chapter on the 1969 masterpiece backed by members of The Who band and the Ravinia Festival Orchestra. Put them all together and there were musicians in every crevice of the already sizeable stage, unveiling a glorious wall of sound with the “Overture” and pumping every moment of the story about a “deaf, dumb and blind kid” who “sure plays a mean pinball” with splendor.

At 74, Daltrey will be the first to admit his hearing is shot and that alone can sometimes hinder a performance, but in this filled-up finale, that golden voice shone through much more frequently than it floundered. In fact, the crests were too many to count, but rousing renditions of “Sparks,” “The Acid Queen” and “Pinball Wizard” had many leaping to their feet and were probably the most universally regarded.

The resolution arc chronicling the young Tommy’s miraculous healing from the above ailments and messianic ascent was equally splendid thanks especially to “I’m Free” and the communal chants of “See Me, Feel Me” as Daltrey charismatically visited various sections of the expansive symphony. That entire work alone would’ve been enough of a reason to wager there won’t be a stronger rock show all year, although the encore only increased those odds.

With a guitar in tow, Daltrey and company ripped through “Who Are You,” then took a trip to “teenage wasteland” for the immortal “Baba O’Riley” enhanced by a stunning violin solo. When the deafening cheers simmered, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer assured everyone the group would go on as long as possible during the introduction to the newly released “Always Heading Home,” which may have found the famed front man breaking up a bit against the sparse accompaniment of a mere piano, but that didn’t stop him from seeming more self-assured than ever when reflecting on The Who’s “Amazing Journey” thus far.

For additional information on Roger Daltrey and The Who, visit TheWho.com.

Upcoming concert highlights at Ravinia include Bryan Adams (Jun. 29); Snarky Puppy (Jul. 2); Classic Albums Live Presents: “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” (Jul. 7); Buddy Guy and Jonny Lang (Jul. 8); Evanescence and Lindsey Stirling (Jul. 10); Mary J. Blige (Jul. 20) and “Lost 80’s Live” (Jul. 29). For additional details, visit Ravinia.org.

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Roger Daltrey, Ravinia Festival Orchestra pump The Who’s “Tommy” with splendor

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