Photo credit: Katie Branigan
Substitute: Tales From The Who
It began with Elvis and spread to The Beatles. And then, even bands that never reached number one on the singles chart began to inspired tribute acts. So why not The Who?
For the past dozen years, Milwaukee has been home to Substitute: Tales From The Who, a band that plays all Who at every show. This weekend, a brand-new Substitute debuts at Shank Hall. The lone original member, bassist Tom Branigan, explains, “After Summerfest [2019], the guys felt that for them, the band had run its course. But I still had gas in the tank and wanted to keep it going.” No one objected if Branigan took the name and ran with it. “It was decidedly low drama as band transitions go.”
Branigan put the word out and recruited vocalist Ricco Caliendo, drummer Barry Salem and guitarist Dan Johnston. Johnston is perhaps the most seasoned of the lot with a resume that includes Chasin’ Mason and Alex Ballard & Sugarfoot. He explains his—and the entire band’s—approach to The Who’s catalog. “You want to be yourself as a musician, but you don’t want to stray too far [from the records]. If you do, it’s not The Who anymore. It’s a fine line.”
Branigan picks up the thought. “Recreating the recordings note for note would be an exhilarating process—but not so exhilarating once you got there. The Who jammed out a lot of their songs. They went free form. We want to be a little loose with their songs. I don’t think people want an exact duplicate. They want the band’s energy, the sense of camaraderie.”
Case in point, Caliendo hits those dramatic high notes like Roger Daltrey—but not just like him.
Substitute reaches across The Who’s discography for their set list. Expect “My Generation,” “Baba O’Riley,” “Won’t Get Fooled Again” and “Pinball Wizard.” A couple numbers from Quadrophenia will be heard along with a couple from Pete Townshend’s solo career. They will also take on “Eminence Front” and more recent songs.
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“The Who are the seminal soundtrack for many people’s lives,” Branigan says. “There’s a reason why people air-drum in their cars when they turn on KLH and hear ‘Baba O’Riley’! There’s an emotional connection with this music! We benefit from 50 years of Who equity!”
Substitute: Tales From The Who performs at Shank Hall, 1434 N. Farwell Ave., on Friday, Jan. 31, at 8 p.m.
