GRAND RAPIDS — The Who that returned to West Michigan via Van Andel Arena on Tuesday night may have been at only 50 percent power, but the British rock icons were at full throttle.

Together, Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend took a near-capacity crowd of mostly baby boomers back to a time when they were more innocent, more irresponsible and most certainly younger.

Outside of a poster made by fans that simply read “John and Keith,” hardly any mention was made of the two missing members of the band. Bassist John Entwistle, who died of a drug overdose as the tour prepared to kick off, was never even mentioned by name by either one of his former bandmates.

The only tribute to Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon, who died in 1978, occurred right before the encore, as photos were silently flashed on huge screens showing the band’s deep history that reaches back to the mod ’60s.

Nope, this concert was neither a tribute nor a memorial. It was the Pete and Roger — or Roger and Pete — Show the whole way.

Musically, it wasn’t perfect. In fact, it was far from it in many spots as Daltrey struggled vocally on the band’s third consecutive night of playing. But Daltrey was never known as a crooner, per se, and anyway — long live rock.

Physically, Daltrey has never looked better. With his washboard abs and arms of a weight-lifter, he’s one of those guys who just gets better- and better-looking with age. And he displayed endless energy and boundless exuberance throughout the band’s 130-minute set.

As for Townshend, well, for years he’s been looking like my middle-school science teacher. But musically his prolific guitar attack can still wipe up the stage with any Puddle of Mudd puppy or young guitar upstart. Five decades into his chosen career, Townshend remains a one-man wall of sound.

Backed by drummer Zak (spawn of Ringo Starr) Starkey, guitarist/vocalist Simon Townshend (brother of Pete), the newly recruited bassist Pino Palladino and keyboardist John Bundrick, The Who took the stage with no fanfare at about 9:20 p.m. and immediately set the tenor for the evening with an urgently raucous “I Can’t Explain.”

By the time they were midway through the second song, “Substitute,” the gentle smell of lamb’s breath wafted through the expensive seats, easily traceable to a

middle-aged mullet dude who, unlike Daltrey and Townshend, looked like he had just jumped through the screen of “Woodstock.”

After asking the audience the musical question “Who Are You?”

Townshend did something one rarely hears at a rock concert these days: He thanked the crowd for “bringing your hard-working bodies out to see us and spending your hard-earned cash to hear us.” He then introduced all the new-

comers on stage and, with the warning “This is not a tribute band,” proceeded to drive that point home with “Another Tricky Day,” followed by “Bargain.”

Of course, one of the highlights of the evening was the powerful

“Baba O’Riley,” which was brought to a rousing climax with a killer harmonica solo from the sweaty Daltrey. The Who also performed a set of songs from the underappreciated “Quadrophenia,” old staples such as “Love, Reign O’er Me” and their newest hit (albeit 20 years old), “Eminence Front.”

A rough-hewn “Behind Blue Eyes” gave way to the exuberant “You Better You Bet” as the guys not-so-gently brought the crowd up to the anthem for their generation, “My Generation.” After a megamonster version of “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” they came back for a 15-minute encore covering the hits of “Tommy.”

Being only one-quarter of the most seminal band of the ’70s was no problem for the opening act, a legend in his own time, Mr. Robert Plant. Plant may not have aged as well as Daltrey, but the former Led Zeppelin frontman still looks mighty fine and his voice retains the same chilling power that took many of us through our formative years.

On the road to promote his new project, “Dreamland,” Plant still oozed raw sensuality as he performed an hour-long set mixed with old bluesy metal and new Eastern-tinged folk rock.

His encore, “Whole Lotta Love,” definitely left the audience wanting a whole lot more of Robert.

T.J. HAMILTON / GAZETTE NEWS SERVICE

Roger Daltrey, left, and Pete Townshend of The Who perform Tuesday evening at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids.