You know a performer loves an audience when she's taking requests after just two songs.

Not that the crowd of Jewel experts at the Opera House Monday had any problems asking.

It seemed amazing that so many fans could be so familiar with the striking 21-year-old Alaskan folksinger's largely new repertoire of songs -- calling out for their favorite obscurities and cheering each number.

Fact is, they hadn't forgotten the songs from Jewel's "residency tour," which brought her to town five times last year.

"I wish I could take you guys on the road with me," she said, sounding entirely sincere.

She was equally disarming when she made fun of her own good looks after the house lighting system shut down briefly.

"My face is just a distraction," she deadpanned. "Let's see how good this sounds in the dark."

She needn't have been so shy or cynical about her credentials.

With her well-established fanbase on her side, Jewel moved gracefully through a set that included an a capella opener and an upbeat pop interlude she performed with her brand new quintet.

It was only the band's sixth show together, and it showed, with Jewel sometimes playing down her multi-faceted voice so as not to compete with the drums, bass and organ.

Things got better on tracks like Blue Eye Liner and Race Car Driver, out-and-out rockers that featured Jewel on electric guitar.

On her solo acoustic songs, Jewel compensated for her unremarkable -- but capable -- guitar work with soaring vocals.

Full and warbling, breathy and girlish, piercing and near-operatic, throaty and bluesy -- Jewel hit all the notes.

This was best exemplified on last year's semi-hit, Who Will Save Your Soul -- from her debut and so far only album, Pieces Of You -- which she played as an encore.

The singer's almost undetectable rage simmering far below her friendly exterior added drama to dark songs like Pieces Of You and brighter tunes Boy Needs A Bike, Never Advertise Your Pink Fleshy Heart To A Carnivore, and Cleverness Is A Disease, the latter two so new that Jewel named them on the spot.

The show was also a refresher course in Jewel's fine turns of phrase -- i.e., "Jesus died for my sins/ Sorry, it won't happen again."

Hey, any time.