Brandi Carlile

Thirty-one year old Brandi Carlile has been performing since she was a child, and that experience really came through during her performance last year at the House of Blues where Carlile and her band displayed some terrific, old-fashioned showmanship. Throughout the 90-minute concert, the singer-guitarist casually bantered with the capacity crowd, telling the background story behind many of the 17 songs she played. Backed by a fine six-piece band that included longtime collaborators Tim and Phil Hanseroth, she alternated between hushed folk rock, alt-country, and straight-up rock ’n’ roll. Mid-way through the 90-minute set, she and her band unplugged for three songs to play the songs, as Carlile explained, just the way they were recorded in the studio for last year’s terrific Bear Creek. Expect to hear more of the same this time around. (Jeff Niesel)