PASSAIC — The Who, considered by many to be the greatest rock band of the last two decades, electrified a sellout crowd last night at the 3,200-seat Capitol Theater in the second of two rare New Jersey appearances for the British troupe.

The shows marked the opening of the Who's first U.S. tour in four years and the first since the tragic death last year of drummer Keith Moon. It was also the first area theater appearance for the band since it performed "Tommy" at the Metropolitan Opera House in 1970.

As is usually the case when a band of the Who's calibre performs in the New York area, scalpers commanded top dollar for the few available tickets. A pair of $12 orchestra seats reportedly sold for $350, and several fans said they'd obtained standing room tickets $50 to $75.

Fans came from as far away as Houston, Texas and Hollywood, California but local police said the crowd was well-behaved and there were no reports of the violence that marred the Rolling Stones' concert here last year. Most of the fans appeared to be in their early to mid-20s.

The Who's raucous 2½-hour show amounted to a greatest hits package. The band — Peter Townshend, Roger Daltrey, John Entwistle and new drummer Kenny Jones — reached into its 15-year-old archives for songs like "Can't Explain" (1965), "My Generation" (1966) and "Won't Get Fooled Again" (1971), but also performed hits like "Who Are You?" from its 1978 album of the same title.

The show kicked off at 8:15 p.m. as Daltrey, the golden-haired lead singer, swung his microphone around over his head and Townshend, the guitarist and songwriter, leaped high into the air while launching into the opening strains of "Substitute." The audience greeted the group with a standing ovation and remained on its feet for almost the entire show.

Daltrey, who appeared onstage in blue jeans and a black t-shirt but with his famous long blond hair closely cropped in uncharacteristic fashion, sounded fresh and full of vitality, although some of his vocals were distorted by the, almost deafening sound system. The singer was particularly effective on "Behind Blue Eyes" and "Baba O'Reilly" from the classic "Who's Next" album.

But the focal point of the band, especially now in the absence of Moon, is Townshend. Bouncing around the stage like a runaway pogo stick, Townshend leaped and scissor-kicked his way through each song while hammering out vicious power chords on his guitar. At times he would flail his arm in the 360-degree windmill motion he made famous in the film "Woodstock," never once failing to miss a beat.

Townshend joked with the band, made faces at the audience, and hammed it up to the very end, when, as Daltrey shook hands with fans in the front row, Townshend tackled the lead singer and playfully wrestled him to the ground.

One of the warmest responses of the evening came after the band performed "Pinball Wizard" and "See Me, Feel Me" from Townshend's 1969 rock opera "Tommy," a piece hailed at the time by rock and non-rock critics alike as a cultural event. It was "Tommy," the story of a deaf, dumb and blind boy who becomes a messiah, which put the Who over the top in America.

Another highlight was an extended medley of "My Generation," "Magic Bus" and "Won't Get Fooled Again," which featured some superb bass work by Entwistle and surprisingly effective harmonica solos by Daltrey.

Moon, who some called the greatest rock drummer of them all, was, of course, conspicuous by his absence. But Jones, former drummer for the Small Faces, filled in admirably and never attempted to copy Moon in either his drumming style or stage persona.

ROGER DALTREY ...close-cropped

PETER TOWNSHEND ...runaway pogo stick

JOHN ENTWISTLE ...superb bass work

KENNY JONES ...'Who's' new drummer