NYC Benefit Concert: The Who’s Musical Milestone
The Concert for New York City was a benefit concert, featuring many famous musicians, that took place on October 20, 2001 at Madison Square Garden in New York City in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks. Most of the attendees were families and fellow members of the New York Fire Department and New York Police Department, honoring those lost in the attacks and those who had worked in the ongoing rescue and recovery efforts in the weeks since then . . . Musically, the audience responded most fervently to The Who, roaring as they came on stage with a roiling “Who Are You”, drowning out the band on the famous “It’s only teenage wasteland” refrain of “Baba O’Riley”, and reaching a peak of excitement with a stunning rendition of “Won’t Get Fooled Again”. . . . In 2004 Rolling Stone magazine selected this concert, along with the earlier America: A Tribute to Heroes telethon, as one of the 50 moments that changed rock and roll. It was also voted the #4 greatest moment in the history of Madison Square Garden(Wikipedia).
Personal reflection: I remember watching the benefit concert on vh1. It was an electric experience. I remember waiting for the song “Won’t get fooled again,” and its famous drum crescendo followed by Roger’s long scream (seven minutes and 40 seconds into the song). He can still hit the notes four decades into his career. I’d rate this: my most memorable music experience.
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