RALEIGH — About 53,000 fans braved impending rain and a two-hour traffic delay to see the originators of hard-hitting rock and roll Thursday night in Raleigh. No rain fell during the show, and the British group rocked and rolled for about three hours to a sold-out Carter-Finley Stadium.

Although most of the fans looked too young to have been born when the group was at its best, they seemed to know the songs just as well as those who grew up rocking to The Who.

Some crowd members seen standing on the backs of their seats to catch a glimpse of the band reminisced about their high school days and the importance of The Who.

One UNC graduate student said he remembered the group from his college days, and felt it was worth bearing the stifling humidity and seats in the rafters to see The Who. He said he had grown to like some earlier Who recordings after listening to the songs on classic-rock radio stations.

“Plus, The Who’s a great group to see in concert. Their songs have a great dynamic range — Who Are You is a great example, with the soft chords and power chords contrasted,” said Eric Grant, 29, of Chapel Hill.

Some younger fans said they felt like the group also was part of their generation, although The Who recorded most of their hits in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Who Are You and You Better You Bet were cut in in the late 1970s.

“This music brings me back all kinds of great memories,” said Eve Moran, 23, of the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg. “I remember them from high school and they were great then. I mean, this is The Who!”

Moran said she was glad the performers were getting a chance to do some of their solo work as well as play their greatest hits as a band. The show was split into two 90-minute sets, and included a few covers as well as songs from the rock-opera “Tommy.”

Guitarist Pete Townshend’s well-publicized vows to

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