Mark Erelli was in his element at Club Passim Friday night. Erelli played a set featuring his fantastic new album, For A Song, and some old favorites to a very appreciative, sold-out crowd. “I’ve been thinking about this show for months,” he said, speaking effusively about Passim, citing it as the hub of Boston’s folk and roots music community, and encouraging those in attendance to take an active role in its success.

As a singer, Erelli has not only incredible range, from low rumble to falsetto, but also a perfect sense of inflection and timing as performer. He knows when to sing just off the beat for emphasis, when to whisper and when to let loose. The band was incredible: Zack Hickman (bass), Deni Hlavinka (vocals), Marco Giovino (drums), and James Rohr (piano). They were tight in execution, but played with ease and familiarity. Hickman, Hlavinka, and Giovino all played on For A Song, but Rohr only practiced with them for two days before joining them on stage. Watching this group on stage made me think of “Pig” Robbins, the old country piano player, who said: “You know what they used before pro-tools? F***ing pros.”

Erelli did a great job constructing the set list, pairing up-tempo numbers like “Analog Hero,” and “Wayside,” then using the easy “End of the Day” to transition to two of the most powerful songs of the night: “Netherlands” and “Look Up.”

In “Look Up,” a song co-written with Dinty Child, the verses shift perspective, from the janitor at the Sistine Chapel to Michelangelo to God. The song, Erelli said, is about the fact “that people all over the world argue about the line between the sacred and the secular, when there really is no line.” The chorus, with gorgeous harmonies from Hlavinka, encourages the listener to: “Look up, look up. / There are angels flying low enough to see. / Look up, oh, look up,” and then resolves itself in a beautiful melody, as if suggesting that once you do take notice of these miracles, there aren’t words to capture them. The song had everyone holding their breath.

Some of the highlights from the back catalogue included “Everything in Ruin,” “Basement Days,” the Bill Morrissey inspired “Milltowns,” and, “Troubadour Blues.” Erelli said he was excited to play “Troubadour Blues,” because we’d get to hear “some badass piano from James Rohr!” Rohr delivered–it was raucous, and the ovations from the audience just kept getting louder and longer through the night.

I love the images painted in “Moonlit Lullaby,” a song Mark wrote on a songwriter’s retreat on Three Mile Island in Lake Winnipesaukee. It was perfect song to include near the end of a great set: “One more last tune before I say goodnight / Won’t you make it a moonlit lullaby.” He closed out the set with “French King,” which is also the last song on the album. The harmonies were again totally transfixing as Giovino and Hickman subtly built toward each chorus.

After a standing ovation, the band treated us to an encore. Erelli said that he’d been on tour in Virginia, with Hickman and Charlie Rose, when one of them read the initial rumors of Prince’s death. “We couldn’t believe it,” he said, “I mean Prince doesn’t even get old.” He encouraged the crowd to sing along as he delivered a soulful version of “Purple Rain.” I’ve seen a whole bunch of tribute videos online, but this was cathartic, and brought into sharp relief the vast difference of sharing music via youtube and sharing music live. You really have to be there.

This is a guy you don’t want to miss. He does extremely challenging things–especially vocally–and makes them feel natural. The songs are so consistently well written that you want to hear them again as soon as the show is over. If you’re in Boston, you can catch Mark next week. He’ll be playing with Dietrich Strause at Lizard Lounge and will do a duo set with Zack Hickman as part of the bill. Get out there.

Photo credit: Paul Janovitz