DETROIT--Judging from the number of cars with Canadian license plates surrounding Detroit’s State Theatre on Sunday (11/25), it was clear that Vancouver rock band Nickelback [ tickets ] was going to feel right at home. Some members of the 2,500+ capacity crowd were even waving Canadian flags during the band's set.

Stepping on stage as the theme song from “Dukes of Hazzard” blared over the speakers, Nickelback kicked off its set with “Woke Up This Morning.” Singer-guitarist Chad Kroeger was obviously pleased with Nickelback’s newfound status as a million-selling band--its latest record, “Silver Side Up” (Roadrunner), has been certified platinum.

"It’s nice to come back to Detroit and not play at Andrew’s Hall anymore,” Kroeger said in reference to St. Andrew’s Hall, a smaller venue. “As much fun as those days were, I’m enjoying these days a lot more.

Kroeger seemed in awe of his band's success. At one point, after playing “One Last Run,” he turned around to eye the backdrop.

“I had to get a look at that," he said. "That’s brand new. It looks good.”

During its 90-minute set, Nickelback whipped through most of the material from its two U.S. records, which also include 1999’s “The State” (Roadrunner). Kroeger and bandmate Ryan Peake created a wall of sound with their guitars on songs like “One Last Run” and “Breathe.” Harmonies were near flawless, as were Kroeger’s album-ready lead vocals. For “Cowboy Hat,” Kroeger, Peake and bassist (and Chad's brother) Mike Kroeger opted for a metal look, standing along the rim of the stage to jam during the song's bridge.

The band emulated some of its rock heroes. Chad Kroeger called out two roadies with water pumps to spray the audience in between renditions of “Hangnail" and “Worthy to Say,” similar to a shtick Ozzy Osbourne employs during his shows. Once the crowd was cooled down, Chad Kroeger and Peake tossed shots of whiskey into the crowd.

“I saw Pantera do this once and I thought it was f---ing great,” Chad Kroeger said.

The singer also paid homage to “one of my favorite bands in the entire f-----g world growing up”--Rage Against the Machine--by offering up their take on Rage’s testosterone-fueled rendition of Bruce Springsteen’s ballad “The Ghost of Tom Joad.” Saliva frontman Josey Scott, wearing a Tennessee Titans football jersey, stepped out near the end of the song to lend his vocals to
the song.

The set closed with “Old Enough,” a track from “The State” that was a hit in Canada and a minor radio favorite in border cities such as Detroit.

An acoustic-flavored, two-song encore followed. Chad Kroeger and Peake served up a cover of Big Wreck’s “Mistake,” and upon wrapping that up, they teased the audience with a mellow verse from “You Remind Me” before the rest of the band joined them.

Default opened the show at 7:30 p.m. with a tight, crystal-clear set featuring songs from its 2001 U.S. debut “Fallout,” co-produced by Chad Kroeger. The Memphis-based rock band Saliva, however, was plagued with muddy sound throughout its set.