JEREMY HARMON/Daily Herald Pete Townshend displays his signature windmill guitar playing as the Who performs at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Monday night.

JEREMY HARMON/Daily Herald Zak Starkey, Ringo Starr’s son, handles drumming for the Who on Monday.

The Who Continued from B1

Costello: When? Abbott: Just now. Costello: Arrrrrgggggghhhh! Just tell me who played in concert. Abbott: They did. Costello: Who? Abbott: Yes. Costello: Back to Yes again? Abbott: No. Just guess Who. Costello: Guess Who — with Burton Cummings? Abbott: No, they broke up a long time ago. Costello: Who? Abbott: No, of course not! Didn’t I just tell you that they played at the Delta Center on Monday? Costello: Who did? Abbott: Yes. No doubt. Costello: You’ve got to love that Gwen Stefani!

On further review, it’s probably a good thing that Abbott and Costello stuck with comedy — and an even better thing if I stick to this concert-reviewing gig.

Because what I can tell you is that the Who turned back the clock Monday night and delivered a rollicking concert in the house that Larry H. Miller built.

Guitarist Pete Townshend and vocalist Roger Daltrey — the only original members of the band left standing — powered their four-member backing band through 24 songs in a diverse setlist that featured old standards and a healthy dose of brand-new material.

With Townshend leading the way, the band casually strode on stage and plugged in. After a trial power chord, Townshend launched into the easily recognizable opening riff to “I Can’t Explain” and the show was off and running.

The band got two of its trademark stage maneuvers out of the way in the opening minute of the show as Townshend performed his patented windmill strum and Daltrey twirled his microphone round and round by the cord, eliciting raucous cheers from the crowd.

The Who went old school early with three ancient hits — following “I Can’t Explain” with “The Seeker” and “Substitute” — before playing “Fragments,” the opening cut to the band’s new album, “Endless Wire.” The Who, never a band to rest on its laurels, played 10 songs off the new album on Monday. A half dozen of them came in a mid-set medley that Townshend introduced.

“We play a lot of new songs in this show,” Townshend said, “but these six are all compressed into a short little gallop.”

The medley — featuring “Sound Round,” “Pick Up the Peace,” “Endless Wire,” “We Got a Hit,” “They Made My Dream Come True” and “Mirror Door” — was composed of songs from “Wire & Glass,” a 10-track mini-opera that is only a part of the “Endless Wire” album.

The new songs were well received, even if largely unrecognized, but fans were clearly in attendance to celebrate the Who’s rich history. And the band did not disappoint.

Well-known hits like “Baba O’Riley,” “Eminence Front,” “Behind Blue Eyes” and “You Better You Bet” all had fans of all ages dancing and fist-pumping to the beat. Anthems like “My Generation” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again” fared even better. Daltrey’s long scream in the middle of the latter song — which has become even more well known in modern pop culture for its opening appearance every week on “CSI: Miami” — was a truly transcendent moment that was followed with a cavalcade of windmill gyrations from Townshend at song’s end.

The band — which also featured notables Zak Starkey [Ringo Starr’s son] on drums and Simon Townshend [Pete’s younger brother] on guitar — returned for a five-song encore.

“Would you like to know a statistic?” Pete Townshend asked the crowd as the band returned to the stage. “This is the 2,222nd time that we have played this song.”

That song would be “Pinball Wizard,” which segued nicely into “Amazing Journey,” “Sparks” and “See Me Feel Me” — all songs of the band’s popular 1969 concept album “Tommy.”

The show closed with a fitting duet with Daltrey and Townshend the only two band members remaining on stage. Townshend strummed acoustic while Daltrey sang “Tea and Theatre,” a song which talks about growing older and taking the time to have a cup of tea with a friend. It was the perfect end to a great night of music.

The Who wasn’t on first Monday. That honor went to the Pretenders, who played 11 songs in a 50-minute opening set. Lead singer/guitarist Chrissie Hynde — who is so thin that she almost makes Nicole Richie look healthy — was the unquestioned focal point through most of the band’s set. Whether singing, strumming or playfully bantering with the crowd between songs, Hynde exuded the casual confidence of someone who has honed their craft through years on the road.

Highlights of the Pretenders set included a blistering version of “My City was Gone” and “Back on the Chain Gang.”

The Who Nov. 13, 2006, Delta Center

1. I Can’t Explain 2. The Seeker 3. Substitute 4. Fragments 5. Who Are You? 6. Behind Blue Eyes 7. Sound Round 8. Pick Up the Peace 9. Endless Wire 10. We Got a Hit 11. They Made My Dream Come True 12. Mirror Door 13. Baba O’Riley 14. Eminence Front 15. A Man in the Purple Dress 16. Mike Post Theme 17. You Better You Bet 18. My Generation 19. Won’t Get Fooled Again

ENCORE 1. Pinball Wizard 2. Amazing Journey 3. Sparks 4. See Me Feel Me 5. Tea and Theatre

PERFORMANCE TIME: 1 hour, 55 minutes