During their performance at the Southgate House Friday night, Michelle Shocked and the Perverse Allstars evoked the spirit of a prayer meeting in the Deep South.

        The show kicked off a tour which, if not for visa problems, would have included Fiachna O'Braonain from Ireland's Hothouse Flowers. The glitches associated with opening nights were nonexistent. The Perverve Allstars sounded tight even when the songs drifted. Credit should be given to 5-string bassist Jamie Brewer for providing harmonic richness and a steady pulse throughout the show.

        The 17-song set opened with “Match Burned Twice,” a high-energy piece with a reggae feel. During “Come A Long Way,” Ms. Shocked launched into the first of many monologues — or should we say sermons — that managed to avoid being tiresome or off-putting. It helped that Ms. Shocked was likable and quite often humorous. Perpetually smiling, she radiated joy, and her monologues were affirmative rather than judgmental.

        It also helped that her music was warm and soulful. Early in the show she played four songs in a row from her new release, Deep Natural, which showed evidence of her singing with an all-black fundamentalist church. “Peachfuzz,” “Good News,” “Forgive to Forget” and “That's So Amazing” were as uplifting and mellow as old gospel music.

        A bluesy rocker, “Don't You Mess Around with (My Little Sister),” revved up the crowd, and “Memories of East Texas” calmed it down.

        When the band took a break, Ms. Shocked virtually begged anyone in the audience to join her onstage to play second guitar. The resulting duet was one of the evening's highlights.

        Between the verses of one early hit, “Anchorage,” came two more monologues; during one of them Ms. Shocked morphed into a marriage counselor, admitting she faced marital problems and assuring audience members, “You're not alone.”

        The last song of the night, “When I Grow Up,” had considerably more energy than the version on Short Sharp Shocked. Again the band proved itself adept at kicking into overdrive, although such moments were rare. Often during Friday's performance, Ms. Shocked reminded us that music can be more powerful when it's brought down to a volume where people are forced to listen.

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