The Who Coming To Movie Theatres

Canadians will have a chance to experience The Who in high definition and digital surround sound next month.

“The Who — Live At The Isle Of Wight Festival 1970″ will be shown at Cineplex Entertainment theatres across the country on Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. local time.

The screening features the band’s Aug. 29, 1970 performance as originally captured on film by Academy Award-winning director Murray Lerner.

Their set includes the Tommy rock opera in its entirety, “I Can’t Explain,” “Substitute,” “My Generation” and other classics.

“The Who is one of the greatest bands in the world, and watching them perform on the giant screen coupled with our surround sound systems will make you feel as if you are on stage rocking with the band,” Pat Marshall, Cineplex communications and investor relations VP, in a statement.

Audiences will also see a taped interview with Who songwriter/guitarist Pete Townshend before the movie.

Advance tickets go on sale Friday via the Cineplex website and participating theatre box offices, with general admission priced at $10.95 plus tax.

Eagle Rock Entertainment will then release the concert film on Blu-ray on Feb. 24.


Collection of Songs from The Who Made Available for Rock Band

Today, MTV Games and Harmonix announced that it will be releasing a new downloadable pack of The Who’s songs for their popular Rock Band video game. On July 15, a downloadable pack of 12 songs from the famous band The Who will be made available to Rock Band users.

“We’re really pleased to have our songs featured in Rock Band,” said Roger Daltrey, lead singer of The Who in a press release. “It allows our established fan base to interact with our music in a way that’s fresh and exciting, while also exposing our songs to new audiences.”

The 12 songs selected for the downloadable pack were chosen by Harmonix and MTV Games in collaboration with Roger Daktrey and Pete Townshend of The Who. Each track will be available for $1.99 at the Playstation Store and the Xbox Live Marketplace (both are online stores for the gaming consoles). The entire collection of songs can be purchased for $19.99.


The Who Announce European Tour

Veteran British stars THE WHO are set to rock Europe in May and June when they hit the road for 28 concerts.

Surviving bandmembers ROGER DALTREY and PETE TOWNSHEND insist the forthcoming shows will be their best on the continent for two decades.

Guitarist Townshend says, “If you want to catch The Who at their most effective for 20 years, come and join us.”

Daltrey adds, “It’s great to have been around this length of time and still be playing new material, having it so well received and people liking the music.”

Daltrey and Townshend reunited for their first studio album and US tour in two decades last year.

(c) 2007 WORLD ENTERTAINMENT NEWS NETWORK LTD. All global rights reserved. No unauthorized copying or re-distributing permitted.


The Who Announce Seven Canadian Shows

Who loves Canada? Who. Who? Uhh.

Legendary rock band The Who (or what is left of it, anyway) has announced a whopping seven Canadian stops on the first leg of their upcoming North American tour.

The trek will kick off with a show on September 12 in Philadelphia, followed by stops in Ottawa, London, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. For now, the tour is scheduled to wrap up on December 4 in Toronto.

More North American shows are being planned for November and December, and should be announced shortly (let’s hope for some East Coast representation).

With tour stops in the works for South America, Japan, Australia and Europe in 2007, it’s the first time the band has launched a full-size world tour in two decades.

Unfortunately, only two original band members remain — singer Roger Daltrey and guitarist Pete Townshend. Drummer Keith Moon and bassist John Entwistle have both died.

On October 23, The Who are also set to release a new album, possibly titled “Who 2.”

Here’s the full list of North American dates thus far, courtesy of Jam! Showbiz:

Sept. 12 Philadelphia, PA Wachovia Centre
Sept. 13 Wantagh, NY Nikon at Jones Beach Theatre
Sept. 15 Ottawa, ON Scotiabank Place
Sept. 16 Boston, MA TD Banknorth Garden
Sept. 18 New York, NY Madison Square Garden
Sept. 21 Holmdel, NJ PNC Bank Arts Center
Sept. 25 Chicago, IL United Center
Sept. 29 Detroit, MI Palace of Auburn Hills
Sept. 30 London, ON John Labatt Center
Oct. 3 Winnipeg, MB MTS Centre
Oct. 5 Calgary, AB Pengrowth Saddledome
Oct. 6 Edmonton, AB Rexall Place
Oct. 8 Vancouver, BC GM Place
Oct. 10 Portland, OR Rose Garden
Oct. 11 Seattle, WA Key Arena
Nov. 5 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl
Dec. 4 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre


The Who Restage Legendary Concert

British rock group The Who (or what’s left of them, rather) recreated its historic 1970 concert at Leeds University by returning to the venue for a performance on Saturday night.

According to the BBC, the idea to recreate the gig came from broadcaster Andy Kershaw, who approached the band’s manager, Bill Curbishley.

“Bill finished my sentence: ‘They’ll do it.’ And so the idea of a concert began,” said Kershaw.

A plaque commemorating the original gig – which was immortalized on the album “Live at Leeds” – was unveiled earlier in the day by the band’s two surviving members, singer Roger Daltrey and guitarist Pete Townshend.

The band’s two other founding members have passed away. Keith Moon, considered one of the most influential drummers of all time, died of a drug overdose in 1978, while bassist John Entwistle died of a heart attack in 2002.

The show kicked off a tour that will bring The Who to Germany, France, Spain, and Austria, and then to North America in September.


The Who to Release Mini-Opera in July

The Who will release a limited edition 11-minute mini-opera in early July, ahead of the October release of their first studio album in 24 years, reports NME.com.

The mini-album ?Wire and Glass? is billed as one song but is split into six parts: ?Sound Round,? ?Pick Up The Peace,? ?Endless Wire,? ?We Got A Hit,? ?They Made My Dreams Come True? and ?Mirror Door.?

The upcoming rock opera recalls the Who?s 1969 album ?Tommy,? which in 2003 was ranked 96th on Rolling Stone?s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

?Wire and Glass? will be part of a ?longer mini-opera? on the forthcoming full-length Who album, which surviving members Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey are currently completing.


The Who Have Upcoming Album, Worldwide Tour

The Who may reach a whole new ?g-g-generation? of music fans with the upcoming release of their first studio album in 24 years.

The band will support their first studio album since 1982’s ?It’s Hard? with a worldwide tour this year and next year, reports Billboard.

Guitarist Pete Townshend and singer Roger Daltrey are the two surviving members of the original group. Drummer Keith Moon died of a drug overdose in 1978 and bassist John Entwistle suffered a fatal heart attack in 2002.

Zac Starkey ? son of Beatle Ringo Starr ? will be on drums when the band plays a number of European music festivals in June and July. The Who will then tour North America in the fall and take on the rest of the world in 2007.

Singer/songwriter Rachel Fuller, who is Townshend’s girlfriend, will open all of the shows with her ?In the Attic? project.

The band anticipates an early summer release date for the new album. “I know I’ve cried wolf a few times, but this time I have committed because I have about enough music for a new CD, and I’m still producing,” wrote Townshend on his website.


Twitter @andpop Become a facebook Fan RSS Headlines andPOP Daily