Jann Arden in concert at Massey Hall Tuesday night. (Craig Robertson, Sun Media)

TORONTO - Jann Arden is a concert draw as much for her natural comedic talents as her melancholy songs, her warm, welcoming voice and her big heart.

Sometimes more so.

That was never more evident on Tuesday night at Massey Hall, where the veteran Calgary songbird kicked off an impressive four nights at the hallowed venue.

Backed by a five-piece band including longtime guitarist and songwriting collaborator Russell Broom, Arden opened her hour-and-45-minute show with the upbeat Where No One Knows Me from her 2005 self-titled effort, rather than something off her latest disc of covers, Uncover Me.

It really wasn’t until Arden started cracking wise that the concert picked up steam.

For some reason, the singer comes alive when she’s telling jokes, as oppposed to when she’s singing, the latter which finds her surprisingly more muted and low-key.

The yuks began after the second song, when Arden asked one of the photographers to take a flattering shot of her newly svelte figure. She has lost 50 pounds since she last toured.

“I usually have eight chins,” complained Arden, before dropping to her knees and leaning her head back with her microphone in a mock-rock pose.

“PhotoShop me, for the love of God.”

Arden, dressed like she was ready to go horseback riding in black boots, jeans and long grey jacket cinched at the waist, then went on to say that she had to change outfits at the last minute before coming on stage.

Apparently, natured called — and then stained.

“I peed on it,” she said of an earlier sparkly jacket that she had been planning on wearing.

More dramatically, fate almost intervened when a cable from the lighting rig above her dropped mid-way through the third song, causing the audience to gasp loudly.

Arden had no idea what was going on as fans urged her to move backward, but she was informed after the tune had ended.

“I almost died last month, I don’t want to die this month,” she deadpanned.

Arden underwent a health scare in March when she was rushed to the hospital with chest pains and was diagnosed with a rare stress-caused heart condition.

Otherwise, Arden was in top funny form and provided audience favourites in the middle section of the show — Could I Be Your Girl, The Sound Of..., I Would Die For You and Insensitive — while comically but affectionately introducing her band.

The best line was about the newest member, Toronto guitarist-singer Graham Powell, whom she said was a vegan, pointing to his organic clothing.

“Everything he is wearing you could eat with dip,” she joked.

Uncover Me was later represented by the Mamas And The Papas’ California Dreamin’, Carly Simon’s You’re So Vain, Janis Ian’s At Seventeen and Cat Stevens’ Peace Train, intermingled with some very funny stories and getting two female fans carrying signs to come on stage.

“I feel very Avril Lavigne,” said Arden, who claimed she never sees such signs at her concerts. “I feel youthful, not menopausal.”

Other hits such as Sleepless, Good Mother, Will You Remember Me and Unloved rounded out the show, and Arden even painted live on stage during the encore while her band performed a cover of Psychedelic Furs’ Heaven, with the artwork to be auctioned off for the benefit of World Vision.

Arden plays at Massey Hall again tonight and tomorrow, and good seats are still available.