Toby Keith performs at the Molson Canadian Amphitheatre Thursday night in Toronto. (Dave Abel, QMI Agency)

TORONTO - Whatever you think of country music star Toby Keith you've got to hand it to the guy or - "the country-ass redneck" - as he called himself on Thursday night at the Molson Canadian Amphitheatre.

The 49-year-old Oklahoman drew about 10,000 people on a late September night to the outdoor shed by the lake and it wasn't even that warm or the weekend.

Seems there were more than a few beer-swilling, cowboy hat-wearing Keith fans in Toronto willing to come out and pay their respects to the Big Dog Daddy, including the front row of girls whose T-shirts spelled out his first name.

"Thank you Canada, I appreciate the love, brothers and sisters," said the denim-clad Keith whose sunburn started where the brim of his cowboy hat ended.

Ostensibly, Keith is still on the road with his so-called American Ride tour - named after this 2009 album of the same name - but he opened his 90-minute set with Bullets In the Gun, also the title of his new disc due on Oct. 5.

The opening song came after what amounted to a car commercial for Ford trucks - his tour sponsor - as Keith first appeared lying in the back of one while a sign saying "Ford: Built Tough" appeared behind him for the entire show.

Still, Keith, actually toned down his legendary patriotic persona when he crossed the border into Canada deleting such songs as American Soldier and Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American) which have been wrapping up his shows in the U.S.

That's not to say he didn't pay tribute to Canadian firefighters, police officers and soldiers about three-quarters of the way through the evening.

Otherwise, it was pretty much party-hearty crowd-pleasing time all the time with such light-hearted songs as Get Drunk And Be Somebody, Trailerhood, I Love This Bar (including a plug for his restaurant, Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill), Weed With Willie (exactly what you think it's about), Beer for My Horses (with Willie Nelson contributing his vocals via video), and How Do You Like Me Now?!

Even when he slowed things down for a ballad like You Shouldn't Kiss Me Like This, he dedicated it to all "the ladies" in the audience for whom the first kiss is paramount.

"A five second kiss led to this three and a half minute song," explained Keith. "I don't mind if it's girl on girl," he encouraged two females near the front of the stage.

There was also lots of fireworks, explosions, confetti, and videos along with his ten-person band known as Easy Money.

You could do worse for 90-minutes of mindless fun I guess.

SET LIST:

Bullets In The Gun

American Ride

I'm Just Talkin' About Tonight

Whiskey Girl

I Wanna Talk About Me

God Love Her

Get Drunk and Be Somebody

Trailerhood

You Shouldn't Kiss Me Like This

Who's Your Daddy?

As Good as I Once Was

I Love This Bar

Should've Been a Cowboy

Weed With Willie

Beer for My Horses

How Do You Like Me Now?!

ENCORE:

A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action