Press Journal staff photo by David Jackson Pete Townshend at The Who concert in West Palm Beach.

By Drew Dixon

Press Journal Staff Writer

The "final farewell tour" of The Who turned out to be a multimedia masterpiece that clearly captivated the legions of hard-core fans.

Saturday's performance at Coral Sky Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach, which was the last concert of this summer's tour for The Who, provided a piece of rock 'n' roll history that can never be forgotten.

The three surviving members of the band, Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey and John Entwistle, provided an anchor on stage to what became a vessel of artistic expression that would be hard to match by any group.

The performance was a concept concert focusing on The Who's 1973 double album "Quadrophenia." The complex psychological, musical, lyrical and social significance behind the album was difficult enough to convey in a full-length feature film released in 1979, but on stage, The Who pulled off a more daunting task.

While the trio of original members remained at the center of attention, the surrounding group of artists provided an assault on the senses that brought back visions of theater rock, rare in rock 'n' roll performances today.

"Quadrophenia" as a concept itself is an analogy for a troubled English teen named Jim. The youth becomes embroiled in the mod and rocker gang violence of the early '60s in England. While striving to filter musical interests, Jim is at the same time coming to grips with troubles at home with his parents, his girlfriend, his friends and his own identity, which has now developed into four personalities. Hence, "Quadrophenia."

When going into the concert it was difficult to imagine how this could be conveyed at a live perfor-