The Who is still where it’s at

Veteran rockers weave their new songs with the classics with ease

BY MELISSA RUGGIERI

TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

WASHINGTON

You never know what you might get at a classic rock show — slick professionalism, like the Rolling Stones, or detached commitment, like the Eagles.

And, of course, there’s the main question: Do they still have “it”?

The Who might be a little rough around the corners, but at Thursday’s concert at the Verizon Center in D.C., the “it” was present for two hours stuffed with classics and new material — all anchored by The Two, the newest nickname given Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey.

The bookends of one of rock’s most beloved bands still couldn’t be more opposite — Daltrey, the gritty garage mechanic in black jeans and a tight black T-shirt, and Townshend, the elegant poet with a scarf tied around his neck.

But all it took was a windmill from Townshend and an airborne microphone from Daltrey and “I Can’t Explain” shook off the stage.

On this second leg of a tour to support last year’s halfheartedly received “Endless Wire,” the first Who record in 24 years, the band deftly integrated its new songs with the favorites that kept about 15,000 people standing and fist-pumping.

Townshend, 61, couldn’t have looked happier during “Who Are You,” as he dug into his guitar strings, slightly kicking his leg in the air.

But as soon as Daltrey, 63, introduced “Real Good Looking Boy,” from a 2004 compilation, the first beer run commenced. Too bad, because the song written for Elvis Presley, who Daltrey said had changed his life, is a solid, catchy rocker that was sung with obvious heart.

But the band is aware of audience apathy toward unfamiliar material, evidenced when Townshend introduced the new six-song mini-opera “Wire & Glass” almost apologetically. “It’s not long. It’s intense. It passes quickly. Enjoy it,” he said of the series that contained the soft-loud approach that is a Who hallmark.

The often-temperamental guitarist was an engaging emcee, chatting frequently between songs and exhibiting tremendous energy. He did, however, return for the encore with a slight limp, perhaps the result of an overenthusiastic leap during a monstrous “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” which soared on his epic riffing.

Daltrey’s voice hovered in rasp range all night, which worked most of the time — infusing “Behind Blue Eyes” with weary meaningfulness and nailing the wail on “Fooled” — but there were a few wince-worthy moments when he strained to hit a higher range.

While it now takes six musicians to generate the sound created by four, The Two employ top-notch sidemen. Pino Palladino ably handled the stoic bass lines of the late John Entwistle, while Townshend’s brother Simon added a layer of guitar and John Bundrick amplified the band with keyboards and piano.

But it’s Zak Starkey — Ringo’s kid, who has played with members of The Who since 1994 — who is the quiet star behind the late Keith Moon’s drum fills. For all the battering a Who song requires, Starkey possesses an admirable amount of finesse, exhibited grandly on “Pinball Wizard” and “Baba O’Riley.”

The latter — the meat of the concert — was a flurry of flashing lights and jittery keyboards, culminating in an orgy of sound carried by Daltrey’s blazing harmonica.

For many Who fans in the audience, the night was akin to a religious experience, as they stood, arms outstretched or raised skyward, singing every lyric with eyes closed. That in itself might be enough to prove that The Who still has “it."