BIRMINGHAM — Roger Daltrey and the rest of The Who sprinted onto the stage at the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Tuesday night with the houselights still on — a high-energy entrance to a powerful, memorable concert.

Daltrey belted out the definitive song of youthful rebellion, "My Generation," bouncing across the stage and tossing the microphone high in the air during a break in the lyrics. Running to catch the mike, he bumped against the drum stand and lost his balance.

But he didn't miss a beat, picking himself up and smiling sheepishly as he went on with the song.

Perhaps I expected Daltrey to hurt himself in the fall or to put a hole in the bass drum. I was almost expect-

REVIEW

ing to be disappointed. I'd heard The Who was burned out — too old, lacking imagination.

I had heard deadly wrong. Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Kenney Jones couldn't have put on a more exciting and entertaining show. Some highlights: • A light show during "Goodbye Sister Disco" that turned the 17,000-seat arena into a giant, flashing dance floor. • Daltrey's incredible voice echoing through the hall during "See Me, Feel Me" from the rock opera, "Tommy." He's getting older, but his voice retains all its power. • The sights and sound effects during "Won't Get Fooled Again," the last song before the encore and

perhaps becoming The Who's most recognizable work.

The kids are definitely all right and put on a better show in Birmingham than the Rolling Stones' unforgettable New Orleans concert last year. I wished they'd played longer, but the band was on stage for more than 2 hours — a great amount of music and excitement that had to leave most fans exhausted.

The current extravaganza is billed as The Who's last tour. I hope that's not true. A sign at the coliseum said it well: "The Who, please keep on rocking the world!"

PETE TOWNSHEND