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Pete Townshend just returned to touring, and the 17-date North American trek with Roger Daltrey has him reflecting on what it’s like to do so at this stage in his life. The legendary guitarist says at 80, he finds himself on the road a lot, which can be isolating, but Townshend is also very thankful to have the opportunity to continue performing.

“It can be lonely,” Townshend said. “I’ve thought, ‘Well, this is my job. I’m happy to have the work, but I prefer to be doing something else.’ And then I think, ‘Well, I’m 80 years old. Why shouldn’t I revel in it? Why shouldn’t I celebrate?”

For Townshend, the “loneliness” of touring, along with the fatigue, is both a product of gratitude for having the chance to do it at all and the realization that The Who, nearly 60 years after taking the world by storm, has become something bigger than the musicians behind it. “It’s a brand rather than a band,” he explained. “Roger and I have a duty to the music and the history. The Who [still] sells records, you know? The Moon and Entwistle families have become millionaires. But then also something more, really: the art, the creative work, is when we perform it. We’re celebrating. We’re a Who tribute band.”

In addition to that comment referencing the late drummer Keith Moon and bassist John Entwistle, Townshend also brought up how the stage work in particular raises questions about how he and Daltrey should bow out on a personal level and what they do in their own lives with their families, their friends, and everything else at this age. “We’re lucky to be alive. I’m looking forward to playing. Roger likes to throw wild cards out sometimes in the set, and we have learned and rehearsed a few songs that we don’t always play.”

In other words, even after all this time, Townshend still wants to be surprised, which is one of the few elements that hasn’t changed about live performances over the years.

Roger Daltrey on His Health, Touring, and Life After The Who

Roger Daltrey is right there with Townshend in terms of both how rewarding and taxing this life can be. This year, while performing with his bandmate at the Teenage Cancer Trust charity concert in London, Daltrey spoke to the audience and shared an update on his health. “Fortunately, I still have my voice, because then I’ll have a full Tommy,” he said, referencing the title character from The Who’s 1969 rock opera. Daltrey then quoted a memorable line from the show, “Deaf, dumb, and blind kid.”

Later in an interview with The Times this month, Daltrey, 80, opened up even further about life after the upcoming tour. “This is certainly the last time you will see us on tour,” he said in what sounded like a closing statement to the band’s fans who have followed them for decades. “It’s grueling.”

Daltrey mused on how much harder it used to be to sing The Who’s music night after night, especially during their busiest periods. “In the days when I was singing Who songs for three hours a night, six nights a week, I was working harder than most footballers,” he recalled. “Now I’m 80. The idea of doing that, traveling and playing in Russia one night, America the next, now is a bit of a challenge.”

Daltrey was also asked about flans for the band after this tour and whether they would still consider one-off performances, to which his answer was less than certain. “As to whether we’ll play [one-off] concerts again, I don’t know. The Who to me is very perplexing,” he said. Part ongoing project, part living memory, and part legendary institution, the name itself holds up a mirror to what the band has meant over the years.

Daltrey was quick to assure fans that he could still hit the same notes, no matter how loud or high. “My voice is still as good as ever,” he said. In many ways, that’s all the longtime fans will want to hear about their heroes at this point.

The North American tour will span 17 dates and is likely the last chance for many in those locales to catch Townshend and Daltrey performing together as The Who. For the artists, there is a sense of both mourning and appreciation for what The Who has meant over the years, as well as reflection on what it means to get older and the legacy they leave behind.

The Who is a way of life now in that it’s not just about preserving the music but what they represent: the lives, the families, and the friendships that are brought together by the songs and the years of surviving and creating. For the music to have meaning at all, Townshend and Daltrey must first remember that they were lucky enough to be alive to share it in the first place.