OTTAWA -- Matthew Good the performer is a much different guy from the one who gives all those cantankerous interviews.

A person reading a series of Good's press clippings might come away thinking he's, well, a bit self-important, what with all his complaining about other musicians and the state of the world.

But as Good proved at Ottawa's Civic Centre Friday night during his SuperEx show, he isn't at all grumpy on stage. He's quite funny and good-natured, actually, while managing to stay focused during an intense performance in front of 6,000 fans.

And after his near 90-minute show was over, the Amnesty International booth by his merchandise table was swarmed by the very same fans who ate up his performance, so it appears he's on to something.

"We all know we're not in the habit of being invaded for absolutely no reason," he said after pointing out the human-rights organization's booth. "But you never can be too sure."

Highlights of the show were the fairly new track, In a World Called Catastrophe, off his latest album Avalanche, a song I confess to loving so much I probably would enjoy it done to a polka beat, and Weapon, also off the new album.

Good stuck heavily to new material, as he announced early on, "because I can't hear you and because we're somewhat crazy."

Those new tunes included the album's title track and something even newer called Blue Skies Over Bad Lands, though predictably neither rustled up quite the excitement of some of Good's better-known tunes, like Hello Time Bomb off 1999's Beautiful Midnight and Everything is Automatic off 1997's Underdogs. There was also an engrossing rendition of Apparition, also off Underdogs, which Good says he's done solo ever since his group once ran into technical difficulties while playing it.

Good brings with him a colourful light show and a solid group of musicians. And he's got incredible range as a singer/songwriter, a guitar player and a guy who just has something to say.

"I'm going to go stand in front of a fan for about five hours after this," he said near the end of the show, staring out at an adoring crowd and suddenly making the connection. "Oh, the irony." (More on Matthew Good)

JAM! Rating: 4 out of 5