If this is indeed The Who’s final tour, and all indications are that it is, it behooved the legendary quartet to give its Pittsburgh fans a concert worth remembering at the Civic Arena last night.

And that’s exactly what The Who did, in every respect.

They played for more than two hours, and they sounded better than ever, especially singer Roger Daltrey, who was less than a vocal fireball at the arena in '79. Not a bit of husk or strain last night.

They had flash pots, blinding floodlights above and behind drummer Kenny Jones and auxiliary keyboardist Tim Gorman, spotlights crisscrossing the crowd on “See Me, Feel Me” and a dozen searchlights which scanned the arena roof.

Evidently no one had told The Who that the arena’s air conditioning has been on the blink since May, because when the concert began Daltrey was wearing a short blue denim jacket, guitarist Pete Townshend a black leather one, bassist John Entwistle a striped sport coat and Gorman a necktie.

It didn’t last long for Daltrey and Townshend, for The Who provided more than enough heat of their own, blasting right out with “Substitute,” “I Can’t Explain,” “Dangerous,” “Sister Disco,” “The Quiet One” and “It’s Hard.”

You just can’t twirl your mike like a gaucho readying his bolas or windmill your arm to attack your guitar like a right-handed Willie Stargell and be comfortable doing so while wearing jackets, so off they came.

And on came the first songs to draw big cheers for the opening bars: “Behind Blue Eyes,” with its few easier passages, and “Baba O’Riley,” on which Townshend tossed his tambourine to the fans and which certainly kept Gorman busy.

The Who didn’t have much to say, and Daltrey said most of it: “Here’s a song we did a long time ago.” “Here’s another one you haven’t heard for a while.”

In truth, The Who did quite a few such numbers: “I’m One” and “Love, Reign o’er Me” from “Quadrophenia;” “Long Live Rock” and “Naked Eye” from “Odds and Sods.”

Best of those were the bluesier “Drowned,” also from “Quadrophenia,” as it flew along with its “railroad” beat, Townshend’s guitar and vocals and Daltrey’s harmonica, and “Long Live Rock” as Townshend tried a Chuck Berry duck walk and Gorman beat the dickens out of his piano.

That was about the only problem The Who had. What do you include in a farewell concert?

You can’t do all new songs even though you do have a new album on the market. You don’t want to do all familiar songs; most fans want more than a “greatest hits” recital.

And there were so many old favorites The Who didn’t do: “My Generation,” “The Kids Are Alright,” “I Can See for Miles” (their only American Top 10 hit), “Magic Bus,” “Squeeze Box,” even “You Better You Bet,” their last single.

Not to mention “Tommy.” Rock’s first successful “opera” got short-changed with only two selections on the bill, although they were dynamite: “Pinball Wizard” and “See Me, Feel Me.”

It’ll just have to be enough to be grateful for the ones they did do (and let’s not forget “Won’t Get Fooled Again” with a huge Daltrey scream) and happy that they’ll probably still record even if they won’t tour.

Oh, an encore? Certainly. The Who wouldn’t gyp you. It started with “Athena,” their current catchy single, wheeled into Eddie Cochran’s “Summertime Blues” (on The Who’s “Live at Leeds” album) and ended with “Twist and Shout” (no, kiddies, it’s not a Beatles’ classic; the Isley Brothers did it first, in ’62).

“Up here on the ledge I’m gettin’ pushed to the edge. People line up behind me to step into my shoes” is how “It’s Your Turn,” from The Who’s current album, begins. There may be more room on the ledge if The Who stop touring, but it’ll be a long time before any new band fills their seven-league boots.

If you wanted more oldies but goodies, David Johansen and his band, who opened the show, had several: the Four Tops’ “Reach Out, I’ll Be There,” an Animals medley of “We’ve Gotta Get Out of This Place,” “Don’t Bring Me Down” and “It’s My Life” and the Cadets’ “Stranded in the Jungle” from way back in ’55.

The former New York Doll, wearing a Terry Bradshaw jersey, and friends had energy and power and more straightforward rockers: “Funky But Chic,” “Bohemian Love Pad,” “Melody,” “Frenchette.”

But, as Johansen, who looks like a larger, more robust Mick Jagger, sang on “Reach Out, I’ll Be There,” there are times when “your best just ain’t good enough.”

He got some applause, which was deserved since he and his band were as complementary a warmup act as anyone could have hoped for, but a lot more boos, which were undeserved. It was obvious that for some folks, only The Who would do.

That was OK with Johansen, however. “Don’t apologize for them. It makes you tougher; it makes a man out of you,” he said with a laugh in his dressing room.

“I thought we did good tonight considering we’re not on any radio station in this town. In Boston, Cleveland and New York, we’re one of the top bands. In Pittsburgh, we haven’t had airplay. It turns where you live, it says something.”