At the end of the night, after a thrilling performance of the Who classic “Baba O’Riley” that had all of us old folks in the Hollywood Bowl belting out lyrics about teenage wastelands, singer Roger Daltrey thanked Pete Townshend, his musical partner for more than 50 years, for writing so many terrific tunes in that time.

“Our youth is gone, our glamour is gone, but the music is better than ever,” said Daltrey, 75, to Townshend, 74.

He was speaking specifically of the Who, who return to the Hollywood Bowl for shows with an orchestra on Sunday, Oct. 13, and Thursday, Oct. 24, but he might have been talking about any of the British band’s septuagenarian peers who’ve come through town this year.

Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend of The Who perform the first of three nights at the Hollywood Bowl on Friday. (Photo by Kelly A. Swift, Contributing Photographer)

Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend of The Who perform the first of three nights at the Hollywood Bowl on Friday. (Photo by Kelly A. Swift, Contributing Photographer)

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The Who play the first of three nights at the Hollywood Bowl on Friday. (Photo by Kelly A. Swift, Contributing Photographer)

Pete Townshend of The Who performs the first of three nights at the Hollywood Bowl on Friday. (Photo by Kelly A. Swift, Contributing Photographer)

Roger Daltrey of The Who performs the first of three nights at the Hollywood Bowl on Friday. (Photo by Kelly A. Swift, Contributing Photographer)



Zak Starkey of The Who performs the first of three nights at the Hollywood Bowl on Friday. (Photo by Kelly A. Swift, Contributing Photographer)

Roger Daltrey of The Who performs the first of three nights at the Hollywood Bowl on Friday. (Photo by Kelly A. Swift, Contributing Photographer)

Pete Townshend of The Who performs the first of three nights at the Hollywood Bowl on Friday. (Photo by Kelly A. Swift, Contributing Photographer)

Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend of The Who perform the first of three nights at the Hollywood Bowl on Friday. (Photo by Kelly A. Swift, Contributing Photographer)

Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend of The Who perform the first of three nights at the Hollywood Bowl on Friday. (Photo by Kelly A. Swift, Contributing Photographer)



Roger Daltrey of The Who performs the first of three nights at the Hollywood Bowl on Friday. (Photo by Kelly A. Swift, Contributing Photographer)

Roger Daltrey of The Who performs the first of three nights at the Hollywood Bowl on Friday. (Photo by Kelly A. Swift, Contributing Photographer)

Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend of The Who perform the first of three nights at the Hollywood Bowl on Friday. (Photo by Kelly A. Swift, Contributing Photographer)

The Who play the first of three nights at the Hollywood Bowl on Friday. (Photo by Kelly A. Swift, Contributing Photographer)

Liam Gallagher opens for The Who at the Hollywood Bowl on Friday. (Photo by Kelly A. Swift, Contributing Photographer)



Liam Gallagher opens for The Who at the Hollywood Bowl on Friday. (Photo by Kelly A. Swift, Contributing Photographer)

Liam Gallagher opens for The Who at the Hollywood Bowl on Friday. (Photo by Kelly A. Swift, Contributing Photographer)

Elton John, Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones and Rod Stewart all got their starts in the 1960s, and yet their shows in Los Angeles in 2019 have been some of the best of the year.

Not because Elton can hit all the high notes or Paul is still puppy dog cute. Not because Mick Jagger and Keith Richards still seem dangerous. Most of us long ago decided whether or not we think Rod is sexy.

The music is some just as good, or better, than it ever was.

The Who’s Moving On! tour arrived on Friday with an orchestral section featuring six songs from the band’s rock opera “Tommy,” starting with its opening “Overture” and ending with the album’s final track, “We’re Not Gonna Take It.”

These are songs that sound great with the full orchestra playing behind Daltrey, Townshend and the band that includes such longtime touring partners as Pete’s brother Simon Townshend on guitar and Ringo’s son Zak Starkey on drums.

“Pinball Wizard” was, of course, the highlight of the “Tommy” tunes, but as that album ended, the orchestra — local musicians joined by the Who’s touring violinist and cellist, Katie Jacoby and Audrey Snyder, respectively — stuck around for fan favorites that included the propulsive rocker “Who Are You” and “Eminence Front,” with its funky rhythms percolating beneath Townshend’s guitar riffs and vocal.

Townshend, who later sang lead vocals on “The One,” has a bit more gravel in his voice these days, but it suits his delivery. And he showed off his trademark leaps with knees bent or legs split, though he doesn’t get quite as much air as he used to.

Daltrey, who in the past has at times seemed to need a few numbers to get his voice stretched out, sounded great from the start, hitting all the high notes he attempted, though a newer acoustic arrangement of “Won’t Get Fooled Again” lets him avoid that throat-shredding scream at the end.

The orchestra during the middle of the show so the band could rock hard through some of its oldest hits. Townshend, who was often quite funny in his banter between songs, announced it as “us pretending to be the band we used to be — and I think we do a pretty good job of it.”

Highlights here included the ’60s mod classics “The Kids Are Alright” and “Substitute,” the later “You Better You Bet,” which had most of the crowd singing enthusiastically along, and the always lovely “Behind Blue Eyes.”

The orchestra back on stage, the final third of the set opened with “Ball and Chain,” one of two strong new songs the Who played off “Who,” the new album out next month, and then segued into five tracks from “Quadrophenia,” its other classic rock opera.

Of those, “5:15” was the early highlight, while “Love, Reign Over Me,” with Daltrey’s soaring vocals, Townshend’s guitar, and the orchestra filling the windy L.A. night with music, was simply glorious before “Baba O’Riley” wrapped up the two-hour-and-15-minute show.

Former Oasis singer Liam Gallagher opened the night with a tight, 25-minute set that focused on songs from his new album, “Why Me? Why Not.” Highlights included the hard groove of “Shockwave” and the gentler acoustic ballad “Once,” though his closing number, the Oasis hit “Champagne Supernova,” was surely the one most people pulled their iPhones out to record.

The Who

When: Friday, Oct. 11. Also Sunday, Oct. 13 and Thursday, Oct. 24.

Where: The Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles