No one asks who are the Who as venerable Brits again rock KC

By Brian McTavish

Contributing Reviewer

The show was Who-pendous. Yet Pete Townshend was wrestling onstage with the credibility of his group's 25th anniversary concert tour. "We don't look the same," Townshend said after a climactic rendition of "Won't Get Fooled Again" late in the Who's triumphant concert Saturday night at Arrowhead Stadium. "We don't sound the

Music review

same. Not like we used to — not as loud anyway. But we have the unmitigated gall to call ourselves, ladies and gentlemen, The Who."

Suddenly, more than 38,000 young and not-so-young fans exploded in praise. Guitarist Townshend, vocalist Roger Daltrey and bassist John Entwistle embraced and walked offstage before returning for a three-song encore.

It had been quite a night, and Townshend had been too hard on himself. True, no one who had ever felt the heat of the original Who with world's-greatest drummer Keith Moon is likely to forget that volcanic experience.

But for more than three staggering hours on Saturday, the new Who's invigorating performance celebrated the old band's history of groundbreaking hit singles and albums of the 1960s and '70s in a stunning rock show that perfectly meshed world-beating power with world-class style.

The Who, in full voice themselves, were helped by three backup singers and a wonderful nine-piece band, whose five-man horn section

Ed Rode/Staff Lead guitarist Pete Townshend does one of his trademark windmill-and-leap moves.

added punch to the overture and seven songs from "Tommy," the band's heralded 1969 rock opera. It led off the show's first 35 minutes and included hot takes on "The Acid Queen," "Pinball Wizard" (during which a huge inflatable "pinball" bounced among fans on the stadium floor) and the impeccable "We're Not Gonna Take It."

The bare-chested Daltrey, 45, violently yet unerringly swung his microphone cord in precise, ever-widening circles around his chiseled body. At a peak moment in the instrumental "Sparks," he shattered one of two tambourines that he struck together. So much for talk of diminished strength.

Townshend, 44, flew up from the stage with legs flying and rotated his playing arm in ferocious windmill swipes on acoustic and electric guitars. Actually, the hearing-impaired leader of the group played a great deal more electric guitar than was expected — perhaps half the show, although guitarist Steve "Boltz" Bolton handled most leads and the noisiest effects.

Entwistle, 43, also used his nimble fingers to spray bedrock notes everywhere, while he stood unmoved by the tremendous onslaught aided by drummer Simon Phillips, who was far more manic than former Moon replacement Kenney Jones.

Of the more than 30 songs performed, there were the early hits ("I Can't Explain," "Substitute," "I Can See For Miles," "Boris the Spider," "The Magic Bus") and album rockers, including "Baba O'Riley" from "Who's Next," "5:15" and "Love, Reign O'er Me" from "Quadrophenia," "Sister Disco" and "Who Are You" from the album "Who Are You," and "You Better You Bet" from "Face Dances." All of them shook the place. Like crazy.

Townshend also did several of his 1980s solo songs proud, led by "A Little is Enough" and "Rough Boys," which turned out to be one of the most energetic songs of an energetic night.