TORONTO - Eric Clapton got his mojo working alright but that didn't disguise the fact that it was bitterly cold at the Molson Amphitheatre last night.

If your idea of a good time at a concert is shivering in your seat while watching a British guitar legend work his magic then you probably enjoyed yourself.

If, however, you like your blues hot and sweaty, then Slowhand's two-hour concert might have been hard to sit through at times as the wind off the lake made last night's single digit temperatures feel that much colder.

Still, the guitar master has no control over the weather and he did his best to make the 16,000 people assembled -- many wearing toques, sweaters, jackets and gloves -- forget they were chilled to the bone.

"We'll try to warm you up a little bit," said the 63-year-old Clapton, backed by a crackerjack six-piece band including Doyle Bramhall II on guitar, Chris Stainton on keyboards and Pino Palladino on bass.

He kicked things off nice and slow with blues numbers like Motherless Children and Keys to the Highway but it was songs number three and four, Hoochie Coochie Man and a stellar cover of Jimi Hendrix's Little Wing, that really showed off Clapton's impressive guitar playing.

With a striking video backdrop that often lit up or showed tight closeups of his fingers at work, Clapton kept the stage banter to a minimum, letting his talent speak for itself.

"Play faster! It's cold!" one fan screamed out early in the night.

Major guitar workouts by the maestro made songs like Outside Woman Blues and Double Trouble, all the more special although the more soulful and rocking Don't Knock My Love and Running on Faith ran that much deeper.

There was also a sit-down acoustic section which kicked off with Clapton alone on stage and playing Drifting, which prompted the first major clap-along of the night despite being one of the more mellow tunes in the set.

He was later joined by his band, with Bramhall and Palladino also seated, for Rockin' Chair, the more rocking Motherless Child, Travelling Riverside Blues, and the aforementioned Running on Faith, before standing up again and returning to electric guitar for Tell the Truth, with Bramhall taking over on lead vocals for part of that song.

Still, it's the blues that Clapton obviously adores and he seemed like a man who truly loves his job on Little Queen of Spades and Before You Accuse Me.

By the final stretch it was time for classics like Wonderful Tonight, a crowd favourite if a tad schmaltzy, the truly electrifying Layla -- one of the best rock love songs ever written which finally prompted everyone to get on their feet, and the obligatory show ender, Cocaine.

By the time opening act and pedal steel guitarist Robert Randolph returned to join Clapton and his band for the encore song, I've Got My Mojo Working, you almost started to feel warm.

Almost.