Nearly as soon as they go on sale The Who tickets tend to sell out. The band has earned itself the title of legend due to the many years of rockin’ hard and writing winning songs, from the ’60s through the early ’70s. Recently, they were honored on television by VH1, and numerous bands influenced by the mod greats performed their songs in tribute to them.
But they’ve found success in more than just music. Find out more here Writing mini-rock operas-such as Quadrophenia and songs like “A Quick One While He’s Away,” they carved a niche for themselves as artists that could bring fleshed out stories to their work. Undoubtedly, Tommy remains one of the most popular of these. The story of a blind and deaf boy who becomes a king in England’s pinball arcades was brought to bizarre, psychedelic reality by cult film director Ken Russell. Russell has made a name for himself by blending druggy and often provocative imagery with a kind of campy humor. This lends his films a sometimes comedic air, usually combined with several moments that leave the viewer stunned and asking “What the hell is going on?”
Nowhere is this clearer than in Tommy. With a winning cast and great songs, it had the elements to be a great musical from the start. But with Russell on board, a freewheeling absurdism took over. Certain moments in the movie stick out in viewers’ minds. In one, for example, the eponymous blind and deaf boy has an encounter in his bedroom with “The Acid Queen,” a rock ‘n’ rolling Tina Turner who puts him in a sarcophagus lined with syringes. The syringes inject him with…something, which alters his perception. In another classic moment, Tommy’s mother, entrenched in consumer culture, watches the television, which explodes and ejaculates a torrent of baked beans all over her, which she proceeds to roll around in. It’s pretty disgusting and trippy, and most definitely amusing.
Also notable is a scene featuring Elton John as “Local Lad,” the pinball wizard the Tommy beats to take the mantle for himself. Walking on boots that could be used as stilts, and with colorful clothing and oversized glasses, Elton John looks like…himself. The Who tickets are now available and can be bought or sold online.