TORONTO -- Watching fearless, funny and ferociously talented Pretenders' frontwoman Chrissie Hynde kick some major unresponsive audience butt last night at Massey Hall reminded me of a misogynistic claim made to me years ago.

An older man working at a record label insisted that women, simply because they are the female of the species, were incapable of appreciating rock music or rocking out as musicians the same way men do.

As if to say that all of the glorious and exhilirating rituals of rock and roll were reserved for those packing more testosterone than estrogen.

All I can say now is that he obviously has never seen Chrissie Hynde in concert.

As a rocker, she ranks right up there. And as far as women in music are concerned, if we must divide it along gender lines, there are few like her. Especially in a current music scene dominated by the likes of pre-packaged pubescent pop tarts and dolled-up divas -- a plight that caused Hynde herself to write the new song Popstar.

"They don't make 'em like they used to," she sang last night towards the end of the band's hour-and-45-minute show.

She should know.

Performing in Toronto for the first time since 1994, the 48-year-old singer-songwriter-guitarist was obviously missed by last night's chatty crowd, who yelled out salutations and song suggestions throughout the evening.

However, Chrissie was having none of it from an audience still in their seats.

"I tell you what," she said. "We'll start playing the songs you want to hear when you start standing."

Not helping matters was a slow start to the show, part of Canadian Music Week's premier concert series, although Hynde eventually got her quartet of British musicians in the groove.

"The band is suffering sleep deprivation," she explained. "It works for Keith Richards but I'm not sure about us."

The Pretenders are currently made up of original drummer Martin Chambers and recent additions Adam Seymour on guitar and Andy Hobson on bass. (Also touring with the foursome, who recorded last year's excellent but overlooked Viva El Amor! was Zeb Jamieson on keyboards.)

The band's consolidation finally came during the fourth song, the Pretenders' gem, Talk Of The Town , even as Hynde stopped the tune mid-song and switched instruments.

But coming from her, the disruption somehow worked.

Hynde first strode confidently on stage dressed up as a urban cowgirl in black hat, black jacket, dark denims and black boots with a guitar slung over one shoulder.

And when her trademark wavering voice tackled one Pretenders' hit after the other -- My City Was Gone, Kid, Don't Get Me Wrong, Middle Of The Road, Stop Your Sobbing and the show-ending Brass In Pocket -- it completed the picture.

At one point in the show, Hynde related that she had been accepted at the Ontario College Of Art but ended up going over to England instead with $500 in her pocket.

The art world's loss was clearly the music industry's gain.

Hynde is the subject of the celebrity interview tonight at 5 p.m. at the Westin Harbour Castle Convention Centre as part of Canadian Music Week.

Set List

Samurai

Legalise Me

Message Of Love

Talk Of The Town

Downtown

My City Was Gone

Baby's Breath

Thin Line Between Love And Hate

Biker

Who's Who

Human

Kid

Don't Get Me Wrong

Night In My Veins

Room Full

Encores:

Popstar

Back On The Chain Gang

Middle Of The Roat

Mystery

Stop Your Sobbing

Brass In Pocket (I'm Special)

JAM! Rating: 4.5 out of 5