After blowing minds at The Monterey Pop Festival in June of 1967, The Who embarked on a summer tour of North America opening for Herman's Hermits.
Such odd combinations of acts was a common practice in the 60's, and even Jimi Hendrix went out on tour opening for The Monkees. (He was tossed off the tour after a few dates).
The Who arrived in Toronto on a hot August night. The arena held about 15,000 for a sold-out concert, but this event was witnessed by only half that number.
I remember being amused by all the teenage girls who had come to swoon over Herman's Hermits, and how they had to endure the opening act. The girls covered their ears in shock over the sonic assault and stage mayhem of The Who.
By the time their thirty minute set was over, The Who had made their mark on the new devotees. Moon had smashed his drums and Pete had wiped out a brand new Fender Stratocaster guitar.
After the dust settled, the stage was prepared for Herman's Hermits. I stayed around for three or four songs and noticed the crowd had dwindled from 8,000 to about 3,000.
The audience was there for The Who, and the Toronto crowd would be rewarded for their devotion. Toronto would become one of The Who's favorite concert destinations. Herman's Hermits were never heard from again.