Quadrophenia: On Simon, Scott and the dirty jobs.

As there is time, I'll write more about the Who's performance of "Quadrophenia" on Saturday night, but first, two subplots.

Simon Townshend is Pete Townshend's (quite) younger brother, and he has long performed with his sibling in the studio and on tours, and is often featured on lead guitar. Simon also is a regular member of Roger Daltrey's touring band. In fact, a highlight of Daltrey's gig at Horseshoe Casino a few year's back was Simon's passionate reading of "Goin' Mobile."

It's my only clear memory of the Daltrey show, apart from watching, fascinated, as the elderly Daltrey showed more and more cleavage as the evening progressed (the missus asks whether Daltrey, 68, has had plastic surgery on his chest).

One of Simon's own regular bandmates is drummer Scott Devours, also a Daltrey sideman, whose name reached national ears earlier this month when he became a last-minute, emergency substitute for regular Who drummer Zak Starkey (Ringo Starr's son), who became ill and unable to play two or three shows preceding the one in Louisville. I was expecting Devours to play drums on Saturday.

On Saturday night, Simon took the lead on "The Dirty Jobs" and did a fine job with this criminally under-rated song; upon closer examination, he's been singing it during Who performances since the mid-1990's and seems to have adopted it as his own.

And, Zak returned to the drum kit on Saturday night. He is the lynchpin of late period Who, a band that seems to have dispensed with the notion of audible rock and roll bass since the Ox died.

But: If there were any remaining doubts as to the ability of Devours to occupy Zak's chair, watch and listen (above) as he quotes Keith Moon's drum licks like a true disciple, while Simon's band does "The Dirty Jobs."

"It's easy to see that you are one of us -- ain't it funny how we all seem to look the same?"

I insist on thinking that Thomas Barrow would approve.