Seeing Rufus Wainwright's November 28^th concert was like seeing two different performers. With signs posted throughout the Jubilee Auditorium requesting no applause during the first "song cycle" and an announcement prior to the start of the show, you could sense the curiosity in the audience as to what they were about to experience.

Wainwright made his way to the piano wearing an outfit with a 20 foot train, sat down, and began to play. The stage lighting was dark (making it difficult for photographers to get a good shot during this set) and a screen behind him showed his heavily mascara’d eye blinking slowly, and later, crying. Wainwright played solo, only from his current album All Days Are Nights: Songs For Lulu, with no between-song banter.

I give Wainwright credit for taking on the challenge of playing an album solo, straight through - it is something a lot of artists couldn't do well, if at all. It must have taken a lot of guts to put himself out there with such a personal album. Unfortunately it didn't translate and the first half of the show was pretty dull, to the point where I was struggling to keep my eyes open. It did seem to have it's intended effect on others however, as I did hear some people quietly sniffling and crying by the end. For me however, it just didn't work.

After a brief intermission, Rufus returned, completely transformed. Gone was the somber, pale creature, and in it's place was the fun, charming Rufus Wainwright that I've heard about. Starting with Beauty Mark and Grey Gardens, Wainwright regained the audience with a number of favorites.

"I was in Edmonton last night, and it is the grey cup this weekend. Well tonight it's the gay cup," he quipped, before talking about a past relationship with an oil worker. Wainwright recently got engaged to Jorn Weisbrodt and spoke of a conversation that they had earlier, over the phone.

"My fiancé informed me that this song is #1 in the UK again, done by Susan Boyle. Maybe if I didn't exist she wouldn't be subjecting the world to it," he joked to opener Teddy Thompson, who joined him in singing Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah. I've heard the song performed live by seven different artists, plus multiple recordings, and Wainwright's version remains a favorite.

By the end of the evening, Wainwright had won over anyone who had walked out of the first set thinking, what the hell was that? He received a standing ovation after Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk and returned to the stage for Poses and Going To A Town. He wrapped up the evening with a tribute to his mother Kate McGarrigle, who passed away in January, performing the song she and his sister Anna had originally performed: The Walking Song. It was a beautiful tribute, and a fitting ending to an excellent second half.