TORONTO -- "There's life in the old girl yet," summed up Pretenders frontwoman Chrissie Hynde last night at the Hummingbird Centre.

And that was just after the third song -- Message Of Love -- into an hour-and-fifty-minute, 22-song set, complete with two spirited encores.

Hynde's latest visit to Toronto proved that, once again, one of the original templates for female rockers of substance is still a vibrantly seductive and fierce musical/comical force despite her advancing age.

Not that she wanted to talk about being 51 years old.

When one of several chatty male admirers in the audience asked how old she was, she countered with: "So you think I'm gorgeous? You want to know how to get a body like this? Are you 40? Make it 35 and meet me backstage after the show."

Besides her staggering confidence, clear, strong voice and impressive physicality -- Hynde often broke into a little dance, sloping side-steps, or impromptu high kicks when she wasn't standing with her legs splayed apart while playing rhythm guitar -- there was also the illusion of her remaining unchanged for the past 25 years since the band's formation in 1978.

She still sports the same kohl-rimmed eyes, shag haircut with bangs and uniform of black T-shirt, jeans and pointy-toed black boots.

The crowd, who numbered just over 2,000, sprang to life whenever a Pretenders chestnut was pulled out -- Talk Of The Town, My City Was Gone, Back On The Chain Gang, Don't Get Me Wrong, Night In My Veins, Precious, I'll Stand By You, Middle Of The Road, Brass In Pocket -- with some stellar guitar work from Adam Seymour.

But Hynde is touring with The Pretenders -- drummer Martin Chambers is the only other original member remaining -- in support of their 2002 disc, Loose Screw.

The reggae-tinged songs, which didn't exactly jump off the new album, really came alive in a live setting -- particularly Complex Person and Nothing Breaks Like A Heart -- thanks to Hynde's forceful presence as an entertainer.

Few singers possess as sexy a croon with as cocky a swagger.

Other new tunes translating well were You Know Who Your Friends Are, Fools Must Die and The Losing.

"We're a little nervous tonight because we don't play here a lot and we're being recorded by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation," explained Hynde after a tentative start with the two new songs, Lie To Me and Time.

"I feel compelled to swear and make a lot of mistakes."

She didn't disappoint on the former and despite some of the latter, nobody cared.

All eyes were on Chrissie and loving every second of her performance.

JAM! Rating: 4.5 out of 5