TORONTO -- Toronto prog-power trio Rush finally got to blow out their 30th anniversary candles at home last night.

After four months on the road in North America, bassist-keyboardist-singer Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson and drummer Neil Peart brought their finely tuned, ferociously loud show -- known as R30 in honour of their three decades together as a group -- to the Molson Amphitheatre.

The evening was marked by the astonishing energy and virtuoso musicianship of Lee, Lifeson and Peart -- aged 51, 50 and 51 respectively -- combined with the sold-out crowd's unflagging enthusiasm during a marathon performance that ran well over three hours.

"Hello T.O.! It's so nice to be home," Lee said. "Thank you all for coming down tonight to celebrate our 30th anniversary -- especially you Torontonians. We must now punish you by playing way too much music."

Hardly.

Particularly outstanding was Rush's roaring first set that kicked off with a rousing six-song instrumental overture -- culled chronologically from the band's first six studio albums.

That nod to their past led nicely into The Spirit Of Radio, an early Rush hit that saw the audience needing little encouragement from Lee for a full-blown clap-along.

(The power of another classic was felt again later as Tom Sawyer began the second set after a 20-minute intermission. "We need to take a bit of a short break right now because we're a little bit old," Lee joked. "So please don't go anywhere.").

Still, the momentum of the show's first-half moved at a lightning fast pace right through the six songs following The Spirit Of Radio -- Force Ten, Animate, Subdivisions, Earthshine, Red Barchetta and Roll The Bones -- with plenty of solos from both Lee and Lifeson.

And after a slight lull during Bravado, the trio -- with Peart playing on his usual two drum kits that rotated -- were immediately back on track with YYZ, The Trees and a powerful rendition of The Who's The Seeker from Rush's recently released eight-song EP of covers, Feedback.

Helping propel the three musicians along were plenty of bells and whistles -- old photos and footage, slick lighting, and even some major pyro during One Little Victory.

The group was also big on animation shown on a large video screen behind them.

Rush poked fun at their advancing years as three baby dinosaurs hatched out of eggs during an extended dream sequence that saw Jerry Stiller waking up and yelling, "What the hell did they put in my tea?"

And two of the three clothes dryers from the Vapor Trails tour of two years ago made a return appearance to the stage with a new vending machine -- containing everything from The Simpsons action figures to Rush bobbleheads -- placed alongside them.

During the second half, Peart showed why he is a hero to both real drummers and air drummers everywhere as he performed a staggeringly impressive 10-minute solo that never grew tiresome.

That awesome display was followed by Lee and Lifeson on acoustic guitars for Resist and then rejoined by Peart on drums for The Yardbirds' Heart Full Of Soul, complete with chorus backup from the audience. (More on Rush)

JAM! Rating: 4 out of 5