Photos by CARLOS GONZALEZ • cgonzalez@startribune.com

Guitarist Pete Townshend, at age 70, did not disappoint with his guitar work when the Who performed at Target Center on Sunday. The legendary British rock group is on its final tour and most likely will not be returning to the Twin Cities.

At the end of "Love Reign O'er Me," Daltrey didn't even reach for the stratospheric passages; instead, he dropped to his deepest range, singing notes in a most unmusical manner.

To be sure, Daltrey had his strong vocal moments — "Bargain," "You Better You Bet," "See Me, Feel Me," "Baba O'Riley" — but not throughout the entire song. Only on the closing "Won't Get Fooled Again" did Daltrey turn back time in full-throated glory.

Thankfully, Daltrey's partner in the Who — actually the only other survivor from the original quartet — Pete Townshend, was consistently terrific all night.

Townshend, who will turn 71 this month, was a chatty, amiable emcee, a monstrous guitarist and an age-defying showman. He saved the show by the Two, who were supported by six musicians.

Actually, the band sounded first-rate all night, buoyed by drummer Zak Starkey, Ringo Starr's kid who has been with the Who since 1996. Original drummer Keith Moon died in 1978 and original bassist John Entwistle died in 2002.

Between songs, Townshend turned into the naughty professor, giving the back story and context of many songs and adding personal touches about such things as his boyhood porn collection of women in bathing suits that he kept under his bed.

Townshend acquitted himself as a singer (loved his verse on "Baba O'Riley"), but it was his guitar work — and those much-imitated and heroic windmills — that carried the show.

Drummer Zak Starkey, the son of Ringo Starr, performed with the Who at Target Center. Starkey, like the rest of the band, played well.

With maybe half the dudes in the crowd playing air guitar along with him, Townshend got all trippy psychedelic on "My Generation," rocked out with multilayered operatic splendor on the instrumental "The Rock" and showed amazing versatility on the medley from "Tommy" including "Amazing Journey," "Pinball Wizard" and "See Me, Feel Me."

But Townshend delivered his tour de force on the finale, "Won't Get Fooled Again," summoning the ferocious punk fury of a golden-aged man. The geezer was all right, indeed.

At the end of the two-hour concert, the glib guitarist commented to the 10,000 fans, "We do our best. We're really too old for this. And from what I can see, you're much too young."

@JonBream • 612-673-1719