Sometimes plans made do not fall into line exactly as you want it and later today, we’ll know how the weekend works out. Months ago the thoughts were to take in two shows with the likelihood of no MLB Wild Card weekend. That outcome did not play out and I was at shows rather than watching my baseball team. The hierarchy for me always put music at top but still I enjoy rooting for my baseball team that calls Citi Field home. The shows I took in: The Who at nearby UBS – the first time I ever set foot in that arena – and the 42nd Annual John Lennon Tribute honoring and featuring Joan Osborne. 

As I emailed Wednesday’s blogger who also attended the show, I found the Who performance the best I attended this year, and I attended some really good ones: “It could have been best show I attended this year – energy, skill, quality and overall songs set (Still some to go.).” One of the interesting aspect of this show; I really like to concentrate on enjoying the music and the overall performance but I found astounding how many attendees deployed their iPhones and androids to take video of the entire show (I do enjoy watching YouTubes of performances but this was too much. Shouldn’t we just be groovin’ to the music? The Who performed a good sampling of tunes from Tommy (Overture
, 1921, 
Amazing Journey, Sparks, 
Pinball Wizard and 
We’re Not Gonna Take It) and Quadrophenia (The Real Me
, I’m One, 
5:15, 
The Rock, 
Love, Reign O’er Me) backed by a full Orchestra and three from Who’s Next (Won’t Get Fooled Again
, Behind Blue Eyes and Baba O’Riley). Other tunes included Naked Eye and Relay. The encore (of sorts because they never left the stage) was their cover Young Man Blues from Live at Leeds. One cute aside (and you can hear it at the beginning of Overture, Pete Townsend shouts out “Queens” instead of Nassau or Long Island, a direct result probably of viewing a sign stating entering Queens on the southbound Cross Island on his limo ride to the arena.)

The Lennon Tribute fascinated. Joan Osborne turned her acceptance speech into her performance (Run For Your Life, Getting Better, Help! and three Lennon covers: Woman Is the Nigger of the World, Jealous Guy and Woman); past shows featured a presentation after intermission and later the honoree returns to close, followed by all the performers closing out the show. This one differed. The performances includes brief sets by Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams (You've Got to Hide Your Love Away and And Your Bird Can Sing), David Broza (Girl and Julia), Willie Nile (It's Only Love and Tomorrow Never Knows), Martin Sexton (In My Life and A Day in the Life in the first set and She said and Dear Prudenceafter intermission), The (Pete and Maura) Kennedys (Norwegian Wood and Nowhere Man, Catherine Russell (I'm Only Sleeping and with Joan Osborne, Whatever Gets You Thru the Night and Imagine),, and the house band led by drummer Rich Pagano who also performs with The Fab Faux which opened a cover of The Beatles’ One After 909 and later covered Lennon’s Out of the Blue with Maura Kennedy. The full ensemble, joined by Simon Kirke, drummer for Free and Bad Company – two of my all-time fave bands, closed with Revolution 1 with Joan and Willie trading lead vocals and Give Peace A Chance.

Now let’ s see if my Mets can make the weekend complete later today (I caught the last out on TV when returned home last night but much would preferred it occurred before my ride concluded.).  They certainly did alright.