Roger Daltrey's A Great Night Out In Milwaukee

by Rob Grabowski

Riverside Theater Milwaukee, WI - 9/15/26

As Roger Daltrey took the stage at the historic Riverside Theater in Milwaukee on Tuesday night, he told the audience that the night was about having some fun and forgetting about what's going on in the rest of the world. He made light of the fact that he was playing on a Tuesday night and joked that at least it wasn't a Monday.

Don't be fooled again: this tour isn't only about the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer's time with the band he co-founded, The Who. It was a night of stories, laughter, and tributes to some of Roger's friends and favorite musicians.

What better way to start the night than with an ode to his Who bandmate, Pete Townshend? Townshend's brother, Simon is playing guitar, along with seven other talented musicians, for "Let My Love Open the Door." The somewhat stripped-down version of the song was the perfect beginning to the evening. Nearly every song came with a story before it was played, and this one was no exception. Daltrey recalled repeatedly asking the sound guy to turn up the drums during soundcheck, only to realize that the percussion he was hearing on the song was coming from a cajon and cymbals. It was a fitting introduction to a night where the stories were almost as entertaining as the music.

Drummer Scott Devours joined the rest of the band for the first Who song of the night, "Who Are You," and the crowd rose to its feet.

After the first few songs, Roger began reading questions that appeared to come from the audience. One asked if he ever does karaoke, and his answer was, "Yes, every night." I'm not sure I would consider his covers of songs by Leo Sayer, Paul Simon, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and others to be karaoke. They were, instead, heartfelt tributes to great musicians and bands.

For me, the stories and tributes to Leo Sayer and Paul Simon stood out. Roger's story about Sayer involved Sayer asking to use the studio where Daltrey was recording. Roger agreed, on the condition that Sayer write a song for him. Leo returned with 10 songs.

Before playing Paul Simon's "The Boy in the Bubble," Roger talked about how Simon's Graceland album did more to fight apartheid than any politicians. It was another example of how the evening went beyond simply performing songs; Daltrey used each one as an opportunity to share a memory, a story, or a personal connection.

Another thing that stood out was the unique stage setup, which somehow accommodated all of the musicians, along with the excellent lighting. At times, I couldn't keep my eyes oﬀ Jody Linscott and her percussion setup as she played multiple instruments at once. Billy Nicholls on mandolin, John Hogg on guitar, Steve Weston on harmonica, and Geraint Watkins on keyboards all played their parts with authority and enthusiasm.

The only break 82-year-old Roger Daltrey took came when he stepped aside to allow Simon Townshend to perform his song, "The Way It Is."

Songs by The Who were scattered throughout the two-hour set, including "Squeeze Box," "Won't Get Fooled Again," and "Baba O'Riley." Daltrey left the famous scream in "Won't Get Fooled Again" to the audience. He told them they better not give him a weak "ah"-they needed to bring it-and promised to count them in. Replacing the song's synthesizers was an incredible violin solo by Katie Jacoby, which led the crowd into their assigned part of the song and they delivered with a scream that had the walls shaking.

Roger Daltrey proved that a Tuesday night in downtown Milwaukee can indeed be "A Great Night Out." There is still time to catch this tour as it makes its way through the East Coast. If you have the opportunity, go. You won't be disappointed-and for a couple of hours, you really might forget about what's going on outside the venue.