Meat Loaf and Aspen Miller perform in Winnipeg last night. (Brain Donogh, Sun Media)

WINNIPEG - It's been decades since he was "barely 17," but over-the-top rocker Meat Loaf still came pretty close to reliving the glory days of his youth last night during an appropriately rambunctious show at MTS Centre.

But in typical teenage fashion, he may have peaked a bit early, opening his nearly two-hour set with the hit he should have closed with -- the raunchy ode-to-young-lust Paradise By the Dashboard Light.

No matter. Though the track should be familiar to anyone who's ever come within 10 feet of a karaoke bar, Meat Loaf put a fresh -- or should that be creepy? -- spin on things yesterday by trading sexually charged lyrics with a cheerleader-type (singer/actress Aspen Miller) who looked young enough to be his granddaughter.

And even though Meat Loaf, now 59, had to pause midway through to deliver an exuberant "I'm so f---ing lucky!" to the crowd, he still brought the tune to its emotional -- er -- climax.

Paradise set the template for the rest of the night's set list, with many of Meat Loaf's songs running at least 10 minutes in length, and more than a few relying heavily on interplay with sexy backup singers.

Up next was the equally recognizable You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth, halted so Meat Loaf could deliver a stinging admonition to the crowd.

"I thought I was in Winnipeg ... but the people in Winnipeg can really sing," he scolded, following a less-than-stellar singalong segment. "What I heard 25 seconds ago sucked!"

Similar versions of the good-natured banter have cropped up in earlier shows on his tour, and though in interviews Meat Loaf has always been quick to distance himself from "theatrics" of any kind, it was clear last night that his show is strictly stick-to-the-script.

Not that that's such a bad thing. Considering how Meat Loaf's Bat out of Hell trilogy is so rife with operatic excess, horny double entendres, and sweaty theatricality, it's safe to assume fans came expecting at least a little bit of grandeur and bombast last night.

And even though tracks like Rock 'n' Roll Dreams Come True, Objects In the Rearview Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are, and I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That) saw Meat Loaf struggling to sustain his trademark energy, he still sent the crowd of 6,000 home feeling doubly blessed.

He played what they came to hear, and he made 'em feel like kids again, and even if the show wasn't always note perfect, you know what they say: two out of three ain't bad.