TORONTO -- When you've been around as long as underappreciated Vancouver rockers 54-40 have -- would you believe they formed in 1981? -- you've got to shake things up a bit.

And so they did just that during the first half of their hour-and-50-minute show at The Music Hall on Saturday night, where a small but committed crowd -- the venue was about three-quarters full -- was treated to material from their darker, less-rock-oriented new album, Northern Soul, plus some acoustic versions of some of their best known songs.

By the second half, the audience was ready to rock out the tried-and-true 54-40 way and charismatic, slightly effeminate frontman Neil Osborne -- a cross between Simple Minds' Jim Kerr and Neil Young -- didn't disappoint any one.

The group opened the evening with the sombre if pretty The Chant and the jangly The Scare of Meaning of Less from Northern Soul before launching into the the first two hits of the night, Nice to Luv You, and Crossing a Canyon, provoking an enthusiastic response and even some dancing.

Then they brought out the big guns with the AC/DC-like guitar rocker, Easy to Love, from their 2005 album, Yes to Everything, and their much earlier classic, Radio Luv Song.

So maybe this was going to be the 54-40 of my Vancouver youth, I thought.

Not so fast apparently.

Osborne -- joined by bassist Brad Merritt, drummer Matt Johnson, guitarist Dave Genn (who replaced Phil Comparelli in 2005 and previously played with Matthew Good) and Tom Hooper on acoustic guitar and keyboards -- switched it up again.

The energy level took a dive with the sad title track from Northern Soul, which was inspired by the death of a Canadian soldier in Afghanistan, and then went back up with another beloved hit, I Go Blind, which got people clapping and singing along again.

The ping-pong effect didn't always work pacing-wise, but at least they got our attention.

While introducing Alcohol Heart from the band's self-titled 1986 Warner Records debut, Osborne told the story of how he and Neil Young, whose album Landing on Water was also a Warner record that year, wound up choosing the same cover art.

Young never used the art -- the band's name on a green background -- and the 54-40 cover went on to win some awards, said Osborne.

Another classic 54-40 rocker, Baby Ran, was delivered in a harmony-heavy format featuring Osborne, Genn and Hooper on acoustic guitars, followed by the Bob Dylan cover, Walkin' Down the Line, before the band called a 20 minute break.

When the group returned -- with better lighting so you could actually see Johnson and Hooper's faces as they played in the back -- they opened the second set with two more Northern Soul tunes, One Hundred Songs, featuring Genn on banjo, and the haunting Moonbeach.

Then the band finally cranked it up with hit after hit -- One Gun, One Day in Your Life, She-La, Since When, Casual Viewin', and Ocean Pearl, and the audience didn't stand a chance, remaining on their feet for the rest of the show. In fact the crowd joined in on a major singalong during Ocean Pearl as Osborne turned the microphones toward them.

The encore saw a return to Northern Soul material with the Vancouver-inspired Snap followed by the downright thrilling show-ender, Love You All, which had Osborne screaming into the microphone by the end of the song.

Now that's the 54-40 I remember.

SET LIST:
The Chant
The Scare Of Meaning Less
Nice To Luv You
Crossing A Canyon
Easy To Love
Radio Luv Song
Northern Soul
I Go Blind
Alcohol Heart
Baby Ran
Walkin' Down The Line
BREAK
One Hundred Songs
Moonbeach
One Gun
One Day In Your Life
She-La
Since When
Casual Viewin'
Ocean Pearl
ENCORE
Snap
Love You All