The Who, still holding up its end of the British Invasion, returned to Pittsburgh for the 10th time in 50 years Wednesday night more in the spirit of “long live rock” than “hope I die before I get old.”

Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend are two years into The Who Hits 50! Tour as members of what has to be rock’s most powerhouse septuagenarian club.

The Who’s frontmen, having lost what is now the heaven band’s rhythm section, arrived at Consol Energy Center with muscular backup from Simon Townshend (Pete’s brother) on guitar, longtime bassist Pino Palladino, drummer Zak Starkey (offspring of Ringo Starr) and trio of keyboard players.

While almost half of The Who’s trips here have centered on one of the band’s two groundbreaking rock operas — “Tommy” and “Quadrophenia” — this one was just a freewheeling trip back through the classic tracks, from 1965’s “My Generation” to 1982’s “Eminence Front.”

They hit the stage strong doing their own sort-of title track, “Who Are You,” with the 70-year-old Townshend, in a gray T-shirt and shades, scratching at his red Stratocaster and windmilling like the Pete of old. Remember ’89 when he could only play acoustic? He was so much older then.