Group Relies on Old Reliables

By Bill Larsen

It's been a good five years since the Who have played in the Northwest, and their audience at the Coliseum Thursday night affirmed that the Seattle concert was a stop they should make more often.

The show was nothing less than you'd expect.

The older tunes brought the best response and the audience disinterest was evident when they did tunes from their new "By Numbers" album.

They methodically knocked out "Substitute," "My Generation," "Summertime Blues," "Magic Bus" and excerpts from "Tommy," which made up the bulk of the show.

Many people were disappointed when the end of the concert came and Peter Townshend had not smashed his guitar.

Still, Townshend was in great form. His leaps, kicks and other acrobatic antics truly make him the clown prince of rock and roll.

The Who's show was good, but the most impressive part of the evening was when several light beams were activated during "We're Not Gonna Take It." The revolving beams created gigantic geometric designs that colorfully spattered the smoky auditorium.

The Who put on a very good show, but like many other aging rock groups their livelihood depends on the social security of their older material.