The Who rocked at the Stadium last night. Top, Roger Daltrey twirls his microphone during the opening number. At right, Pete Townshend bops around the stage with his patented scissors kick. Above, bassist John Entwistle concentrated on his music. More than 64,000 fans attended The Who’s reunion concert, which lasted about three hours.

PD photos by CURT CHANDLER

Old times come back in full force By MICHAEL HEATON MUSIC CRITIC

“I spent an immense amount of time thinking about the negative aspects: The trouble I might have with my hearing, the fact that The Who are a spent force creatively and so couldn’t even go into the studio and produce a decent record. And we’re too old, and this group kills people, and music does not belong in stadiums. But it’s what the audience feels about this band that’s important.” — Pete Townshend, Rolling Stone July 13, 1989

And so despite the threat of bad weather and some of the worst pre-tour publicity — generated by the band itself — in the history of rock n’ roll. The Who celebrated 25 years of rock yesterday at the Stadium with a three-hour extravaganza befitting their place in the pantheon of popular music.

The crowd of more than 64,000 paid noisy tribute throughout the evening to almost all of the 40 some songs that comprised the two sets. The number of songs was whittled down from the 57 with which the band began its tour. The three original members, Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey and John Entwistle augmented The Who sound on this tour with Simon Phillips on drums. Helping out on lead guitar was Boltz Bolton. Jody Linscott assisted on percussion and the rest of the sound was fleshed out by a five-man horn section and three back-up vocalists. Fifteen people in all — the world’s largest quartet.

MUSIC REVIEW THE WHO

Of the three “grandfathers,” as Townshend had referred to the band in recent interviews, only lead vocalist Daltrey still had the old rock ‘n’ roll cachet, dressed in jeans, vest and T-shirt. Townshend, sporting a ponytail, wore a stylish baggy suit and running shoes while playing his acoustic rhythm guitar. Bassist Entwistle, gray as a badger, sported a mildly conservative outfit.

The first wild ovation after a bit of a slow start came with a medley of tunes from The Who’s rock opera “Tommy.” Townshend then said hello to the crowd from center stage. “It’s good to see all of you,” he said. “We’ve a lot of good memories from Cleveland. We’ve had a lot of friends here over the years. Especially Joe Walsh and the James Gang.”

The band then flew into a crystalline version of “Eminence Front,” an unusual selection and an indication that the evening would hold more than a few surprises. For all the talk of grandfathers, The Who had its rock chops in fine order. Entwistle burned through a jazzy rendition of “Face To Face,” a Townshend solo number. The Stadium sound system was surprisingly clear, and the mix was excellent.

Daltrey took the crowd back with an old Bo Diddley classic, “I’m A Man.” Townshend then ignited the fans with a few of the guitar windmills he had promised the press they would not see.

It was sorta like old times. Sorta.

The old times came back in full force when the band played “Can’t Explain,” “Substitute” and “I Can See For Miles,” in rapid succession. They sounded 17 again.

Entwistle got his five minutes of fame with scary renditions of “Chicken Delight” and “Boris the Spider.” The band got back on the mainstream track with a resounding “Who Are You” before the intermission.

The second half began in a big way with “Magic Bus,” “Baba O’Reilly” and “My Generation,” a string of sterling hits from three different Who periods. What was perhaps most impressive about this performance was the way the band deviated regularly from the set lists it has been playing in other cities. As big a production as this “The Kids Are Alright Tour” was, it still had the kind of spontaneity rarely seen in major national road shows.

The Belkins and the Stadium Corp. have these arena-size shows down to a fine art. What many predicted would be unpleasant pandemonium was as organized and as orderly as “Disney On Ice.” The Stadium infield went unscathed as the crowd was content to rock out around it.

In the end, all of Townshend’s misgivings proved false as the band was able to recapture its former power, prowess and command of the musical language it has forged for a quarter of century. Apparently, what the audience thought of the music mattered more than anyone knew or could ever guess.