OTTAWA - Jann Arden didn't have to work hard to win the audience over Sunday night.

But she did anyway.

Touring her new Universal release Blood Red Cherry with two shows at the NAC, Arden invited the capacity house into her world and 2,000 Ardents felt like her best friend.

Call it a meeting of minds and hearts. Twenty-, 30- and 40-somethings, some with the next generation, were proof that Arden only improves with age.

It's the music for a generation who have to get babysitters before they get to the concert.

Beneath giant Chinese paper lampshades, Arden opened the first of two sets with Into The Light and Waiting In Canada from the new CD.

Swathed in brilliant lighting of pastel and fulsome colours and designs, the concert was as much a treat for the eyes and ears.

She slid into a supremely funny standup about touring with Tina Turner, a satire on Celine Dion's pregnancy and a hilarious turn on shopping with mom at Winners.

You can't talk about a Jann Arden concert without mentioning the quickest wit from western Canada. Arden's like a cross between Sarah McLaughlin and Vicki Gabareau.

If Arden's humour is salty, her music is sweet. Her ballads are moments of naked emotion, drawn from a lifetime looking for love and honesty.

Dressed in purple chiffon with a long, black leather skirt, she joked about bringing the mood down for new versions of older hits. Could I Be Your Girl was sung in long stretches of "don't make me beg" sincerity while Insensitive hung in the air like the sound of bagpipes at a funeral.

Accompanied by a great band, Russell Broom (guitars), Allison Perrault (keyboards and violin), Darcy Phillips (keyboard), David Faragher (bass) and Greg Bissonette (drums), Arden sounded like a pop singer raised on her father's jazz collection. Continuously inventive and looking for a new twist, she proved that a hit-making musician is still, at heart, an artist who loves to play.

She asked the audience for a request. A couple hundred voices knew exactly what they wanted. "Sing Good Mother," a woman shouted. "Don't worry, honey," said Arden, "We do that in our encore, you know, after we say good night and then come out for a bow."

Her encore was one more slice of Arden, confessing to throwing up "40 seconds before hitting the stage." Then she took her bows, said good night and everyone knew, almost, that Jann would be back with Good Mother.

A little comedy, a little drama and a sad song or two.

Worth every penny you paid the babysitter.

JAM! Rating: 5 out of 5