TORONTO - There's life in the old band yet.

And I say that with the utmost respect.

Alt-country-rock-pop veterans Blue Rodeo played with real fire and passion on Tuesday night at Massey Hall as the Toronto group - who formed 25 years ago and are still going strong - launched a three-night stand at the hallowed venue.

Currently touring Canada in support of last fall's intriguing double album, The Things We Left Behind, accomplished singer-songwriting-guitarists Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor led the charge backed by bassist Bazil Donovan, drummer Glenn Milchem, multi-instrumentalist Bob Egan and new keyboardist Michael Boguski, the latter who was given a wide berth to play extended solos and rarely disappointed.

That core of six were often joined by Cuff The Duke's Wayne Petti on acoustic guitar and backing vocals, fiddler Anne Lindsay, cellist Julian Armour and Julie Fader on backup vocals and flute.

It was a formidable group, especially when they all came together in a united front as they did on the evening's standout song, a rambling, jammy and elaborate version of 5 Days In May that featured stellar animated solos by Boguski and Lindsay in particular.

That older song was the two-hour-and-10-minute concert's defining moment - exciting, exhilarating, almost transcendent - but there were plenty of other notable tunes too.

Plenty of new tracks from the strings-and-piano-driven The Things We Left Behind were among the show's highlights like the opening upbeat duo of Never Look Back and One More Night, the pretty Don't Let The Darkness In Your Head, One Light Left In Heaven - which Cuddy dedicated to recently deceased Canadian author and musician Paul Quarrington ("No one lived the last year of their life more fully," he said), And When You Wake Up, and Gossip, and the mid-tempo Million Miles and Arizona Dust.

Of Blue Rodeo's extensive back catalogue, the joyous Head Over Heels, It Could Happen To You, Rose-Coloured Glasses, and What Am I Doing Here, were standouts.

And then Cuddy and Keelor pulled out all the crowd-pleasing stops in the show's final stretch.

They stood side-by-side at the front of the stage, singing almost a capella, save for a few strums on Keelor's guitar, the opening verses of Heart Of Mine, while the audience hooted and hollered, before launching into the plugged-in version, which finally drew dozens of dancing girls to the front of the stage at the show's 90 minute mark.

"You don't have to be a girl to dance," joked Cuddy, afterwards.

Still, the women remained glued to their spots and Cuddy worked them like an expert showman and the band's resident sex symbol during the next song, Trust Yourself, which featured him doing a slinky guitar solo along the front of the stage.

Keelor upped the ante on the next song, Hasn't Hit Me Yet, as he encouraged the audience to help out, and everyone obediently stood and sang the song's first couple of verses before he and the rest of the band eventually joined in.

And then there was the set-ending Diamond Mine, simply a classic that has stood the test of time.

By the time the trio of encore songs - Til I Am Myself, Try and Lost Together featuring opening act Dustin Bentall and his band - were rolled out, the crowd was positively giddy.

There is a definite sense of community at a Blue Rodeo show and everyone just seems happy to be a part of it.

SET LIST:

Never Look Back

One More Night

Rain Down On Me

Don't Let The Darkness In Your Head

Head Over Heels

It Could Happen To You

One Light Left In Heaven

Rose-Coloured Glasses

All The Things That Are Left Behind

5 Days In May

Million Miles

What Am I Doing Here

And When You Wake Up

Gossip

Arizona Dust

Heart Like Mine

Trust Yourself

Hasn't Hit Me Yet

Diamond Mine

Encore:

Til I Am Myself Again

Try

Lost Together