The Who didn't take long to establish a special rapport with its Detroit area audience Tuesday night at the Pontiac Silverdome.

Halfway through the first set, singer Roger Daltrey walked up to the microphone to say "a special thank-you to Detroit. We first got heard in America in Detroit, so it's special to us."

It's not something he has said at every stop on the group's 25th anniversary tour and it's not clear exactly what he was referring to 6 the old Big 8, CKLW-Radio, perhaps? Whatever 6 the Who followed with a blistering version of Willie Dixon's "I'm a Man" that found bandleader Pete Townshend cranking out inspired licks on his electric guitar, performing his trademark scissor kicks and windmill strums to whip the crowd into its first sweat-soaked frenzy.

It was that kind of show, an unquestionably "on" night for Townshend, Daltrey, bassist John Entwistle and the 12 additional musicians in their ensemble. The aggregation offered a long and extensive 25th anniversary celebration of the Who's music, touching all bases from greatest hits to solo songs from Townshend and Entwistle.

With a surprisingly clear sound mix in the cavernous Silverdome, this version of the Who showed that it has improved from stodgy shows at the start of the tour in late June. The arrangements were tight and the playing inspired, with a horn section, backup vocalists and a percussionist bringing new colors to some of the Who's most well-worn songs.

The Who came out strong from moment one with a half-hour presentation of songs from "Tommy" that had the crowd on its feet from start to finish. The large band allowed the group to cover all the intricate parts of the "Overture" and added new depth to the instrumental "Sparks." Townshend's acoustic guitar-playing made "Pinball Wizard" a special joy, and "We're Not Gonna Take It" brought the set to a joyous close.

From there, the show twisted through older Who songs ("Can't Explain," "Substitute," "I Can See for Miles," "Magic Bus") and relatively new ("Eminence Front"). Townshend 6 whose impaired hearing didn't keep him from playing plenty of electric guitar 6 pulled out dynamic renditions of solo songs like "Give Blood" and a particularly outstanding "Face to Face," while Entwistle pleased the crowd with "Boris the Spider."

In all, the Who rocked well into the midnight hour, sating but also satisfying its fans. If this is truly the last time we see the Who 6 as Townshend has said 6 it was memorable. These kids 6 or, more appropriately, adults 6 were definitely all right on Tuesday.