TORONTO - After two decades in the music business, Jann Arden still has a few tricks up her sleeve.

The 47-year-old Albertan, whose beautiful voice and heartache-filled songs are often overshadowed by her legendary joke-telling in a live setting, threw in some new bells and whistles during the first show of a four-night stand at Massey Hall on Wednesday night.

And, for the most part, it worked.

Fans were encouraged to fill four empty seats in the front row; there was a hilarious question and answer period; an equally funny bad family photo slide show; an appearance by Arden's beloved miniature dog Midi; her band completely took over on a couple of songs including AC/DC's You Shook Me All Night Along; Arden painted a canvas on stage to be auctioned off for the people of Haiti; and the audience was encouraged to sing Bonnie Tyler's Total Eclipse of The Heart during the encore.

Still, the concert began as a low-key affair as Arden, who's touring Canada in support of her 10th overall album, Free, opened the two-hour-and-10-minute performance with the new disc's title track.

Alone on stage with her acoustic guitar and dressed in black leather and sequins, she looked and sounded great but then the curtain pulled back about half-way through the song to reveal a six-piece band including Bryan Adams' longtime guitarist Keith Scott and violin-mandolin-keyboard player Alilson Cornell, who's toured with Shania Twain.

Cornell, in particular, proved to the standout band member with her gorgeous high harmonies and accomplished violin playing on The Devil Won, Insensitive, and A Million Miles Away, the latter which has been on the charts for the last three months.

"The kitten's still got it," joked Arden of having a hit, 10 albums into her career.

The dynamic between Arden and her band also hit the right balance on standouts like Where No One Knows Me, Could I Be Your Girl, Sleepless, and Yeah You.

Arden additionally excelled during tender moments like her cover of Janis Ian's At Seventeen - she credited Ian for getting her hooked on songwriting at the age of 11 - Insensitive, I Would Die For You (although she comically did a reggae version as the song neared its end), Everything's Broken, Daughter Down, Good Mother and a cover of To Sir With Love.

But the music performance wasn't consistently as riveting as the comedy bits.

Arden is a natural comedian, confident and in control.

When a fan screamed out: "I love you Jann!" she didn't miss a beat.

"I could have used you in high school."

And when another audience member asked if she'd be performing on the 2010 edition of Lilith Fair, Arden joked: "I'm in a bitchfest with McLachlan," referring to festival founder Sarah McLachlan.

RATING: 3.5 out of 5

SET LIST

Free

Looking For It (Finding Heaven)

Where No One Knows Me

Could I Be Your Girl

The Devil Won

Sleepless

At Seventeen

Insensitive

I Would Die For You

Leave Me Now

Yeah You

Wishing That

A Million Miles Away

Everything's Broken

I Want to Take You Higher

Unloved

Daughter Down

Good Mother

Encore:

In the Fire

Total Eclipse of the Heart

To Sir With Love

You Shook Me All Night Long

All the Days