Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE WHO!

As regulars of the Music Series know Johnny tries to send you on your way with the last song of the night on a musical high or a real upbeat song. 'Bargain' by The Who more than fits that bill. As the Music Series' wind down here Johnny's gonna go with some of his favorites on his way out so as to really try and leave a big big big musical legacy around these parts.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE WHO!

If Johnny's house sold tomorrow would he have time to make sure he played this utter gem at least once on the Music Series? Well, probably, but let's take care of that right now.

Johnny's also going to get you out of the kick boxing/yoga/climbing/fitness class you have tomorrow. Here's your excuse note. You are either Pete Townshend or Keith Moon right now. You're in on air guitar or drums the whole way. No half-measures. Then if you played the Keith Moon part don't go take horse tranquilizers.

That didn't kill him so it's funny.

The Who with 'Bargain'

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE WHO!

This song all day was going to be 'Eminence Front.' Johnny had been thinking of working that one in actually for a while now. He went to give it a final listen and double clicked 'Slip Kid'.

Guess what, 'Slip Kid' has a far better backstory, a warning to kids to be so careful in holding up someone as your idol from the world of music as you can easily get hurt. Learn from your elders, don't mimic them.

Plus there's that rally nasty/cool guitar through the middle before that timeless grinding of the guitar strings by Pete Townshend brings us back to a Roger Daltrey almost desperate to relay the story.

No easy easy to be free...

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE WHO!

Every so often The Who's bassist John Entwislte would contribute a song or a great idea to brass up certain songs with his very talented french horn. Kind of an offbeat kicky song written and sung by Mr. Johnny Twinkle. Also listen to the joy with which the greatest drummer ever, Keith Moon, has with this song. The Moon unleashed, or as he put it once, 'I'm best Keith Moon style drummer I know."

The Who with 'My Wife' wrapping up another Music Series

Friday Night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE WHO!

Keith Moon is far better than John Bonham.

Still here? Good, hang out, grab some snacks and a brew or cocktail but understand you gotta weed out the slappys from the true music fans. Not that Led Zeppelin didn't make good music but c'mon, Johnny can't believe in 2016 we still have this discussion.

Here's a question to ponder. Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey shared enough of the lead singing duties to say it was a two singer band. Same with Paul McCartney and John Lennon over at House Beatles. Both these bands are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Which other bands can you think of that have two 'lead' singers and wound up in the  Rock Hall? God love Keith Richards but that's not singing.

The Who from Tommy and a favorite of Johnny's that feature both Roger and Pete singing and a masterclass on percussion with Moon the Loon and 'Go to the Mirror'

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE WHO!

Listening to Pete Townshend and The Who makes Johnny wanna drink Remy Martin cognac and fight. A great combination since Pete and The Who were Johnny's soundtrack and worldview for a young life. A bologna sandwich, an apple and a thermos of cognac and some Who cassettes. That was lunch. And Johnny was happy to have it. Not so happy he wouldn't not take the great advice in this classic song, 'Slip Kid' and not repeating the mistakes of your elders in a lot of things you look up to them for. Got-dam Pete rips it up on this one.

A hot song on a c-c-c-cold night.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE WHO!

'Eminence Front', Johnny has never known anyone to turn this jam down. The volume control always goes up.

You kids Google how this is done, It's how they used to do music in the before times when the world was in black and white and hippies roamed the Earth like buffalo. They're called "records." You'll learn amazing new terms like stylus and diamond needle.

The Who with 'Eminence Front'

It is rare we give out free advertising but in the name of charity and great tunes, here ya go

The 12-12-12 Concert for Sandy Relief is gonna be huge. Not just because of the magnificent lineup but because that magnificent lineup will be broadcast live and free in so many spots. Locally you can watch it on public TV stations NJTV, WLIW, THIRTEEN, as well as cable channels HBO, VH1 Classic, MSG and Fuse. If you can't get to a television you can listen on the radio at the following stations: New York radio stations 106.7 Lite FM, 103.5 KTU, Z100, Q104.3 and Power 105.1, along with 103.7 NNJ in Sussex.

Now if you're really into the feeling of a big live show and want to experience it with other fans, try one of these movie theaters who will be letting fans in to watch for FREE:

Clearview's Middlebrook Galleria Cin.10, 1502 Rte 35 South, Ocean
Clearview's Closter Cinema, 130 Closter Plaza, Closter
Clearview's Kinnelon, 25 Kinnelon Rd, Kinnelon
Clearview's Parsippany Cinema 12, 3165 Rte 46, Parsippany
Clearview's South Orange 5, 1 Trenchard Place, South Orange
Clearview's Succasunna Cinema 10, 21 Sunset Strip, Succasunna
Clearview's Warner Quad- Ridgewood, 190 E Ridgewood Ave., Ridgewood
Clearview's Wayne Preakness Cinemas, 1220 Hamburg Tpk, Wayne
FrankTheatres Towne Stadium 16, 6733 Black Horse Pike, Egg Harbor Twp.
FrankTheatres South Cove Stadium 12, 191 Lefante Way, Bayonne
Marquee Cinemas, Orchard 10, 1311 Route 37 West, Toms River
National Amusements’ Edgewater Multiplex, 339 River Rd, Edgewater
Paramount Theatre, 1300 Ocean Avenue, Asbury Park
Rave Cinemas, Hazlet Multiplex, 2821 State Route 35, Hazlet

Ticket availability will vary between theaters. Doors open at 6:45 p.m., and the concert is expected to run until 11:30 p.m.

So, what kind of acts do you get to watch for free tomorrow night?
Bon Jovi, Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Paul McCartney, Kanye West, Chris Martin of Coldplay, Roger Waters, Alicia Keys, Billy Joel, and Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters are performing. Also helping out the cause are Susan Sarandon, Chris Rock, Kristen Stewart, Quentin Tarantino, Brian Williams, Jessica Chastain, Chelsea Clinton, Jake Gyllenhaal, Seth Meyers, Jon Stewart, Karlie Kloss and Bobby Monyihan.

That's a lot of entertainment....for free.

Give what you can.

The Rolling Stones have just been added to the 12-12-12: The Concert For Sandy Relief show

A big show just got bigger as the Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the World have said they will play at Wednesday's 12-12-12: The Concert For Sandy Relief at MSG. The big show already had commitments from Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band, Paul McCartney, The Who, Eric Clapton, Roger Waters, and Billy Joel. If you follow this here link to Gothamist whur we'un found this musical news nugget you'll see something cool Mick and Keef are up to this week in town.

Two things; It's a bad idea to go on after The Who as we learned at the Concert for New York City after 9/11 and two, Johnny will use any mention of the Rolling Stones to play a video.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE WHO!

And an instrumental piece from Quadrophenia at that, which Johnny would be happy to spend hours debating as the best album of all time. It certainly had a huge impact on Johnny growing up that continues today. The Who with 'The Rock'

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE WHO!

The Who with the track 5:15 from their masterstoke, Quadrophenia. Johnny can and will make the case Quadrophenia is the best album ever cut. The album and it's message and themes cut very close to Johnny growing up. Pete Townsend's lyrics and music truly is a reflection of parts of Johnny's teen angst years. The star of the movie, Jimmy, was a lot like Johnny growing up trying to find out who he was and how exactly the world would punch you in the nose if you didn't start punching first. Both sought clarity in 'medication' if you can call that clarity and not the escapism it really was.

The Who with the powerful song 5:15

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE HIGH NUMBERS!

As you'll soon see from watching this video taking you back to an exact era and place in time, the guys in The High Numbers look a whole lot like the guys from The Who which of course is spot on. The Who did evolve from the High Numbers but in their earliest days Pete Townsend was turning out nasty little hooks with swinging piano and a tremendous bass line. Sit back and enjoy this platter Mods, this one's a real finger popper.

The High Numbers with "I'm the Face'

Music-A-Palooza with The Who

Never, never ever has a show been stolen quite like The Who stole the show at the concert for New York City after 9/11. Many people used to point out how Queen had stolen the Live Aid show in among so much talent. Why was it The Who resonated at such a moment in time? Johnny has a hunch. It's simply the anthemic music The Who is known for. They are raw, they break stuff and on this night with so much emotion permeating the air they were indeed the perfect messengers of hope, respect, and rock and roll. At points you can actually hear the din rise as they play.

Never has a performance ever meant so much to so many.

The Who with 'Baba O' Reilly' at the concert for New York City. The roar at the end is emotionally cleaning and so very moving.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE WHO!

Johnny could watch Keith Moon play drums all night long. Quite simply the best drummer who ever was. The unorthodox styled Moon once described himself as "The best Keith Moon style drummer I know."

Fair enough. Here's The Who from the old show Shindig with 'I Can't Explain'.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE WHO!

Ok Mods, get that GS scooter out of mothballs and gig once again to The Who, here from 1966 playing 'Substitute'. Try not to crack up watching Keith Moon, who Johnny thinks is THE best drummer ever.