It's an old show business adage that a performer should always leave his audience wanting more, and The Who followed that philosophy in their concert Sunday night at the Tyrone Guthrie Theater.

They have been on the scene over five years and that is a long time by rock standards; perhaps they are entitled to follow old adages. But the concert was much too short, especially at Guthrie prices and by comparison with this year's Labor Temple concerts.

Next time the Guthrie schedules two concerts by the same artists in the same evening, maybe they could space the shows apart a little more.

There were other frustrations as well. The musicians obviously had not seen the stage before they went on and could therefore only make minor adjustments in their sound. This did not make up for the poor placement of their sound equipment.

The speakers, which were inclined on the apron steps mostly served to throw up a curtain of incomplete instrumental sound. For instance, one person sitting in a theoretically good seat center front could hear only the lead guitar.

For the forty-five minutes that they did play, and from the reviewer's seat, The Who gave a fine show. From the opening song, "Heaven and Hell," to the end of the concert they exhibited consistent strength, control and precision.

THE MOST important and most interesting songs were excerpts from their latest album, "Tommy," a rock opera composed mainly by lead guitarist Peter Townshend. This opera has no recitative and a plot that is better followed by intuition than by strict attention to the lyrics, so it could more accurately be called a song cycle.

The music itself was well-written, though rather simple in harmonics and melodies. Transitions from one mood to another were accomplished by a series of diminished chord changes. Tempo and dynamics were much the same throughout, but the fantastic stage – presence of the performers made up for it.

Townshend's leaps and manhandling of his guitar and Keith Moon's energetic twirling show with his drumsticks held the audience's attention, while lead singer Roger Daltrey was obviously frustrated by lack of room. After about six short pieces from "Tommy," the group went back to three old songs and ended very abruptly after a version of "Shakin' All Over," leaving the audience unsure whether to go or stay.

LOCALLY BASED and nationally known blues artists Koerner, Ray, and Glover played for the first hour of the evening and set a friendly and relaxed tone. The songs were all from their old repertoire, and were not very well rehearsed, but they still had their old feeling and kept a nice steady beat.

It was a concert worth hearing, but no one could be sure they had really heard a whole concert.

(SCOTT BARTELL is the editor of the Ivory Tower and a free-lance music critic.)