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Touring is in the blood for many rock stars, even after a long career spent on the road and in front of fans. Pete Townshend has been on the road again lately with a recent 17-date North American tour with The Who alongside bandmate Roger Daltrey. The 80-year-old guitarist recently opened up about life as a touring musician at his age, and how “lonely” it can be at times — even as he has a deep sense of gratitude for still being able to perform. However, that feeling may change soon. Daltrey and Townshend have opened up about The Who’s future, and fans may be at the end of an era.

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

The sentiment seems to sum up the mixed emotions of a life spent on stage to a certain extent. It may be a privilege to still be able to play shows, but there is also a certain exhaustion that comes from decades of touring. Townshend, too, is coming to terms with this idea. Despite The Who’s early breakup years ago, the band has since become much more than a simple ensemble. “It’s a brand rather than a band. Roger and I have a duty to the music and the history,” he explained. “The Who [still] sells records — the Moon and Entwistle families have become millionaires. There’s also something more, really: the art, the creative work, is when we perform it. We’re celebrating. We’re a Who tribute band.”

In that statement, Townshend also referenced late Who members, drummer Keith Moon and bassist John Entwistle. This, combined with his musings on what else there is to do with one’s life beyond playing music, is a further indication of the current state of the band and its members. In addition, Townshend has implied that there is more personal reflection that touring still leaves room for. “It does whet an appetite to think about how we should bow out in our personal lives — what we do with our families and our friends and everything else at this age,” he added. “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.”

As The Who enter what could be their last stage chapter, the uncertainty still holds some excitement for a band who have been playing together for over five decades. At the very least, the thought of never playing at all can make live shows in the present seem that much more special and rejuvenating for Townshend.

Roger Daltrey Shares Health Update, Tour Thoughts, and Plans for the Future

Roger Daltrey is on the road and a similar emotional journey with his bandmate Townshend. Last month, he and the latter were performing at the Teenage Cancer Trust charity event in London. “Fortunately, I still have my voice, because then I’ll have a full Tommy,” he told the crowd, referring to the character of the rock opera The Who released in 1969. Citing the famous lyric, Daltrey added: “Deaf, dumb and blind kid.”

In an interview with The Times earlier this month, Daltrey went on to reflect further on his health and his thoughts on the future of the band. In particular, the 80-year-old singer used language that seems to confirm to fans what they have long feared: the band is in its last phase. “This is certainly the last time you will see us on tour,” he said. “It’s grueling.”

Daltrey has had his oerspective on how much work the band has put in, night after night of performing, particularly during the Who’s prime years. “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 said. Now, at his age, this level of energy and commitment to a physical activity has its limits.

One-off concerts are still a possibility for the future, but it is unclear what The Who would do in that scenario. “As to whether we’ll play [one-off] concerts again, I don’t know. The Who to me is very perplexing,” Daltrey said. It is that perplexity that will mark The Who and its future for many: an institution, a vestige of a bygone time, and a creative force at once.

Daltrey said he has no doubts, at least about his voice and its abilities at his age. “My voice is still as good as ever,” he said.

The 17-date tour across North America is in the process of becoming a thing of the past, and it may well be the last ftime ans see Daltrey and Townshend on stage together as The Who. At the same time, it is also a celebration of decades of music, history, and survival that both Townshend and Daltrey have been through. “We’re lucky to be alive,” Townshend concluded.