ORLANDO – The Tangerine Bowl was the place to be yesterday as 60,000-plus people gathered for five hours of rock ’n’ roll that climaxed with The Who.

The litter of empty bottles, paper cups and starchy snack foods gave evidence that a good part of the crowd (the hungry, drunk part) showed up several hours before the gates opened at 11 a.m.

The field was covered with several layers of people that thickened as one approached the stage.

Because of high on-field temperatures in the early afternoon, stage bouncers passed cups of water to those up front who could not leave without great difficulty.

The music started at 3 p.m. with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. They appeared on a stage that was covered by enormous screened draperies that spelled WHO.

Miss Jett hopped around and howled under the large ‘H’ in the fashion that her fans seemed to love.

She trotted out her hit song, I Love Rock and Roll, early in the proceedings after kicking off with Bad Reputation.

Miss Jett’s appeal is a mystery to this reviewer. She gets points for enthusiasm, but all that jumping around does not compensate for her hoarse, tuneless voice and general lack of instrumental ability. The rest of the Blackhearts are competent, but they are not much better than any weekday roadhouse band.

She closed her portion of the show with a seemingly endless version of Shout.

Before the B-52’s started, the stage bouncers hosed down the crowd to cool them off, but that did not dampen the enthusiasm.

The B-52’s came on stage to a hail of paper cups and more than a few boos. They opened with Party Out of Bounds, which had more than its share of lapses. The B-52’s is a delightful band but its best forum is not live performance. This is especially true in a place the size of the Tangerine Bowl. The band can create a wacky intimacy, but that loses big at a bowl concert.

Lead singer Fred Wilson introduced Planet Claire by saying, “We're going to play this whether you like it or not.”

As the B-52’s continued, they got tighter. By the time they launched into Rock Lobster, they were doing very well.

As darkness fell, a video screen above the stage was uncovered and the members of The Who sauntered out. They launched into a trademark, hysterical version of My Generation.

Guitarist Pete Townshend tossed off a leap or two, and singer Roger Daltrey whirled the mike around like a rock ’n’ roll food-processor blade. Bassist John Entwistle stood to the side and looked on calmly. In short, The Who was back in the frenzied business of putting on a good rock show.

Early on, the band performed the title track and Eminence Front from its latest album, It's Hard. Between these came Behind Blue Eyes and Baba O’Riley done only as The Who can.

Not all of the band’s older material fared as well. I Can See for Miles turned up at a pace that could kindly be called relaxed. Drowned from Quadrophenia zipped along as though the band thought there was an 8 o'clock curfew in the Magic Kingdom area.

The crowd left their seats as Townshend struck up the blistering introduction to Pinball Wizard from Tommy. This gave way to See Me, Hear Me and then to Listening to You.

It would be unfair to comment on The Who’s concert without praising the efforts of its four newest hands, so to say — drummer Kenny Jones and keyboard player Tim Dorman. Dorman’s contribution on the songs from Quadrophenia were timely and restrained.

The musical prowess of the rest of The Who is the stuff of legend. Suffice to say, Townshend windmilled, leaped and skipped as though nothing could matter more. He exploded during Won’t Get Fooled Again, the band’s traditional first finale.

After a short break, The Who returned and performed Squeeze Box and Magic Bus for an encore. This was followed by a breathtaking fireworks display.

If any song could be The Who’s anthem, it should be Long Live Rock. Despite Townshend’s claims that The Who is irrelevant these days, I can’t think of any other band I would sit outside with 60,000-plus people to see and hear.

If this is truly The Who’s last American tour, they will be missed.