Who from page E1

ence was made of lava.

That doesn't mean the band couldn't deliver a good time for the full arena, and occasionally show a little fury. Daltrey and Townshend were in a "Behind the Music" mood, telling four stories to the audience by the end of their first four songs. Townshend announced it was his birthday — he turned 71 on Thursday — and talked about the band's June 1967 performance at the Monterey Pop Festival.

"Go to the Monterey Museum and see the chaos that we left behind," Townshend quipped.

The only chaos at Oracle Arena was on the distractingly literal video screen behind the band, which showed a giant blue eye for "Behind Blue Eyes," and a sparsely clouded vista for "I Can See for Miles." At other times, the screen showed footage and photos from earlier in the band's career, and artistic tributes to deceased band members Moon (who died in 1978) and bassist John Entwistle (2002).

The old rage surfaced briefly during "Baba O'Riley" and "Love, Reign O'er Me," two songs that are difficult to perform without getting extra fired up. Townshend was at his most electric during a pair of instrumentals, especially "Sparks" from the album "Tommy." The band's encores set ended with "Won't Get Fooled Again."

If this indeed is the final tour (the band has been saying that since the first time Jerry Brown was governor), then no one in the audience can complain they didn't get to hear the hits. The 21 songs seemed to be chosen by focus group, including "Eminence Front" and "You Better

Photos by Connor Radnovich / The Chronicle

Roger Daltrey of the Who performs during a concert at Oracle Arena in Oakland.

You Bet" representing the lackluster 1980s. "Magic Bus" and "Substitute" were the only glaring omissions.

Other highlights included "My Generation" and "Bar-

Pete Townshend, left, shows his appreciation to the crowd, some of whom wore hats and lit candles, above, to celebrate his 71st birthday.

gain," songs that allowed Daltrey to bellow the lyrics over the work of Townshend and the six other musicians onstage, including two keyboard players. The first half of "Be-

If this indeed is the final tour (the band has been saying that since the first time Jerry Brown was governor), then no one in the audience can complain they didn't get to hear the hits.

end with "Love, Reign O'er Me.")

Zak Starkey, touring drummer for exactly two decades, still isn't an official member of the band with his face on the promotion materials, but his reliable skill has merited him an elevated perch onstage and near-constant literal spotlight. The rest of the band played more in the shadows, expertly complementing the legends onstage without calling attention to themselves for more than a moment or two.

Like the band itself, the Who's lyrics have experienced their own twisting journey. Calling someone a "deaf, dumb and blind kid" would get you kicked out of most bars in San Francisco in 2016. The line "I hope I die before I get old" has gone from sounding brazen to foolish to ironic.

The best mantra for this concert was from "Baba O'Riley": "Let's get together, before we get much older." It's a nice sentiment for a band that remains enjoyable, and deserves as many goodbyes and victory laps as it can muster.

hind Blue Eyes," one of the few songs where Daltrey's vocals were isolated, was more of a struggle, highlighting the singer's diminished range. (He made a nice comeback near the