(Sun Media)

There’s just something about a Blue Rodeo performance that feels very Canadian.

Aside from their lyrical references to the Great White North, they’ve played on Parliament Hill for Canada Day, and they’ve been representing Canadian pop culture for over two decades – touring the globe, releasing 11 albums and winning seven Juno Awards along the way. They’re good hometown boys.

But that works both ways, because while they might be politely entertaining, they can also sound overwhelmingly plain.

On Thursday night, they performed a lengthy set at the Molson Amphitheatre, and while portions of the show dragged on, the band also incorporated some interesting local references.

For example, the large screen behind the band displayed a Toronto skyline at one point, giving fans on the lawn a chance to compare it to the real thing. Later on, the screen showed a Ferris wheel, as if someone tore down a few walls so the crowd could see the CNE.

Before the band arrived, however, a young American walked onstage with his four-piece backing band.

“I want to say thank you to immigration for letting us through,” joked Josh Ritter, looking younger than his 31 years.

He played a series of uptempo folk songs, including the driving Mind’s Eye. His band performed with the enthusiasm of a group at their first high school talent show – grinning at one another and staring out across the large venue before wrapping up a quick set.

Then, Blue Rodeo strapped on their gear and launched into Till I Am Myself Again. Next, moody stage lights accompanied Rain Down on Me, and an obvious trend started to take hold – whenever the vocals would begin, a wave of cheers would follow. It gave most songs a dramatic opening.

Greg Keelor then announced that they would be throwing in a series of songs from their newest album, Small Miracles, and prefaced Black Ribbon with the greatest introduction of the night: “This is a love song that I wrote for the grim reaper.”

At first, the dramatic tune sounded great, especially with the addition of two young whippersnappers on backing vocals – soulful couple Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland. Unfortunately, even with the guest stars, the song eventually wore thin and dissolved into a series of lengthy solos. You had to question the band’s decision to insert a seven-minute instrumental break so early in the set.

From then on, things felt a bit humdrum. Bassist Bazil Donovan remained still as a statue, and multi-instrumentalist Bob Egan, talented as he was, spent most of the time sitting down and occasionally plunking his slide guitar.

So, when the band finally played 5 Days in May, things felt refreshingly dangerous. At the climax, Keelor strummed his acoustic guitar so violently that you wondered if the strings were going to snap off and sting his hands.

Then, they performed a passionate rendition of Hasn’t Hit Me Yet, a song that brought people out of their seats and convinced them to sing along. The loudest cheer accompanied the reference to Lake Ontario in the final verse.

An enthusiastic male fan hoisted his tallboy can into the air, saluting his hometown heroes and singing along with lyrics about chilly northern winters.

The whole thing seemed very Canadian, and while it wasn’t the music event of the summer, it’s nice to feel patriotic every now and then.