In the hot, humid, sweaty air was the overwhelming excitement of anticipation. Five thousand fortunate fans counted down the minutes to the start of The Who’s first tour performance in seven years.

Wednesday’s show at the Glens Falls Civic Center was coyly billed as their “dress rehearsal.” Rehearsal? Julius Caesar couldn’t have entered Rome with less acclaim, less expectation and, ultimately, less glory.

The camaraderie displayed among fans, whose ages ranged from the teens to early 50s, resembled that of a college class reunion. But on the minds of all who are graduates of guitar demolition, rock opera and pinball wizardry, was whether the magic was still there. Would Wednesday’s performance spark future memories or merely rekindle old ones?

The answer wasn’t long in coming. For three triumphant hours, guitarist Peter Townshend, lead singer Roger Daltrey, bassist John Entwistle and their stellar associates proved that at least for the band and for Who fans, you can go home again.

The capacity at the Civic Center, a bastion of hockey games and heavy-metal concerts, was nearly halved by the presence of a mammoth stage, one designed for major-league stadiums, not a minor-league arena. A pop art mural formed a nostalgic backdrop.

Whoops and hollers shot through the air, as the band got down to business with a 35-minute excerpt from their timeless rock opera, “Tommy.”

To mask the effect of the loud music on Townshend’s fragile hearing, the Who’s leader/guitarist placed himself on the right-hand, “quiet” side of the stage, with a percussionist and three back-up singers. Bassist Entwistle, keyboardist John “Rabbit” Bundrick, new drummer Simon Phillips, second guitarist Michael Bolton and a five-piece horn section occupied the right side of the stage.

The Who’s revamped, 14-person ensemble could have proven an unwieldy vehicle. Rather, they shed new musical light on the group’s vast and rich repertoire.

Bolton commanded the lion’s share of the guitar solos. His tasty leads recalled the vitality of Townshend’s original solos, while he still forged his own identity.

Review On the band’s version of Jimi Hendrix’s “Hey Joe,” he wisely decided that economy was the better part of valor, and chose not to duplicate Hendrix’s original fiery lead lines.

Not that Townshend was completely adrift in a sea of voice and percussion. His staccato strumming that prefaced “Tommy’s” most acclaimed song, “Pinball Wizard,” garnered some of the loudest applause of the evening.

Lead singer Roger Daltrey, fit, trim and looking younger than his 45 years, commanded center stage. He has lost none of his microphone twirling skills or an iota of his legendary vocal power. His emphatic delivery of “See Me, Feel Me,” was a lesson in passion.

Among the highlights: a strong version of a weak late-’70s song, “Who Are You,” and a satisfying mini-set of the band’s earliest hits, like “I Can’t Explain,” “Substitute,” and “I Can See For Miles.”

The premier moment came at the end of the abridged “Tommy.”

As the ever-building crescendo of “See Me, Feel Me” rose higher and higher, bright lights radiated a rainbow across the Civic Center ceiling. The crowd rose with ecstatic applause. One final resounding fanfare, and they were done.

The Who is back.