After beginning recording sessions for a planned new album, the group returned to the United States for a 30-day tour in June and July to support "Tommy". In the year since the release of "Tommy", the group had become rock superstars and now commanded considerably larger venues than on previous stints in the country, when they played mostly in theatres and colleges. The tour began with the band's final opera house date, as they performed two shows at New York City's Metropolitan Opera House. Following the American tour, the band was one of the headlining acts at the third Isle of Wight festival and embarked on a short European tour shortly afterward. A series of concerts in the United Kingdom followed, the last being a Christmas benefit concert at the Roundhouse in London where they included what was intended to be the last complete performance of "Tommy", although it would be played again a few times in 1989. Townshend would lead the group into his "Lifehouse" vision when they began performing in 1971.