PASSAIC — Monday night’s performance by The Who at the Capitol Theater accounted for a number of "firsts":

• The first time that the British group has played in this country since 1975, when they toured in support of "The Who By Numbers."

• The group’s first performance in this country with drummer Kenny Jones, who replaced the late Keith Moon, and keyboardist John "Rabbit" Bundrick.

• The first time since 1969 that the group has performed in a concert hall as small as the 3,300-seat theater.

The group’s 2½-hour performance also kicked off a series of seven shows — two shows on consecutive nights at the Capitol and five shows in six nights at New York’s Madison Square Garden, beginning tomorrow night.

Monday night’s show, along with all of the other concerts, was sold out well in advance, and a crowd of people gathered around the theater’s entrances in hopes of at least hearing the music.

Inside, those who were fortunate enough to have won the opportunity to purchase tickets through a lottery filled the theater to overflowing. They saw and heard the group perform material that spanned its 15-year career.

Most of the songs were taken from three albums: the classic "Who’s Next," "Who Are You," their most recent studio album, and "Quadrophenia," the basis for a movie to be released later this year.

The group punctuated the songs with moves that have become trademarks over the years. Lead singer Roger Daltrey twirled the microphone cord like a lariat and then roped in the mike; lead guitarist Pete Townshend shuffled, leaped, and did Chuck Berry-style duckwalks across the stage, and bassist John Entwistle was as immobile as ever.

This served to point out the effect that Moon’s death has had on the group’s live show.

Instead of the reckless abandon Moon displayed, Jones maintained a solid, steady backbeat and a reserved stage presence. Townshend made the latter obvious when "in order to prove that he has a voice," he had Jones introduce one of the songs.

Bundrick’s organ, piano and synthesizer playing were also somewhat reserved, but made a positive contribution to the music. This was particularly true on "Boris the Spider," as his organ work complemented Entwistle’s haunting lead vocals.

The group was supplemented by a three-man horn section on several songs. At best, they reinforced what the other musicians were playing; at worst, they detracted from it.

However, this flaw was not fatal by any means, for the power and energy of the group’s overall performance were able to rise above it.

In short, the show was an auspicious start for both the group’s series of New York area concerts and the theater’s fall entertainment schedule.