Canadian indie superstars Arcade Fire took the stage in Toronto Friday night for the first of two hastily-announced shows at the Danforth Music Hall.

The Montreal-based band announced the shows on Wednesday at the intimate venue in advance of their highly-anticipated third album "The Suburbs," due August 3.

While the band was greeted enthusiastically by the roughly 1,000 concertgoers, frontman Win Butler couldn't help but note Toronto's notoriously subdued atmosphere.

"We've played some of our favourite shows in Toronto, but Jesus Christ, do you guys ever keep it close to your chest," he said grinning.

"Do you like us? Do you like us? You like us!"

The eight-person band introduced a number of tracks from their forthcoming album, including a surprisingly punk "Month of May," the subdued title track, "Rococo," "Modern Man," "Ready to Start" and "We Used to Wait."

The newer songs were certainly distinctive sounding Arcade Fire, but lacked some of the youthful bombast of their earlier tracks. However, with the band just beginning to test them in front of audiences, it's not easy to judge how the studio cuts sound.

The new songs were warmly received, but tracks from their 2004 masterpiece "Funeral" and its equally wonderous 2007 followup "Neon Bible" got the crowd stomping, clapping and singing along.

Yes, even Toronto music fans occasionally move.

Highlights included "Neighbourhood #1 (Tunnels)", "No Cars Go" and "Rebellion (Lies)," before the sonic one-two punch of encore closers "Keep the Car Running" and a boisterous "Wake Up."

Tickets for the show went on sale at noon Friday and there was a one-ticket per person policy. Some Torontonians started lining by 8 a.m but that appeared to be unnecessary as there were about 100 seats available in the balcony when the show started.

The shows were just announced Wednesday, so there is the possibility fans either were unable to make it on such short notice, or had already forked over enough cash for Arcade Fire's upcoming show on Toronto Island in August.

The band played a free show in a Montreal-area parking lot earlier this week, which drew an estimated 10,000 fans.

Tickets for Saturday's show go on sale at noon and on-top of an amazing experience, $1 from the $35 tickets goes toward Partners in Health, an organization that is helping rebuild Haiti.