THE WHO

Roger Daltrey, left, and Pete Townshend, of The Who, perform Tuesday at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids. Cory Morse, MLive.com

Rock legends return

The Who, at Van Andel Arena for the third time, still packs a punch

John Gonzalez

gonzo@mlive.com

GRAND RAPIDS — Nothing beats a night of classic rock 'n' roll!

First, the legendary rock band The Who was in town to play in front of a near-capacity crowd at Van Andel Arena.

Then, for 20-plus songs and two hours on stage, lead singer Roger Daltrey and guitarist Pete Townshend put on a show that left no question that The Who still rocks.

The show was so tight, so focused on musicianship that you almost didn't realize the duo was backed by six musicians, including the stellar drumming of Zak Starkey, the son of Ringo Starr and godson of the late Who drummer Keith Moon.

It took songs such as "Love, Reign O'er Me," "Baba O'Riley" and the powerful instrumental "The Rock" (the soundtrack to a video montage of historical events over the past five decades) that you realized the sum of this powerful group was much greater than its parts.

REMEMBERING EARLY MICHIGAN SUCCESS

Early in the show, Townshend revealed an early Michigan connection for the band.

“Do you know that The Who’s first hit record was in Michigan?”

He said the song was "Happy Jack," and he sang a few words from the 1967 hit, which made it into the Top 40.

"And we played in Ann Arbor, and some guys in a band called MC5 came to see us," Townshend recalled.

The show closed with "Won't Get Fooled Again,” followed by a five-minute “thank you for coming out to see us,” band introductions and speculation about whether the band would continue touring.

"All I would like to say it’s been fabulous every time we come to Michigan. … We’ve been coming here for 50 years,” Daltrey said.

But will they be back?

"I hope so," Daltrey added. "We say it’s the beginning of a long goodbye, but equally, it might be the end. Keep the faith."

It was the band’s third show at Van Andel Arena. The band also played in Grand Rapids in 2002 and 2006.

A near-sellout crowd welcomed The Who to Van Andel Arena. Cory Morse, MLive.com

Lindy Robinson and her grandson, Ethan Gillikin, 10, watch The Who perform. They traveled to see the concert from Beaufort, North Carolina. Cory Morse, MLive.com