TORONTO - I have a confession to make. I don't get Dashboard Confessional's popularity.

And yet it was hard to ignore the presence of some 9,000 screaming fans who remained on their feet last night for the Florida emo-rock outfit's entire 90-minute-plus performance at the Molson Amphitheatre.

I suspect a large part of Dashboard's charm is singer-songwriter-guitarist Chris Carrabba's boyish, dark good looks combined with his penchant for writing heavily emotive love songs that seem to capture teenage angst at its most obvious.

He also talks a good game, collectively chatting up the audience in between songs.

"There's a lot of people here and you all look so beautiful," said Carrabba.

The timing and location of the T.O. show really couldn't have been better for Carrabba's group.

Dashboard Confessional just released a brand new album, Dusk And Summer, earlier this week which Carrabba explained he recorded, "about 20 blocks that way," i.e., just down the street in Toronto.

The record was originally done with Canadian producer Daniel Lanois but, sadly, little of his work remains on the new disc after Carrabba went on a songwriting jag and brought in new producer Don Gilmore.

Of the half dozen new songs played last night, the best ones were the soaring first single, Don't Wait -- which prompted one of several singalongs -- and the more low-key title track.

Older standouts proved to be Swiss Army Romance, For You To Notice, and Screaming Infidelities, and if you're going to attempt a cover -- in this case Radiohead's Fake Plastic Trees -- make sure all of your songs don't pale in comparison.

In a live setting, much of Dashboard Confessional's material -- both new and old -- is all way too earnest, way too same-sounding to these ears.

But, hey, the kids seem to love them.

Playing in front of a striking backdrop dominated by large Japanese lanterns that changed colours depending on the song, Carrabba -- alternating between electric and acoustic guitar and piano -- was joined by bandmates John Lefler on guitar, Scott Schoenbeck on bass and Mike Marsh on drums.

Opening last night was John Ralston, who later turned up as a second guitarist in Carrabba's band (along with Ralston's female violinist), and St. Catharine's own Dallas Green of Alexisonfire fame with his wildly successful side project City And Colour.

Green, either alone on stage with his electric guitar or joined by one or two musicians, played much of the material from his disc, Sometimes, including the breakthrough single, Save Your Scissors.

Now that's some emo-rock I can wrap my head around.