Nearly 45 years after penning the infamous rock lyric "Hope I die before I get old," Pete Townshend will amble onto the stage to perform with the Who at halftime of the Super Bowl tonight in Miami.
Before Townshend could think about crank his 64-year-old shoulder into his patented windmill action for a full stadium and a TV audience of nearly 100 million, the selection of the the Who as the halftime act created controversy.
Clearly, the band has earned its status as a Hall of Fame act. Outside of the Guitar Hero video game and licensing three theme songs -- "Who Are You," "Won't Get Fooled Again" and "Baba O'Reilly" -- for the globally popular "CSI" series (which airs, not coincidentally, on CBS), Townshend and singer Roger Daltrey haven't done much in terms of new product in recent years and some feel that drops them behind recent Super Bowl headliners like Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Prince, the Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney.
"Almost everything about my life as a writer and a performer is about four or five songs that I wrote in 1971," Townshend said at a press conference last week.
We asked a number of local radio personalities what they thought of the Who's upcoming performance. Here are the questions, along with their answers:
Is the Who a good choice for this gig?
"Sure, if you only want to entertain people 50 years old and up!" --Rahny Taylor, 103.7 Kiss FM
"As far as the SB goes I think the Who is a great choice. It seems they have leaned toward safe established classic rock superstars since "nipple gate" six years ago (Petty, Springsteen, McCartney). (They have) mass appeal without the sex appeal!" --"Downstairs" Dan Hansen, WKLH.
"I'd have to say ‘Yes,' because of the incredible influence they've had on rock over the past 45 years. Although, I would have liked to see them chosen 10-15 years ago when bass player John Entwistle was still alive. It's kind of stretching it to call themselves The Who. But, as long as Roger Daltrey and Pete Townsend can still deliver, I'm for them being up there." --Gasman, 102.9 The Hog
"No way. Most people under the age of 30 have never even heard of The Who. And if they are assuming they have no viewers under 30, they are sadly mistaken. There are plenty of "older" groups that span the generations like Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, etc. There are way better choices that would please the entire audience." --Alley Faith, 103.7 Kiss FM
"Sure, they're a good choice. They may be getting old but they're still relevant, especially to a younger generation, thanks to Guitar Hero and Rock Band." --Mindy Novotny, 102.9 The Hog
"The good folks at the Super Bowl know that for about the next 10 to 15 years they have to find a halftime show that is somewhat safe, yet high energy and shows no nipple. The Who is just that band to do that, BUT THEY'RE A GREAT BAND! Now, it's not to say that the Who is safe (it would be amazing if they dropped an f-bomb when doing "Who Are You?") because they can still kick out the jams. Also helping them is that they provide the theme song to "CSI: Miami," appropriately enough. On a side note, imagine for a moment if the Who would have been invited to Super Bowl I on January 15th 1967. Is your mind completely blown?" --Jon Adler, "Kramp and Adler in the morning," WLUM 102/1
"Here's what I really think:
Dear NFL,
The Janet Jackson/Justin Timberlake thing is far enough removed... can we PLEASE go back to bands/singers/collaborations that people care about and are entertaining? Your coaches flip people off, your quarterbacks run dog fighting rings and your cheerleaders get busted in night club restrooms having "tickle time" with one another! You don't have a squeaky clean image. We are there to be entertained! Entertain us. The games are exciting. The commercials are always talked about for months and the halftime show? Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz ...
Sincerely, some nobody named Wes in Milwaukee, WI
--Wes McKane, 103.7 KISS FM
Do you prefer a single headliner over a "medley" of different bands?
"I like the one band setup. I'm actually kind of surprised a Michael Jackson medley isn't being done but again, you want to keep high energy for the big game! Seems like a lot of people were creeped out a few years back when you got Steven Tyler and Britney Spears up there together (fun fact: they wore each others jeans and top, last-minute swap in wardrobe).
"Speaking of medleys, seems like the cheapest halftime show could be easily filled without leaving the front office of the stadium in Miami. Now, I may be wrong, but I believe you could have Marc Anthony, Jimmy Buffett, Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine on stage and also be a Dolphins shareholders meeting?" --Jon Adler
"I prefer one band. As proven when Aerosmith (actually it was only Steven Tyler and Joe Perry) performed with Britney Spears and N'Sync -- it was a train wreck. As soon as someone began a song, another artist was being thrust on to the stage. There's not enough time, in my opinion, to bounce back and forth between acts." --Gasman
"The "one band" setup sucks." --Wes McKane
"Medleys may reach multiple musical taste buds, however, it can seem a bit chaotic. You can't please everyone. Stick with an artist that crosses multiple genres and has stood the test of time. Keep it relevant, maybe the "Pants on the Ground" guy should perform." --Mindy Novotny
"I loved the year that the Super Bowl halftime show had Aerosmith, N'Sync, Britney Spears, Nelly and Mary J Blige! Why not try and have a medley, with someone for every generation and type of music lover?" --Rahny Taylor
"The medleys are great because let's be real... our attention span has gotten so short, if we don't have something to mix it up, we will get bored real quick!" --Alley Faith
What band or bands would you like to see headline the Super Bowl halftime show?
"How about a short, kick-ass Led Zeppelin reunion?" --Dan Hansen
"Anyone whose show is worthy of that size of an audience. KISS, of course! Their show is BOMBASTIC just like the Super Bowl. Perfect match. And at this point, who doesn't know about KISS? They would serve the entire audience. Other Favorites would be, for me, Metallica, AC/DC, Kid Rock, Van Halen, Ozzy and Aerosmith, but only if they're up there alone!!!" --Gasman
"Any kind of iconic figure. Madonna. Bon Jovi. Aerosmith. Maybe all three together. Basically, it has to be someone iconic that is still touring." --Alley Faith
"Foo Fighters! Or how about a magician like David Copperfield? He could make Indianapolis disappear so New Orleans has a chance. Go Saints!" --Mindy Novotny
"I think it's obvious that "nipplegate" set the tone for half-time shows forever! They're so scared of a Janet Jackson or Adam Lambert-type incident that they're going to go older and more conservative to avoid any mishaps or angering of older demos and advertisers!" --Rahny Taylor
"A Tony medley aka Tribute to Tony -- Tony Danza (does a powerful version of "Pennies from Heaven" and appears regularly at the Orleans in Las Vegas, Tony Bennett (with backup vocals by both basketball and football Tony Bennett), Tony! Toni! Tone!, and songs of Toni Basil as sung by Tony Gonzales. Add in some French rap by Tony Parker (this is the time when you go to the bathroom) and you have a show." --Jon Adler
