LONDON, Ont. - The stands swelled for Great Big Sea last night at the Western Fair.

Close to 3,800 fans watched the St. John's-based Celtic rock/pop group's high-energy performance. The count was the biggest bandstand crowd so far at this year's fair and it topped the 3,600 the group attracted to the John Labatt Centre last March.

"Look at you in such numbers," frontman Alan Doyle shouted. "This could be the biggest kitchen party anywhere in the world. That's up to us, I guess."

The crowd was in the mood to party right from the start, but the kitchen could have been a little warmer.

Great Big Sea is suited to the outdoor venue. Their voices carried through the air and into the packed grandstand as people danced and sang.

Light winds -- nothing like those experienced on the Rock, though -- accompanied their tales of the sea.

The band performed for 95 minutes, including two encores.

"We thought we'd add a couple since you've been so nice to us," Doyle said, asking everybody to stand. Too late, they'd been standing since the first chord was played.

This Ontario crowd was impressive, singing along to all of the songs, including the old-time East Coast music. It felt like Newfoundland at times. No wonder Doyle was impressed.

The group did many songs from their eighth album, The Hard and the Easy, which Doyle said "is the greatest record of all time, according to my aunt. She's 98.

"I said, 'Friggin' right,' " Doyle said he responded to his aunt.

The crowd agreed with his assessment of the 2005 CD, applauding loudly.

The Hard and the Easy is full of the band's beloved traditional folk music from home, such as Concerning Charlie Horse, Captain Kidd and River Driver, the song they performed at Monday's Canadian Country Music Association Awards show in Saint John, N.B., and again last night.

The woodsman's lament is sung a capella, save for some percussion to keep the beat.

Doyle's voice cracked in the first verse of the song, but he soon was on track, belting out the soulful song.

GBS wasn't reticent to roll out the tunes that bring home the bacon either, such as their No. 1 Ordinary Day and When I Am a King.

The latter achieved chart success in four different radio formats in Canada in 2004.

Doyle, Bob Hallett (vocals, fiddle, accordion, pan flute) and Sean McCann (vocals, guitar) are founding members and were here in 1997 when the band played the Western Fair. They were relative unknowns here then.

Not any more.