The Who ***½ stars Where: Verizon Wireless Music Center.

By David Lindquist

david.lindquist@indystar.com

At the very least, The Who is a testament to brute force, resonating even as fashions and time march on.

No other rock band has fused melody and power to greater effect, and surviving members Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey flaunted that fact Sunday night at Verizon Wireless Music Center.

The audience of 15,000 was greeted by a succession of early-career jingles "I Can’t Explain," "Substitute" and "Anyway Anyhow Anywhere."

Townshend ripped gigantic guitar chords to signal the beginning of all three. His solos within were agitated, if not disagreeable.

At least some of the blame falls to the flaps of an untucked silk shirt. When you’ve been around as long as Pete Townshend, it’s odd to let clothes get in the way of fingers and strings. He soon ditched the top shirt (and a pair of sunglasses), and by the conclusion of "Anyway" his playing was opening up to foreshadow the band’s subsequent chapters of sonic exploration.

When two of the first eight songs are "Who Are You" and "Baba O’Riley," there’s little doubt the show will be a barn-burner. "Baba O’Riley" was one of the tunes the Who played at last fall’s Concert for New York City, where the band reclaimed kingpin status.

The song unfolded in similar glory Sunday, with Townshend veering from script only for a jagged and life-affirming riff.

On vocals, Daltrey appeared to be at his blast-furnace best. He and Townshend botched their harmonies of "Relay," but Daltrey aced the ferocious screams of "Won’t Get Fooled Again."

While the duo outmuscled the happily submissive audience for most of the show, the song "Bargain" allowed some interplay. Daltrey called on the crowd to sing the chorus-clinching, "The best I ever had," and Townshend resembled a teddy bear when coming clean with the lyric, "Without you, I’m nothing."

Because the Who has been inactive as a recording unit for decades, early-’80s selections "Another Tricky Day" and "Eminence Front" stood as two of the newest songs in the set list.

"Eminence" acquitted itself as a progressive dance number, while "Tricky" showcased equal parts of cosmopolitan and punk.

It was during the introduction of "Tricky" that Townshend acknowledged the recent death of founding bass player John Entwistle. He joked that when the next member passes, it will be time to retire the Who franchise.

The decision to tour after Entwistle’s demise comes as no surprise. The Who didn’t look back after audience deaths in Cincinnati or when drummer Keith Moon died in 1978.

Right or wrong — and it sounded so right on Sunday — this is what they do.

Unlike The Who, opening act Robert Plant (★★★½) is touring in support of a new album. Backed by a phenomenal band, Plant’s voice retains its chilling and taboo accents from Led Zeppelin’s prime. This act is too good to be shelved. Plant, it is hoped, will play at a local theater this fall.

■ Call David Lindquist at 1-317-444-6404.

The Who duo outmuscled the audience for most of the show, but the song "Bargain" allowed some interplay, with Roger Daltrey calling on the crowd to sing.