When it came time to book their first hometown gig in 23 years, the Replacements couldn’t have picked a better venue than St. Paul’s Midway Stadium. It’s rough around the edges, difficult to get in and out of and smells like spilled beer.

Yet Saturday night, more than 14,000 fans packed the place to see Minnesota’s most-loved cult band, with a following that’s only grown since they broke up in 1991. The only thing that would have made the crowd happier is if bassist Tommy Stinson finished the show by riding a wrecking ball as it smashed through the stage. (While the show was the last major event at the soon-to-be-shuttered stadium, it still will host a handful of high-school football games before closing for good.)

Given that awful live performances are a huge part of the Replacements’ legend, the band truly couldn’t lose Saturday night, whether they turned in their best show ever or just tore through 45 messy minutes of Johnny Thunders covers. As fun as the latter might’ve been, Saturday felt more like the former, at least judging by the deliriously happy fans that sang along with much of the generous, 30-plus song set.

Just before the Replacements took the stage, St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman kicked things off by declaring it Replacements Day in St. Paul. And from there, founding members Paul Westerberg and Tommy Stinson took off running, ably backed by guitarist Dave Minehan and a crowd favorite, drummer Josh Freese. They wore matching white plaid jackets and Westerberg told the crowd: “Sorry it took us so long … you caught me in a bald-faced lie.”

From there, the band touched on all of their albums, playing a set similar to the one they followed earlier this month at a Seattle festival show.

“Do we have a flight attendant in the audience?” Westerberg asked before “Waitress in the Sky.” He also found time to kiss Stinson during “Kiss Me on the Bus.” It was the same devil-may-care attitude that made people fall in love with Westerberg in the first place.

Somewhat surprisingly, the band didn’t have any guests beyond Tony Glover, who briefly sat in on harmonica. And they chose pretty standard covers, including Chuck Berry’s “Maybellene” and the Jackson Five’s “I Want You Back.” Elsewhere, the band offered up a true rarity in “If Only You Were Lonely,” an early b-side that had the diehards swooning. The faithful also appreciated the few extras thrown into the mix, including Westerberg’s concert-closing version of “Unsatisfied.”

Memphis alt-country band Lucero opened the night with a half-hour set that offered a boozy, Van Morrison vibe. The semi-local Hold Steady followed, with lead singer Craig Finn telling the crowd: “I’m going to spare you the hysterics, but this is literally a dream come true. Thank you for being a part of it.”

Finn’s band took the stage to the Velvet Underground’s “We’re Gonna Have a Real Good Time Together,” an apt choice if ever there was one.

Correction: An earlier version of this review misnamed The Replacements’ closing song, which was “Unsatisfied.”

Pop music critic Ross Raihala can be reached at 651-228-5553. Follow him at twitter.com/RossRaihala.