Who: Ringo’s son rocks hard on drums

From page D1

With both dulcet finger-picking and strong-armed strumming.

Another key ingredient to the Who’s newfound vitality is drummer Zak Starkey (Ringo Starr’s son). Starkey’s shag haircut made him look slightly like deceased drummer Keith Moon in the mod days, and there were also sonic similarities. The story goes that Moon gave Starkey some of his first drum lessons, and Starkey’s wily fills in “Won’t Get Fooled Again” were straight from Moon’s school of hard drum knocks. Starkey’s thwacks were solid, though there was never a sense that his kit would crash over in a frenzy a la Moon.

Still, Starkey provided the best bang of all the Who’s drummers since Moon’s death in 1978. Starkey’s playing is more boisterous than the straight-laced Kenney Jones and less clinical than session-man Simon Phillips.

Also in a powerful pocket was bassist John Entwistle, who gave Eddie Van Halen a run for fretboard-tapping acrobatics. Entwistle spent the evening standing in place with little more than a poker face, but his fingers jitterbugged over his strings. Unfortunately, his chugging runs were mostly buried in the mix, but a nimble-fingered solo during “5:15” well-showcased one of rock ‘n’ roll’s greatest bassists.

Unlike Entwistle – he of full gray hair and beard – singer Roger Daltrey strutted about the stage with his shirt-sleeves rolled up and chest exposed. Daltrey looked trim, and his singing on “Baba O’Riley” rang powerful, but his vocal chords sometimes sounded a tinge burnt. His voice was slightly raspy on “The Real Me” and he took the low road and skipped the signature “Ahhh-hhh!” at the climax of “Who Are You.” Daltrey’s blessed with one of rock’s most muscular voices, though after singing for some 35 years there’s little surprise if he sounds a bit leathery these days.

Overall, the band sounded loose but explosive when it jammed through such favorites as “Pinball Wizard,” “Won’t Get Fooled Again” and a reference to the Mose Allison standard “Young Man Blues” during an encore. Most of the group’s extended improvisations caught fire, though the band seemed to run out of gas during the lackluster show-closer, “My Generation.”

“The Kids Are Alright,” which was watered down by excessive keyboard tinklings from John “Rabbit” Bundrick, provided some of the night’s few wimpy moments.

Still, the Who rocked hard, especially considering that its founding members are in their mid-50s and singing songs of days-gone adolescent angst. After blazing through “The Real Me,” Townshend even joked, “I’m 55. Do you think I care if I can see the real me?”

But with Townshend’s guitar firepower and sizzling band chemistry, it’s safe to say that these forever-young kids are still alright.