It started out with the lights dimming and the speakers blaring the opening strains of the remix version of Queer. As the chorus crept up, the band took over from the speakers and for the next hour, the sold-out audience at Toronto's Opera House was treated to quasi-alternorock -- Garbage style.

The quartet -- comprised of singer Shirley Manson, guitarist Steve Markers, guitarist/keyboardist Duke Erikson and drummer/sometimes-big-name-producer Butch Vig, (with bassist Mike Kashon along for the tour) -- have been constantly playing shows for the last eight months, but last night seemed as fresh as the tour's first night. The band provided a very obvious surge of energy to every song they performed. For the entire concert they danced around in a haze of electric energy and seemed to be having as much fun as the audience.

In between songs, Shirley talked to the audience, thanking them, and offering insight into the evening's proceedings. After the song Stupid Girl, for instance, she explained, "it could have easily been called Stupid Boy. I'm not trying to diss my sisters. Here's one for you" and broke into Trip My Wire, the B-side from the UK Queer single.

All in all, the show was an incredible success. The album is very much a production of the studio with lots of technical wizardry and groove that -- if not done right -- could have really failed in a live context. This, happily, was not the case as incredibly intricate tracks like Vow translated into an incredible live track.

Instead of just performing the album verbatim in front of an audience, the band took the extra step to bring something extra to the live context lending a rockier edge to most of the tracks. For Only Happy When It Rains (their current North American single), all the lights went out and a Spanish guitar lick echoed through the hall over a bongo-flavoured drum beat.

The debut tour of any band is always a double edged-sword. On one hand, the audience is treated to more than just a greatest hits live package, but on the other, the concerts are always really short. This was very much the case with the short, hour long gig last night, as Manson explained just before launching into the last song of the night, Only Happy When It Rains' B-side Girl Don't Come: "This REALLY has to be our last song of the night...we don't know any others."

The big highlight of the night came about six songs in, when the lights dimmed to a subtle blue, Edge-look alike guitarist Duke Erikson took to the keyboards and the band plunged into Milk, the slow, ballady love song that closes out the album. With the blue lights highlighting Manson's face and the string sound effects straining out of the speakers, the effect was magical.

The other highlight of the evening was an incident reminiscent of Oasis' now famous Vancouver gig -- someone threw a shoe on stage. With a devilish grin on her face, Shirley Manson purred into the microphone, "Who's shoe is this? Your friend's? I suppose you want it back, then." And unlike at the Oasis gig, the shoe was returned and the show went on.

Last night's show, despite it's length, was testimony enough that although they're called Garbage, their music and live shows are anything but.

The Show's set list:

Intro (Queer remix)

Queer

Fix Me Now

Not My Idea

Dog New Tricks

My Lover's Box

Milk

Supervixen

Stupid Girl

Trip My Wire

Only Happy When It Rains

Vow

Encore:

Kick My Ass

Girl Don't Come

JAM! Rating: 5 out of 5