Heath McCoy
The Who performed a sold-out show Thursday at the Saddledome.
So how does one of the greatest, most dangerous bands in rock history come off in their twilight years when two of their original members have since passed on?
Well, guitarist-songwriter Pete Townshend, 61, looks more like a college professor than a rock star. That is, until he physically throws himself into his music, which he still does as seen Thursday night at The Who's Saddledome gig.
Then he looks like a college professor with a bit of wild-eyed rock star in his blood.
On raucous Who classics like Who Are You and Anyway Anyhow Anywhere, Townshend proved he's still got fire in his belly, even if his joints are a lot more creaky now when he pulls off those slashing windmill power chords.
As an inspired guitar player however, the Who's brainiac still has some fine chops.
As for the Who's blond belter, 62-year-old Roger Daltrey -- he still looks every bit the jock: muscular and rugged in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.
As for the vocals, Daltrey's not at his peak. He struggles with some of the high harmonies and during Behind Blue Eyes he had trouble capturing the emotive power he used to summon up.
Most of the night he nailed it, though, and when he did, his bluesy bark sounding particularly potent during Who Are You, you knew exactly why the world fell in love with him.
As for the danger factor?
When Daltrey told the crowd, "I wish I could join you in a toot," explained that he's now allergic to pot, and asked folks in the front rows not to toke -- well, it was funny and honest, but it was also a far cry from the 'orrible Who of yore.
Townshend made light of it, shouting out an anti-drug slogan. He also recounted the Who's Calgary shows of the late-'60s when the stage was set up on a Corral floor covered in cow-dung. Priceless.
To be clear, I'm a rabid Who fan. If you want to see rock in its most beautiful state -- wild, raw and spiritually liberating, check out the Who's live shows up to the mid-'70s. Nobody did it better. Nobody.
This was all too clear as the modern Who played old footage on the screens behind them, from the days when they were young, lean and half mad. At times, that footage was so cool, it upstaged the action onstage.
But that's from an era where the band boasted a once-in-a-lifetime chemistry that included Keith Moon's maniacal drumming and John Entwistle's thunderous bass lines. Those guys were irreplaceable. Now that they're gone, can the Who still be the Who? Not really. Not that Who. Hence the press's billing of this incarnation as The Two.
The Two bravely struggled, against the relative indifference of a crowd that wanted the hits, when they performed a chunk of material from their upcoming Endless Wire record.
But The Two also had more than their share of superb moments. How could they not with one of the richest song rosters in rock under their belts?
Standouts included Baba O'Riley, or the CSI song as most young'uns know it today, where Zak Starkey, son of Ringo Starr, proved himself to be a powerhouse drummer in his own right.
Then there was a cool, funky Eminence Front and, at press time, a slamming run through one of rock's defining songs, My Generation.
If you hit the 'Dome looking for the Who of your youth, you might have left dissatisfied. But if you could appreciate times do change, well, you saw a band that still has a lot to offer, even if they're no longer kings of the rock ring.
