the band’s cranky songwriter but also its heart and conscience, and singer Roger Daltrey, the cheerful and muscular spokesman.

Also on stage are bassist Pino Palladino, a veteran who worked with Townshend in the 1980s; keyboardist John “Rabbit” Bundrick, a touring member of the band since 1979; and rhythm guitarist Simon Townshend, Pete’s brother.

And then there is drummer Zak Starkey. He took drumming lessons from Moon, who was a friend of Starkey’s father, Ringo Starr, of the Beatles.

It’s a stripped-down lineup reminiscent of the Who’s 2000 tour, which fans loved because it was closest in spirit to the band’s original makeup. They were a quartet from 1964 to 1978, before they gradually added so many musicians that their stages were practically crowded during the 1989, 1996 and 1997 tours. The shows were solid and often brilliant, but it wasn’t really the Who.

There is now less personnel but more power. In Indianapolis on Aug. 25, the band uncorked a 2 1/2-hour show with such majesty and conviction that camera crews filmed some fans who seemed moved to tears.

Daltrey and Townshend threw themselves into the show with an intensity that all but reduced their backup musicians to wallpaper. Townshend didn’t so much play electric guitar as attack it, slashing out chords, throwing in fills and exerting himself enough to soak his black T-shirt. Daltrey was just as engaging, whipping his microphone around in a blur and hitting notes he hasn’t always reached on recent tours.

It’s a greatest-hits show, of course, since Townshend has refused to write any new songs since the clunker album It’s Hard in 1982. But some offhanded gems are included, too, such as the Amazing Journey/Sparks medley from Tommy and fan favorites such as Eminence Front and Love Reign O’er Me.

To be sure, the rhythm section of Moon and Entwistle was one of the best engine rooms in rock ’n’ roll, and without them this version of the Who is more about brute force than finesse. But the wheels aren’t quite coming off.

Perhaps wisely, Daltrey and Townshend have avoided the obvious question of whether they will continue, and are letting their music speak for now. In August, Townshend sent fans a message on his Web site suggesting that for now, he’s happy being onstage, even without Entwistle.

“I am not going to apologize to those who think it’s somehow wrong for me and Roger to want to make money doing what we do best,” Townshend wrote. “I’m doing this now so I can keep coming back, with a smile on my face. How weird is that?”