CALGARY -- Rodney Dangerfield always complained he couldn't get 'no respect.'

If respect was all he was after, he probably would have jumped off a bridge if he'd been a member of Nickelback.

The boys from Hanna have spent years dodging the slings and arrows -- not to mention knives, bottles, bricks and small mammals -- launched at them by an outraged music press.

Why outraged? Because plenty of mediocre mainstream rock bands have come and gone over the years, but none has been as spectacularly successful as Nickelback.

Despite the insistence of music press tastemakers that Nickelback is quite simply the worst thing ever to be recorded on to any audio format, the band continues to sell boatloads of CDs (which is no easy feat these days).

What Nickelback's critics fail to realize -- or refuse to admit -- is the group's songs are catchy.

As singer Chad Kroeger told me back in 2000 when Nickelback was touring its second album, The State, people just want to hear something they can sing along to in the car.

Simplistic, sure, but he was onto something as almost a decade later Nickelback is one of the most successful rock bands of the past 20 years.

One only needed to be at the Saddledome last night for proof of Nickelback's enduring popularity.

Playing to a packed house of about 15,000 fans, Nickelback gave a slick, powerhouse performance.

Not surprisingly, the show featured a few songs from Nickelback's latest release, Dark Horse, which rode off with Album of the Year at last weekend's Juno Awards.

But it was the hits that the crowd came to hear and Nickelback delivered them -- Photograph, Savin' Me, Figured You Out and Far Away were just a few that got the audience on their feet during the first half of the show.

The band loves its pyrotechnics and used them several times throughout the show, including the first song, Something In Your Mouth.

I'd never seen Nickelback live before and I was surprised by a few things.

First, the band is heavier in concert than I expected. Second, I had no idea I knew the words to so many Nickelback songs. Third, Kroeger is a fantastic guitarist. It's too bad it doesn't come across as well on CD.

Kroeger, along with brother and bass player Mike Kroeger, guitarist Ryan Peake and drummer Daniel Adair (who replaced original member Ryan Vikedal, ousted a few years back), played with an impressive energy and confidence.

It didn't hurt that the band is back on home soil and the members of the sold-out audience are among the most dedicated and hardcore in the world.

That said, I still don't understand how people can sing along to certain Nickelback songs.

The band really does have some of the worst lyrics in modern rock history. Something In Your Mouth and Figured You Out are the worst offenders, bearing the brunt of Kroeger's ham-fisted double entendres and somewhat sexist humour.

But I will give Kroeger credit for standing his ground and making music for the everyman when he's been told time and again it's not the cool thing to do.

Kicking off the night was Mississippi rock outfit Saving Abel.

The band's faster numbers were the most enjoyable and reminded me of Soundgarden at its prime.

However, most of the set consisted of mid-tempo, radio-friendly angst rock with titles such as Drowning (Face Down) and Get Out of My Face. Jared Weeks is a capable vocalist and a very likable frontman.

He knows how to work the stage and chatted amiably with the crowd inbetween songs.

Although when he encouraged the audience to text a number to win a Paul Reed Smith guitar and a meet 'n' greet with the band, it came across as more of a sales pitch than anything else.

The good times continued with South Africa's Seether, who opened their 45-minute set with the laugh-a-second single, Like Suicide.

Like Nickelback, Seether are considered post-grunge, yet their sound is darker and more depressing than the headliner's fratboy frolicking.

Still, what better way to warm up Nickelback's enthusiastic masses than an anxiety-strewn version of George Michael's Careless Whisper?