The Who finally braved the trauma and returned to Cincinnati for the first time since the 1979 tragedy in the city.
The Who, one of the most influential rock bands in the 1960s and 1970s, held their first performance in Cincinnati for no fee at the TQL Stadium since the 1979 fatal crowd surge. The concert became a memorial event for the 11 fans who succumbed during the concert at the Heritage Bank Center, formerly Riverfront Coliseum.
Ultimate Classic Rock and Culture revealed that nine of the victims' families were welcomed and given pride-of-place seats during the band's concert. They also had dinner with the band members.
A video message from Eddie Vedder played on the screen, expressing his hope to be there in person. According to Pearl Jam rocker, everyone is thinking about the fans. He also noted how great it is to remember the young people they lost years ago.
"I've been trying to think of what to say, what would be cool to say, what would be uncool to say. ... There's no words that we can say that can mean [as much as] the fact that you guys have come out tonight and supported this event. Thank you so much," Pete Townshend said.
He joked that he would not perform well since they were not paid for the event. But kidding aside, Townshend delivered an emotional message, saying that the 1979 tragedy is something they need to remember and try to forget at the same time.
During The Who's "Love Reign O'er Me" performance, the photos of 11 victims were shown. Their names -- Walter Adams Jr., Peter Bowe, Connie Sue Burns, Jacqueline Eckerle, David Heck, Teva Rae Ladd, Karen Morrison, Stephan Preston, Philip Snyder, Bryan Wagner, and James Warmoth -- were also displayed on ribbon screens.
What Happened At The Who's 1979 Show?
On Dec. 3, 1979, The Who had a sold-out show at the Riverfront Coliseum. The 14,770 attendees out of more than 18,000 people had unreserved general admission tickets.
Since they are one of the most popular rock bands, fans wanted to see them as close as possible despite the near-freezing temperatures. When the band began to do a soundcheck, a crowd crush happened as the coliseum's doors remained closed.
It got worse when several doors were opened. Due to a large number of attendees, fans continuously pushed one another, causing some to fall to the ground.
"There were too many people and just two doors open. It was an incredible bottleneck; it was a slow squeeze, not a stampede. I was stuck in it for forty-five minutes. I went down twice and wasn't sure that I would make it," a survivor said.
Eleven people were crushed to death, and the continuation of the show, despite the rush, caused more injuries.
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