For the Who, waiting backstage in Cincinnati last Monday, the stampede that took 11 lives outside Riverfront Coliseum was a circumstance beyond their control. It could have happened to any rock group playing a questionably organized, sold-out concert; in fact, there's a lengthy list of likelier bands with rowdier fans.

And if the Who were to be the indirect cause of the death and mayhem that resulted when thousands of Cincinnati fans crushed through the coliseum's doors to grab the arena's unreserved seats, it is ironic that it should have happened at this point in the group's development.

The Who, who will perform in Philadelphia tonight and tomorrow,

have evolved from raucous beginnings into a hard-driving rock group that is also thoughtful, articulate, even spiritual. Most of the members of the band are in their late 30s and have children as old as the new generation of rock fans who came out for the ill-fated concert last week.

When the Who burst on the British rock scene 16 years ago, however, they could hardly be described as "spiritual." The arrival was hailed by a cloud of smoke and a shower of splinters, with leader-composer-guitarist Peter Townshend smashing guitars and amplifiers. That theatrical finale never failed to get an audience on its feet, crushing forward for a clear view of the flailing and destruction.