ORILLIA -- As the familiar saying goes, what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger.

The Barenaked Ladies seem to know that saying all too well. This summer, the band's squeaky-clean image went on life support as two high-profile incidents nearly derailed the group's career.

Last night, as they arrived at Casino Rama for the first show of a two-night stand, one question lingered in every-one's mind -- would the band acknowledge the past two months?

Yes, it was a tough summer to be Barenaked. On July 11, singer Steven Page was arrested in upstate New York and charged with possession of a controlled substance. He admitted to police that he was snorting cocaine in his girlfriend's apartment. The singer pleaded not guilty -- he appears in court again in October -- to the felony that could carry a sentence of five and a half years in state prison if he is convicted.

It was curious timing, especially since the group had just released Snacktime! -- a children's album.

Then, on August 24, Page's bandmate Ed Robertson crashed his float plane near Baptiste Lake in Eastern Ontario. Thankfully, Robertson and his three passengers walked away unharmed.

So, before the band took the stage, even casino employees mentioned that they were surprised that the band was still able to perform.

As the five musicians walked onstage, the lights remained low. Slowly, each member became illuminated, as the band opened with their well-known cover of Bruce Cockburn's Lovers in a Dangerous Time.

It was a suitable song choice -- with lyrics like "you've got to kick at the darkness until the light bleeds through" --given the group's recent tough times. The lyrical connections to their current situation could be spotted in other songs throughout the set, with snippets such as "anyone perfect must be lying", "you can always get it right next time" and "what if I lost my direction?"

Then, during Falling for the First Time, Robertson snuck a slight alteration into the chorus. As soon as he sang, "it feels just like I'm crashing for the first time", the crowd roared.

"Well," said Page during a break between songs, "how was your summer?"

"... 'Cause ours sucked a pile of a--," said Robertson with a smile. They then broke into an impressive freestyle rap session that included lines that asked for "reprieve from the things you have seen in the headlines lately."

And while most people wouldn't advise snorting cocaine or crashing a plane to reinvigorate a music career, the band performed with zest, like they needed to prove themselves.

Indeed, Page's cheesy dance moves seeped with extra zing, and the group's ballads became loaded with extra meaning, as if you were watching a rock opera about the rise and fall of a celebrity.

"Thank you for the outpouring of support," said Robertson, who then acknowledged supportive emails from fans.

Their trademark humour was in full effect, as they launched into funny bits about American Olympic prowess, small-town Ontarians and the flatulence that Roberton's sister once gave him for his birthday.

They excelled when they stuck to their hits, such as The Old Apartment, Jane and Brian Wilson. Things got a bit lame when they dipped into tunes, like Eraser, from their kids album.

Overall, the 20-year-old band sounded as good as ever, especially in their rock-solid vocal harmonies.

And whether or not you sympathized with the two troubled frontmen, you had to give them credit for transferring their disasters into a spirited performance.