TORONTO - There's a fire in the belly of veteran alt-rockers R.E.M. again.

After a couple of limp albums and less-than-stellar tours, singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck and bassist-keyboardist Mike Mills delivered a vibrant show at the Molson Amphitheatre on Sunday night in front of a near-capacity crowd.

Clearly inspired by their speedy new rock album, Accelerate, which clocks in at a mere 34 minutes, the Athens, Ga.-bred trio -- whose lineup was filled out by Scott McCaughey on guitar and drummer Bill Rieflin -- seemed to have their mojo back.

Particularly animated and chatty was Stipe, the only man wearing a suit on stage while he performed quirky dance moves -- he broke out his best "Robot" and often sank to his knees -- with a lyrics stand in front of him that he occasionally ripped pages off of and threw into the audience.

The group wasted no time getting to the new stuff with Horse to Water, the second song of the night before they reverted back to such hits as What's the Frequency Kenneth?, and Drive.

And so it went for most of the two-hour show, back and forth between familiar territory like Seven Chinese Brothers, Animal, Secondguessing, and new songs Man-Sized Wreath, the title track of Accelerate, Hollowman, Houston, Until the Day Is Done, and I'm Gonna DJ.

Standouts proved to be arena-friendly older rockers such as Bad Day with Stipe providing a harmonica solo, Begin the Begin, Orange Crush (with Stipe on bullhorn), Losing My Religion, Man on the Moon; the gorgeous Electrolite featuring Mills on piano, The One I Love, Let Me In, with all of the band on acoustic guitars gathered around Buck on keyboards and Stipe delivering his best vocals of the night; and new rockers Living Well Is the Best Revenge and Supernatural Superserious.

Opening was buzz-band The National and Modest Mouse, the latter's latest star recruit, guitarist Johnny Marr of The Smiths, joining R.E.M. toward the end of the show for Fall On Me, another major highlight of the night.

Adding to the overall great atmosphere was the hot, steamy weather despite an evening thunderstorm and shower and Stipe, for one, appreciated working up a good sweat.

"For the first time this summer I'm actually sweating and as a Georgian, I really f---ing love it" he said.

He also admitted that he had a bet with his soundman that he always goes off key during a certain part in Seven Chinese Brothers and did so again on Sunday night.

"It's charming," he said to loud applause and cheers.

"It's actually attractive. You love me and it makes me a better man."

R.E.M. also continue to be a visually friendly band with a cool-looking split-screen backdrop that employed black and white and colour closeups of individual bandmembers as they merrily played along.

"I wish I was on the (back) lawn, half-naked with a peace sign painted on my chest!" said Stipe as the love-in with the audience neared its end.

Metaphorically speaking, he was.