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Playbill

Who's cool?

So the Who is back on tour. Why should we care? Well, to start with, it's the Who's first visit since original bassist John Entwistle died in 2002, some 38 years after joining the band (which is now called "the Two" by those keeping count). Also, in October, the Who released Endless Wire, its first studio album since 1982's It's Hard. And it's pretty good too, even if some of the lyrics were inspired by Mel Gibson. (Guitarist Pete Townshend wrote "A Man in a Purple Dress" after watching The Passion of the Christ. Really.) Oh yeah, and while he may be a geezer, Townshend still has more rock in his fingertips than an army of indie-rock bands. Where would all those neo-prog bands be without him? Remember, this is the guy who pioneered new modernism, equipment-smashing, and the rock opera (not to mention his own method of online research). - Jason Budjinski

The Who and the Pretenders perform Saturday, November 18, at the Toyota Center, 1510 Polk. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $52 to $202. Call 866-446-8849, or visit www.ticketmaster.com.

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Olivia Flores Alvarez