Rod Stewart used all of the stage at the ACC to thrill his legions of fans last night. (Dave Thomas, Sun)

TORONTO - Rod Stewart stayed true to his rock roots and Scottish heritage last night during a sold out show at the Air Canada Centre.

After spending the last five years recording albums made up of the Great American songbook, the 62- year-old Stewart released last year's Still The Same: Great Rock Classics Of Our Time.

That meant The Rodfather, as he was cheekily called in a film that preceded his arrival on stage, was truly Rockin' Rod all night long - an incarnation I prefer over his most recent transformation into a big band singer.

Initially dressed in head-to-toe black, including a sequined blazer and shiny shoes, Stewart first appeared coming out the middle of his stage emblazoned with the logo, The Celtic Football Club 1888, a nod to his beloved football team, Glasgow Celtic.

"Good evening my friends, and welcome. What great people you are coming out on this freezing evening," said Stewart, to the 14,500 gathered, noting the sub-zero temperatures outside.

Playing on a circular, in-the-round stage in the centre of the ACC, with four large video screens above and many smaller video screens below, there really wasn't a bad sight line.

A pipe band entertained the crowd before Stewart took the stage and tartan figured prominently in both the stage decorations and band outfits.

Early song highlights proved Some Guys Have All The Luck, You Wear It Well, Reason To Believe, (I Know) I'm Losing You, featuring an extended solo from two duelling drummers, I Don't Want To Talk About It, which prompted the first crowd singalong, Hot Legs, Every Picture Tells A Story and Dirty Old Town, the first song Stewart ever recorded for his first album in 1969.

But it was when he took extended turns around both of his circular catwalks during Infatuation, Tonight's The Night (Gonna Be Alright) and Young Turks that he really got the attention of his many female fans who flocked to take his picture and hand him flowers.

"That was a good workout," he commented.

In the show's more energized second half, crowd singalongs abounded during The First Cut Is The Deepest, Tonight's The Night (It's Gonna Be Alright), You're In My Heart, Forever Young, It's A Heartache, Downtown Train, Do Ya Think I'm Sexy, Rhythm Of My Heart and Maggie May.

Less successful, in terms of vocal delivery, was Stewart's cover of the first song from Still The Same, Cat Stevens'Father And Son. The family pictures shown on the video screens of both Stewart and his father and the singer and his offspring made it a sentimental favourite anyway.

Better suited to his voice were his covers of Elvin Bishop's Fooled Around And Fell In Love and Creedence Clearwater Revival's Have You Ever Seen The Rain.

Age and a late '90s battle with thyroid cancer may have slightly diminished Stewart's trademark raspy pipes and his energy level but he still has boyish charm and charisma to burn, not to mention those bum-wiggling moves and a staggering back catalogue of songs stretching back 38 years.