The best example of the musical mad scientist that is Montreal singer-songwriter-pianist Patrick Watson came during the encore of his sold-out show at Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre on Saturday night.

Watson had strapped an unusual looking five-headed mega-phone contraption on his back, that was straight out of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and was wandering through the upstairs pews of the church with his band members - guitarist Simon Angell, drummer Robbie Kuster and bassist Mishka Stein - in tow while they all performed amongst audience members.

Now it should be pointed out that this moment wasn’t exactly a surprise given the experimental, avant-garde and playful nature of the music and performance that had preceded it.

All you need to know is that a red balloon releasing air and a saw were among the instruments played.

Watson, whose band is named after him and picked up the Polaris Music Prize for 2007’s Close To Paradise, has recently returned with the excellent orchestral-indie rock-pop collection, Wooden Arms, that features guest turns by fellow Montrealers Lhasa De Sala and Katie Moore.

So naturally the majority of Saturday night’s hour-and-25-minute performance was devoted to that new disc, starting with the powerful concert opener Fireweed that saw Kuster operating what looked like a makeshift wind noisemaker while Watson delivered some ghostly vocals in his gorgeous falsetto amid strobe lights.

From there, the evening just got more interesting due in no small part to the dramatic drumming and percussion playing of Kuster, who banged on everything but the kitchen sink. Actually maybe that was up there too.

Kuster also found time to conduct an all-female string quartet whose accompaniment helped flesh out standouts like Beijing - with the audience clapping along - the awe-inspiring Where The Wild Things Are and The Machinery Of The Heavens.

For his part, Angell impressively showed off his multi-instrumental dexterity playing banjo and mandolin in addition to acoustic and electric guitar.

Other song highlights included the striking string-led instrumental Hommage and the countrified Big Bird In A Small Cage, the latter which Watson explained he had written to sing with Dolly Parton but she’d never answered what he called his “love letters,” and the more stripped-down folk of Man Like You.

The noiser, slow-building cacophony of Down At The Beach was more of an acquired taste but riveting nonetheless.

Watson - a hyper, smiling and laughing presence as he moved constantly around the stage - seemed thrilled with the great response from the crowd who soaked up every atmospheric moment of the evening, which included have two bare trees decked out in twinkling lights behind the band.

“You guys are the best Toronto audience I’ve ever seen in my life,” he said early in the show. “And I’m not just saying that.”

He added later: “I really appreciate all the concentration and effort.”

So did we Patrick, so did we.