The Players: Joey Grillo, vocals; Chris Propper, guitar; Joel Pelletier, bass; France DiCarlo, drums.
Material: The Who Show is a tribute band that brings to life the sights and sounds of 70’s era Who with both precision and verve. Not merely a greatest hits jukebox, the Who Show digs deep and plays lesser-known cuts like “Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere” and “The Seeker.” The band also charges on with more well known classics like “The Real Me,” “Baba O’Riley” and “Bargain.”
Musicianship: This act nails all the dynamics and nuances of the Who, from the calm spider-fingered dexterity of bassist Joel Pelletier as John Entwistle, to the Hi-watt amps and energetic chord work of guitarist Chris Propper as Pete Townsend. Frontman Joey Grillo cops the vibe and power of Tommy era Roger Daltry without being a clone. He even replicates the scream in “Won’t Get Fooled Again” which is no small feat. The extremely talented France DiCarlo on drums resurrects the force of nature that was Keith Moon and pummels the skins with manic intensity.
Performance: Dressed in character, the band performed the songs with confidence and enthusiasm. They even won over the goofy fans of the faux punk band that preceded them and had everyone singing along. Band members took on the individual stage personas, idiosyncrasies and showmanship of the real Who, and presented the compositions with reverence and professionalism.
Summary: The Who Show offers an authentic replication of a by-gone sound for Who fans. They rock heavily with conviction and play the songs the way they were intended to sound. Although it could be argued that they should drop the inconsistent Brit accents between songs, the band performed aggressively, delivered the sonic goodies, and won over a resistant crowd.
–Oscar Jordan, Music Connection Magazine, 2008 Issue 1
Comments from bassist Joel Pelletier on the band and tribute bands in general were also quoted in the last issue of Music Connection about Tribute Bands. The article also included a color photograph of the band.