Steve Hochman and Mary Herczog, a Los Angeles couple, were there.

Mary Herczog, describes herself as a travel writer and a big fan of The Who, and has been since she was 15, when Keith Moon died.

Roger looked 10 years older, I guess because he'd been crying so much

Mary Herczog

"We went thinking it would be triumphant or a train wreck. It was neither," she said.

"The show that they put on, minus a few lights, could have been on a club stage.

"By that I mean it was that relaxed and loose. Not big and slickly choreographed like a Rolling Stones production."

Crying

She found the first numbers particularly touching.

"Pete and Roger came out and hugged and did Can't Explain then Substitute. Roger tried to say a few words.

"'Thank you'...it was the best he could do, then he started to well up and he walked away from the mic.

John Entwistle: Tributes from band and fans

"Pete was wearing sunglasses and I've never seen him do that at a concert before.

"He was hiding his eyes. Roger looked 10 years older, I guess because he'd been crying so much."

But the music did not suffer, she said.

"They were wonderful, as good a rock and roll band as it ever gets. It was ragged in a way that big rock shows rarely are these days.

"Roger even forgot the words to a song. Pete said: 'Even without that sonic bombardment that comes from the right side of the stage, we sound pretty good' - and they did."

Steve Hochman writes music reviews and has a pop music column for the Los Angeles Times.

Cathartic

"I thought it was quite a good show. There were no disasters, no throwing of things, despite it being The Who.

Some people brought flowers, and there were some candles and a little shrine on the way out

Steve Hochman

"It not only addressed some of the emotions at hand but had a huge cathartic power."

The pressure on bassist Pino Palladino, standing in for the late John Entwistle, did not show.

"Pino was terrific. He didn't take people's mind's off of Entwistle. But he's a fantastic musician.

"He took a few appropriate liberties of his own, but he's accomplished enough that it didn't matter.

"There were no wrong notes. The moment that brought the most attention was My Generation and he didn't do it note for note, but I don't know that John ever did! He did nothing to put the spotlight on himself."

The fans' reaction to the unusual circumstances was mixed.

"I did not see people in tears, with banners or homemade t-shirts, but some people brought flowers, and there were some candles and a little shrine on the way out.

"People wanted to do something but they weren't sure what. I think most everybody there felt they got what they came for."