The Who returned to Cincinnati for the first time since the band's December 3rd, 1979 concert tragedy. On that day — at the city's Riverfront Coliseum — 11 fans died and another 23 concert-goers were injured during a stampede while entering the band's concert.
The tragedy — which all but eradicated festival concert seating for nearly two decades — happened when thousands of fans who were lined up outside the venue to make a mad dash for the stage upon the arena opening, rushing through only a few doors opened by the venue, flooding the lobby area, leaving nearly a dozen fans dead in their wake. During the concert's penultimate number last night, a video montage featuring photos of the 11 victims played under “Love Reign O'er Me.”
The Who chose local band Safe Passage to serve as their openers last night. Both drummer Mike Smikin and frontman Walt Medlock were in the crowd during the 1979 Riverfront Coliseum melee and attended nearby Finneytown High School, where three of the 11 victims had attended.