Their little scenes as Townshend looked on. The sound could have filled the arenas Townshend has left behind.

"Psychoderelict" is cliched and indulgent (but not clever) enough to qualify as self-parody: It's a vanity project for a conceptualist who no longer knows what to do with his talent. Fortunately, the album has allowed Townshend to focus on the present, not just his back catalog. Since he's devoted much of the show to entertaining himself, Townshend has become a much more generous performer. He spoke to the crowd at length, ran around the stage like in days gone by, shouted out his lyrics and beamed with cranky good will.

And he did make time to give the crowd what it wanted — plenty of oldies, both written for the Who and his own solo projects. He opened the three-hour set with his slick large ensemble indulging in a silly rendition of an incredibly off-the-wall selection, "Cobwebs and Strange" from the Who's mid-'60s pop-art period. This was followed by an equally unexpected rendition of the English Beat's modern rock hit, "Save It For Later." Then the set swung into more traditional fare: "I Am an Animal," "Rough Boys," "The Kids Are Alright," "Drowned" and "Eminence Front," some with full band, others stripped to voice and acoustic guitar.

After "Psychoderelict," Townshend rewarded the crowd with more oldies. "Magic Bus" was plagued by a Southern boogie treatment that didn't suit the song, but "Heart to Hang On To" was rendered lovingly. As this portion of the program progressed, the arrangements dragged on too long at too loud a volume.

The strangest moment of the evening was just before the show began, when a recording of "Tommy, Can You Hear Me?" played while images of Tommy Somebody-or-Other sportswear flashed on the screen. Sick, sick, sick.