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   Good Times Magazine       

           Who's Next, a local tribute to The Who has taken the idea of

       paying tribute to an entirely different level than most. While others

   pay lip service to their love for a given artist, Who's Next pays

         something else. They Pay Cash. Knowing that  The Who, and Pete

            Townshend are active supporters of Nordoff-Robbins ( a UK-based

        charity that helps autistic children through a revolutionary technique

 of music therapy ), Who's Next decided to take up the charity

            cause as well. " Giving back to The Who - that's the reason we do it,"

        says guitarist Bill Canell. " It started from my love for The Who and

         the idea of giving something back to the band. Just playing the music

  didn't seem enough."

             A typical Who's Next performance features the band playing The

    Who's material in chronological order, synched up to video footage

     of The Who. As Townsheds guitars and stage outfits change, Canell

      follows suit. " We wanted to do something different," Canell says of

      the use of video. " I've seen a lot of tribute bands and a lot are great

   and some I don't care for, but the main thing was we wanted to do

   something that would ( make us ) stand out. We wanted to bring a

       bigger production down to a smaller level. The whole idea is to give 

        the crowd the most ( complete ) experience of being at a Who show.

                                                                                                            Nick Parisi

" I almost fainted when I saw the singer, he looks so much like Roger."

  John Entwistle

The Island Ear

            Next to presenting an all- original act, by far the most difficult

     performance to successfully pull off must be the tribute show.

     Consider the audience: mostly hardcore fanatics with high ex-

       pectations, not only do they come to hear accurate recreations

      of all the hits, they also expect the look and feel of the genuine

       article. More, like all die hard fans, they want the obscure, lost

       classics that only a true aficionado would appreciate. The boys

     in Who's Next deliver as much as any serious Who fan has a 

        right to expect, and then some. For the casual listener, there are

  the ubiquitous classic rock staples, such as " Baba O'Riley "

 " Behind Blue Eyes " and " Won't Get Fooled Again " many

 performed in sync to video footage of the real Who by their

 virtual counterparts. As for the aforementioned Who-freaks,

        there are welcome surprises: Rarely performed numbers such as

       the mini-opera " A Quick One " the early album track " So Sad

     About Us" and obscure B-side, " I don't Even Know Myself."

        Who's Next perform the best known live versions of The Who's

   repertoire, and considering that the stage versions were often

     superior to the original studio recordings, this is a wise choice.

       The members of Who's Next are not only fans of the music, but

          talented musicians and showmen with the requisite energy to more

        than adequately carry off the intended illusion. Most effective are

           guitarist Bill Canell, who's got the Townshend trademark windmillls

         and leaps down pat, and Bobby Reynolds who impossible as this

       may sound matches the primal energy of the young Keith Moon.

   An enjoyable show, and definitely recommended for both the 

casual fan and the Who fanatic.

                                                                                                               Tom D'Angelo

The Station review 10/5

Who Tribute Band Looks and Sounds Like The Real Thing

By Marc Romanow

If you are a Who fan or just a classic rock fan in general, check out Who’s Next, the ultimate Who tribute band. These guys look and sound like the legendary British icons.

I was lucky enough to catch their set at The Station Café in West Warwick, Rhode Island, October 5^th. When they came on stage, I immediately noticed that the drummer, Bobby Reynolds, and the singer, Dave McDonald, resembled Keith Moon and Roger Daltrey. And when the band launched into the classic Can’t Explain, it was like watching the real thing. Reynolds was all over his drum kit in Moon tradition (keeping a better beat than his alter-ego may I add), while McDonald belted out Daltrey’s lyrics, twirled his microphone in the air and moved like The Who’s front man across the stage. He looked so much like the Who’s lead singer, it was eery. One would have been satisfied just to hear near perfect renditions of Who classics like Substitute, Pinball Wizard, We’re Not Gonna Take It, Baba O’Reilly, Behind Blue Eyes and Who Are You, but guitarist/vocalist Bill Canell treated the audience to Pete Townshend’s patented windmills and sang the Who guitarist’s parts with as much passion as the original versions. The chilling excerpts from masterpieces Tommy and Quadrophenia stirred the indulgent fan’s desire to hear more from these timeless concept albums, and I was told that the band has performed these records in their entirety! With bassist Dom Dipalma supplying dexterous notes reminiscent of John Entwistle (My Wife was an integral part of the set) and sideman Craig Higgins offering Rabbit Bundrick’s keyboard parts from the recent Who tours, Who’s Next’s performance had all the makings of an awesome stage act. As an added bonus, video footage of live Who shows and interviews appeared in the background throughout the set. The group’s clothing was vintage Who era costume and replicas of Who guitars were used on stage to further augment the experience. The crowd truly appreciated these guys, as the energy was magical and the applause loud. The band closed their performance with Won’t Get Fooled Again and encored with Long Live Rock, Magic Bus, Naked Eye and My Generation, not merely emulating these treasures, but choreographing the power and enthusiasm of The Who’s live sound and stage presence. Who’s Next successfully captured the persona of their musical idols in every way. It made you want to listen to Live At Leeds or Live At The Isle of Wight Festival in the car on the way home. I urge everyone to check out the band’s website at www.whosnexttribute.com and look for an early 2002 gig in Connecticut. Oh, and by the way, proceeds from Who’s Next performances are donated to one of Pete Townshend and The Who’s favorite charities, the Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Foundation. In support of their efforts, Townshend signs posters that are raffled off at every show.

Dear Bobby,
Please forgive the delay in getting back to you. I
have inundated with addresses and the like since
coming back from New York so it is only now that I'm
getting back to you. It was a great pleasure for me to
meet you and indeed see and hear Who's Next, please
tell the boys that as someone who has know the Who for
the past 41 years I was VERY impressed. What a
fantastic show you guys put on, I was proud to know
that a human hurricane called the Who can be so
loyally immitated. Well done and thanks for your great
efforts to  maintain the history of the 'only band
that ever mattered'. If you mail me your full postal
address I will mail you on a little surprise you may
not have come across before. Thank you for your kind
comments Bobby and keep up the good work.
                                 with best wishes
                                  Irish Jack

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The world of cover bands is indeed a confusing one. Sprouting from the seedling of the first Elvis impersonator, poseurs and wannabes stand side by side with talented groups, all paying tribute to their respective musical heroes. Zeppelin, KISS, Floyd, even Bon Jovi imitators exist en masse on the regular club circuit, attracting fans with promises of recreating the real thing. Some acts look the part, others sound the part, some do both, while others do neither. With a litany of contenders and pretenders to sort through, it is rare to encounter an act that has successfully found the perfect balance of style and substance; Who's Next is such a band.

Taking the stage on the second night of Wholapalooza II (a phenomenal weekend gathering of fans, friends and sundry Who aficionados in NYC), Who's Next dazzled with a three-hour set of favorites and forgotten classics. Led by guitarist Bill Canell, the group has crafted an impressive performance blueprint: Play faithful renditions of Who songs while incorporating a video backdrop of vintage concert footage, thereby creating an atmosphere even the most discerning Who purist would smile at. The key to Who's Next' success, aside from expert musicianship, is that the visual aesthetic is not overdone. Of course there are period costumes and clothing, as well as a sizable collection of vintage guitars changed throughout the set. There are plenty of jumps and windmills too, but Canell and Company are setting a tone, rather than trying to actually be the Who.

Saturday's twin set show was comprised of over three dozen songs, running the gambit from early singles and arena behemoths, to healthy doses of material from Tommy and Quadrophenia. From the opening chords of "Can't Explain" through the rousing climax of "Long Live Rock", Le Bar Bat was transformed into Who-Heaven, with an SRO crowd singing and dancing the night away.

Was it a treat to get impeccable renditions of "Pinball Wizard" and "Who Are You"? Absolutely, but it was even better to hear less popular gems like "Water" and "So Sad About Us". Let's not forget the impressive block of material played in honor of the late, great John Entwistle: "Heaven and Hell", "The Real Me", "Success Story", "905", "Trick of the Light", "My Wife", and of course, "Boris the Spider".

What makes Who's Next so special? It's actually quite simple: Who's Next is not merely a cover band, but rather a sophisticated musical celebration done tastefully and with the utmost love and respect. Appealing to both the ear and the eye, the group does a magnificent job of revisiting the expansive Who catalogue, as Wholapalooza celebrants could attest.

But there is one other aspect of Who's Next that sets it apart from other tribute acts: the band's continued support for the Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Foundation. Long a favorite charity of Pete Townshend, et al, Nordoff-Robbins receives proceeds from each Who's Next performance. Canell believes it is his way of supporting a worthy cause while continuing to honor the musical legacy of The Who.

Talent and generosity? Who's Next proves that the kids are quite alright.

— 11 November 2003