TACOMA — Thousands of frenzied fans had been on their feet for hours by the time The Who launched into its finale.

But the Tacoma Dome crowd waved higher and cheered louder as a synthesizer passage heralded Won’t Get Fooled Again. The song is nearly 20 years old, but The Who’s classic rock was fresh enough for an electrifying show Wednesday night.

The group, touring for the first time in seven years, has plenty of spirit and energy left. They seemed like they genuinely enjoyed playing.

Guitarist Pete Townshend, 44, still punctuates his playing with his trademark flying leaps and windmill motions with his picking hand. But he ran into trouble during Won’t Get Fooled Again when he slammed his hand into the tremolo bar sticking out of his guitar. Doubled up in pain, he left the stage.

The band returned for an encore without Townshend, who singer Roger Daltrey said was heading to a hospital. A spokeswoman at St. Joseph Hospital later said Townshend was treated for a minor puncture wound and released.

Daltrey, also 44, is still in sinewy shape, judging from live close-up images of the musicians projected on giant screens on both sides of the stage.

The screens also gave the crowd a good look at the virtuoso work of bass player John Entwhistle, also 44, the most subdued of the three performers.

This is The Who’s 25th anniversary. The group performed a “farewell” tour in 1982 and hadn’t performed much again until this summer.

This year’s “The Kids Are Alright Tour” is sponsored by Budweiser and Miller beers. Some have criticized the sponsorship because Townshend has had alcohol problems and the group’s original drummer, Keith Moon, died of an overdose of a drug he was taking to combat alcoholism.

It has been estimated that Townshend, Daltrey and Entwistle will earn $30 million each from this tour. If that’s enough for them to retire on, it’s too bad, because the band has a lot of playing left and a wide repertoire to choose from.

The group started its concert with 45 minutes of music from its rock opera Tommy. The set ended with We’re Not Gonna Take It, which felt like a finale even though it came less than one-third of the way through the three-hour concert.

Too many loud power chords have given Townshend tinnitus, a persistent ringing in the ears, and he played an acoustic guitar for the Tommy set. However, he always did some of his most appealing guitar work on acoustic instruments.

Steve Bolton played many of the heavier electric guitar riffs to save Townshend’s ears. As a promotion, Seattle radio station KISW gave away earplugs.

With a five-piece horn section and three backup singers, The Who produced a big sound when they wanted. But it was a well-controlled one. Unlike many rock concerts, the songs were remarkably faithful to the recorded versions.

Townshend and Daltrey’s voices still blend well. If anything, Daltrey sings stronger and more clearly than he did years ago.

His voice cracked, however, during the plaintive Behind Blue Eyes, either from emotion or fatigue.

Roger Daltrey sings to a full house in Tacoma

For an encore, Daltrey sang the late Jimi Hendrix’s Hey, Joe. ‘He was a good friend and he’s still missed,’ Daltrey said of the Seattle native who, like them, played at Woodstock 20 years ago.

Daltrey exuded warmth the few times he spoke to the audience. “We’ve been playing the Seattle area for what — 22 years?” he said to rousing cheers.

The band took few breaks as it served up oldie after oldie: Can’t Explain, Substitute, I Can See for Miles, Magic Bus, My Generation.

They also did a few songs from Townshend’s solo albums, including the rap number Face the Face. It may be a contemporary style, but the group’s talent with harmonies and guitar solos goes a long way beyond rap boundaries.

For an encore, Daltrey sang the late Jimi Hendrix’s Hey, Joe. “He was a good friend and he’s still missed,” Daltrey said of the Seattle native who, like them, played at the Woodstock festival 20 years ago to the week. The Who finished the concert with a song by Creedence Clearwater Revival, another Woodstock band.

Their next concerts are scheduled for Friday and Saturday in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The Who’s music probably sounds better today than in concerts 20 years ago. Sound systems are more sophisticated, light shows are flashier and the video system makes it more intimate.

The group may well be more appreciated than it was in the Woodstock era. After two decades, fans are glad to see and hear that these kids are all right.

Daily News photos by Greg Ebersole Pete Townshend is still kicking at 44