LONDON, ONT. -- Love never hurts so much that Jann Arden won't find a way to laugh about it.

 The Calgary-area singer-songwriter was at her standup comic best last night at Centennial Hall, tossing in plenty of laughs to go with her aching tunes. With 1,600 devoted Ardenites packing the place, she served up a steady run of her Greatest Hurts -- the name of her best-of album -- backed by her own band and Orchestra London.

 There were times when the comedy went more smoothly than the music. Despite the efforts of music director David Pierce and "the London Symphony Orchestra" as Arden dubbed the classical ensemble, there were times when the band shut out the strings, woodwinds and assembled orchestra multitude.

 "We have a very, very big band this evening," Arden joked early on. It would take "43 minutes" to introduce all the players. That didn't keep her from wandering through the orchestra later on, challenging a lucky few to play such items as the themes from Star Trek, Jaws and 2001.

 There were Arden's own hits, too. The sound was fine on Could I Be Your Girl, her second song, and Sleepless, when her too-loud drummer played simple percussion on a box.

 Another standout was her treatment of the Ray Charles-connected You Don't Know Me, previously available only on the dismal soundtrack to My Best Friend's Wedding. Last night, Arden showed she owns a broken-hearted gem like this one. It also showed that when her band turned it down a notch and the orchestra had a chart that turned it up, this very, very big band was note-perfect for Arden.

 But there were other times when the mix came up dry. On her tourism-boosting Waiting in Canada, the combination of heart-tugging singer, muddy acoustics and a plodding arrangement didn't soar much.

 As a comedian, Arden always soars. Sometimes, she wandered off into absurd true tales from the road, like the story of Baywatch hunk David Hasselhoff. Somehow the big slab of beefcake found his way aboard the band's tour bus and began distributing signed post cards of himself. Arden says she told her bandmates to shoot her on the spot if she ever did anything similar.

 Like other great comics, Arden doesn't have to look far for a straight man. She has a willing victim in her long-time guitarist and frequent co-composer Russell Broom. (Arden and Broom are nominated for a songwriting Juno this year).

 Broom's impending marriage was an easy target and from there it was time for a few friendly shots at her long-married bass player. How was his sex life, anyway? An Arden mind just had to know.

 She later went after the orchestra members.

 "Didn't you get the . . . memo?" she barked in jest. But she was serious about drawing some humour from the situation. Among the funny moments were star cellist Christine Newland helping play the sinister theme for Jaws while Arden pretended to sink behind the drum kit.

 Orchestra London percussionist D'Arcy Gray had his timpani booming at Arden's command for the theme from 2001. Ron George, one of the best horn players in the country, may have been stumped by the headliner's demand for the Star Trek theme. But then George had to contend with Arden's salacious-sounding interest in his marital status and determination to have a drink with him after the show.

 Opening for Arden were Newfoundland's Ennis Sisters. The Juno-nominated trio of guitarist-composer-vocalist Maureen Ennis and her sisters Karen and Teresa showed off a big harmony sound and a few jokes of their own in their 30-minute set. Maureen's songs came across as more folk-authentic than the slick country sound on their self-titled Warner Music Canada album.

 But after the Ennis Sisters' harmonies faded away, it was a night for Arden and her merry band of more than 40 good souls.

 Long may she sing and laugh about her hurts. (More on: Jann Arden).