GRAND RAPIDS — Set aside conventional wisdom when assessing the motives, the attitude, the vitality of a 42-year-old rock band that recently released its first studio album in two dozen years amid its first world tour in two decades.

Anyone assuming, for instance, that The Who's Pete Townshend might be reluctant at age 61 to plunge back into performing for huge arena crowds mostly interested in the band's oldies would be wrong. Dead wrong.

"The only doubt was whether we would get to complete an album," the guitarist insisted in an extensive e-mail interview with The Press. "I made it a condition of its release that we did our first world tour behind it, and had Roger (Daltrey) been cautious about committing, I may not have completed it at all.

"We have a great opportunity to get this record over to a large international audience, and let's face it, in the current climate of low album sales, the record needs all the touring help we can give it."

So, with songs from their new album, "Endless Wire," in their nightly set list, Townshend and singer Daltrey — the surviving original members of the legendary British group that lost maniacal drummer Keith Moon in 1978 and bassist John Entwistle in 2002 — have rattled North American stages impressively since mid-September. They will make a stop Wednesday in Grand Rapids' Van Andel Arena. The band last played the arena on a U.S. tour in August 2002.

"We've played as many as 11 new songs in our two-hour show," Townshend said. "Audiences are supportive, but sometimes there is a hiatus of energy as they take in unfamiliar material. Many of our crowd will be hoping for an old personal favorite, and we have to try to offer as much familiar