The Who
at Woodstock 1969
The Who performed their rock opera "Tommy" in its entirety at 5 a.m. and were immortalized by Pete Townshend's confrontation with Abbie Hoffman.
The Who — Woodstock 1969
The Who came to Woodstock at the peak of their powers, having recently completed their magnum opus "Tommy," the rock world's first true concept album. Their performance at Woodstock began at around 5 a.m. Sunday morning, after a series of delays had pushed the schedule back significantly.
Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey, John Entwistle, and Keith Moon delivered a set that included the complete performance of "Tommy," an ambitious rock opera about a deaf, dumb, and blind boy who becomes a pinball wizard. To perform such complex material at dawn, before a massive outdoor festival crowd, was an extraordinary feat.
The performance is also infamous for a confrontation between Pete Townshend and political activist Abbie Hoffman. During a break between songs, Hoffman walked onstage and grabbed the microphone to make a political statement about the imprisonment of John Sinclair. Townshend famously hit Hoffman over the head with his guitar and pushed him offstage, shouting "Get off my fucking stage!" The incident has become one of rock history's most discussed moments.
The band's performance of "See Me Feel Me" as the sun rose over Max Yasgur's farm remains one of Woodstock's most transcendent images.
Keith Moon died in 1978 from an overdose of Heminevrin prescribed to treat alcohol withdrawal. John Entwistle died in 2002. Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey continue to perform as The Who. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.