TORONTO -- Taking the disco band out of the disco is, at the best of times, a chancy affair.

Needless to say, '70s dancefloor revivalists Jamiroquai could well have backed themselves into a corner by taking on the Molson Amphitheatre last night.

Surprisingly, the British group's singer, main brain and namesake, Jason Kay, managed to convert the sprawling tin shack into a bustling nightspot with his 90-minute set.

Kay was met half-way by the well-turned-out, rhythmically-possessed crowd, who made up what must have been the youngest and most vibrant audience the Amphitheatre has seen this season -- barring, of course, Wednesday's Britney Spears show.

The 29-year-old Kay -- a man who's not at all shy about tooting his own horn on occasion -- noticed that too, taking his final bow of the night and revelling in the belief that that he'd drawn "8,500" people to see him.

The official head count was actually closer to 6,000, but Kay had a point. Over seven years and four albums, Jamiroquai have built enough of a cult following to warrant an big-venue gig.

"We've had problems in North America getting our music played," Kay fussed at one point between songs. "You are the ones who make it happen here."

Given his bland musical agenda, it's nice to know Kay appreciated the help.

Jamiroquai have coasted, albeit funkily, on well-worn grooves first laid down by Isaac Hayes, Stevie Wonder, et al. and they seemed perfectly happy repeating the formula for the duration of last night's show.

But backed by his crack band and with a clutch of identical funk 'n' soul workouts plucked from the new album Synkronized, plus earlier efforts Emergency On Planet Earth, Return Of The Space Cowboy and Travelling Without Motion, it was impressive how far Kay carried the disco schtick.

Dwarfed by one of his trademark fun-fur hats, he somehow managed to come off as cocky and likable at the same time, swaggering through a tunes like Virtual Insanity and Soul Education, only to apologize in advance for mistakes on the tune Butterfly or solicit the audience for pot -- with apparent success -- before Black Capricorn Day.

Spaced-out tunes like Supersonic added a welcome respite from the thumping vibes. Likewise, a version of The Rolling Stones' Miss You was poured on lovingly, as if it had been written just for them.

By making all of Jamiroquai the showpiece, not just his own bad self, Kay shone.

"We're actually f---ed," the singer said at one point, explaining that his didgeridoo player Wallis Buchanan was in hospital with an ulcer. "But that's okay. We've been f---ed before, and we'll be f---ed again."

And who can't help but admire an attitude like that?

JAM! Rating: 3 out of 5