The Who singer Roger Daltrey, left, and guitarist Pete Townshend perform Wednesday in Brooklyn.

To the delight of the faithful, Pete Townshend had windmilled a few times, sweeping his arm around as he strummed in his signature move. He'd banged his fist on his guitar strings and slashed his way through "The Real Me."

Warmed up and thoroughly comfortable with the marathon he was about to run at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, the Who guitarist stepped to the microphone for his first lead vocal of the evening — "Cut My Hair," a story of a young Mod straining to fit in with the crowd. As he sang, he flashed a mischievous smile. For a moment, the 67-year-old rock star looked like an impish kid.

Townshend and his old running mate Roger Daltrey have reconvened the Who for another trip through "Quadrophenia," the 1973 rock opera that is both more grounded and more ambitious than the better-known "Tommy." The tour, which will stop at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 5 and the Prudential Center on Dec. 6, is billed as Quadrophenia and More — but that "more," which included FM radio standards such as "Pinball Wizard" and "Baba O'Riley," was roughly appended to the set list.

ON MUSIC Tris McCall

They followed an hour and a half of "Quadrophenia," played from start to finish without a break or audience interaction.

If you're a rock fan, you'll probably agree that there can never be too much "Baba O'Riley." But even when Daltrey's voice is in fine, gruff form, as it was on Wednesday, there isn't much he can add to a song that has been in heavy rotation on FM radio for the last three decades.

"Quadrophenia," on the other hand, is territory less traveled, even by casual Who fans. This concert was a gift for the devoted — those who recognize the rock opera as one of the fullest and most sustained realizations of Townshend's vision. If you only know the Who from their blockbuster singles, this show may not be the best place to start. But if you have

The Who Where and when: Madison Square Garden, New York, Dec. 5 at 7:30 p.m.; Prudential Center, Newark, Dec. 6 at 7:30 p.m.; with Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney and others at the 12-12-12 Hurricane Sandy relief concert at Madison Square Garden, Dec. 12; Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, Feb. 12 at 7:30 p.m. How much: $39.50 to $129.50 for Dec. 5 or 6 or Feb. 12; call (800) 745-3000 or visit ticketmaster.com. Ticket information is not yet available for Dec. 12.

memorized all the skits on "The Who Sell Out" and can sing along to "Ivor the Engine Driver," this staging is required viewing.

"Quadrophenia" is not a difficult album, but it is a deep one. Even in 1973, it was a work of nostalgia — a band born in the Mod subculture telling a story about a confused teenager and his attempt to find himself. It is the rare rock opera with very little bloat. Unlike "Tommy," which occasionally gets bogged down by