This week, The Who announced a major North American arena tour for this fall.
The trip, which marks the band’s first dates on the continent in four years, will see the group - featuring founding members Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend - perform their iconic 1973 double album “Quadrophenia” in its entirety, along with a selection of Who classics.
The 36-date tour kicks off November 1 in Sunrise, FL and wraps up February 26 in Rhode Island; for more details, click here.
The Rhode Island date is making headlines because the last time the group was scheduled to perform there – in 1979 - Mayor Buddy Cianci cancelled the show due to safety concerns following the December 3, 1979 tragedy when 11 fans were killed in a stampede prior to the bands' Cincinnati show.
630 WPRO reports the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence is offering fans who might still have tickets for the 1979 concert to use them for next February’s tour finale.
“If someone does have tickets from 79 we will honor them,” Lawrence Lepore, the Executive Director of the Dunkin’ Donuts Center tells WPRO’s John DePetro. “If you got a ’79 ticket, we will find a way for you to come in and see the show. “
Lepore said many ticketholders got refunds for the cancelled show in 1979, but others may have held on to their tickets as memorabilia. “Somewhere, someplace, someone’s got it stashed,” he said. “The question is, are they willing to give that up? If they are, we’re willing to take it.”
The highest price ticket at the 1979 show was $14, Lepore said. Tickets for February’s show range from $57.50 to $127.50.
Lepore said 1979 ticketholders can call his office to make the exchange. Any 1979 tickets redeemed will be donated to help raise money for the Special Olympics of Rhode Island.
See also:
The Who announce North American tour
The Who launch teen cancer program at UCLA