Americana singer-songwriter Gillian Welch and her performing partner, guitarist David Rawlings, performs at the Phoenix Concert Theatre in Toronto July 25, 2011, in support of her latest album, The Harrow & the Harvest. (Dave Abel/ QMI Agency)

TORONTO - Ah, sweet simplicity.

In the modern era of overproduced, big-budget shows, bluegrass artist Gillian Welch is a major breath of fresh air.

As good as her leading female contemporaries in the old timey music genre - Alison Krauss and Emmylou Harris - but perhaps not as widely known, Welch played a wonderfully stripped-down two-hour show at the Phoenix on Monday night with longtime musical collaborator and real-life love, David Rawlings, at her side.

Somehow, their astonishing talent seemed to grow as the night progressed.

And given the response to her latest album with Rawlings, The Harrow & The Harvest (her first in eight years) and the enthusiastic sold-out crowd, one suspects the New York-born, Nashville-based Welch might have even been able to fill Massey Hall this time out.

Still, the intimate setting of the Phoenix suited the charming, chatty, and droll twosome who played on a bare stage, alternating between acoustic guitars and banjos, as they played much of Harrow’s material kicking off the night with Scarlet Town.

And while Welch, in a summer dress and cowboy boots, and Rawlings in a suit, dress shirt, and straw cowboy hat, gave off the thrift store vibe one couldn’t help notice how their grey-biege theme perfectly matched.

There definitely seemed to be some careful consideration at work, not only in their style but in their music, and I can’t remember the last time I heard the Phoenix so still and quiet with the entire audience actually paying attention.

The couple were in perfect sync, both in their seamless harmonies and guitar playing, with Rawlings playing solos early and often, twirling in his guitar neck in a small circular motion while he did so and Welch lightly stomping her left foot as she bent over her instrument.

“We heard Toronto is a banjo loving town,” kidded Welch, when she first brought the instrument out for the first standout of the night, Rock Of Ages.

“Toronto is in a constant state of banjo readiness,” added Rawlings.

Other highlights in the first set, which was followed by a 20 minute break, included older tunes Elvis Presley Blues, I Want To Play That Rock and Roll, Red Clay Halo, the traditional Make Me A Pallet On Your Floor, Keys to the Kingdom, which produced the first big audience clapalong, and another new song, Dark Turn Of Mind.

And just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, it did.

The second set kicked off with another new song, Hard Times, but increased in intensity with new tunes, Tennessee and Six White Horses - with Rawlings on banjo and harmonica while Welch played percussion with her hands on her thighs and even danced a little jig.

“That was about as close as we’ve ever come to being a circus act,” joked Welch after Six White Horses. “Next time we come, there will be elephants with us.”

Rawlings also took over on lead vocals on Ruby, from the David Rawlings Machine catalogue, and Welch finished strongly with the older tunes Annabelle, Look At Miss Ohio, which producing the first crowd sing-along, and Time (The Revelator), before an incredible two encores that included I’ll Fly Away and - wait for it - the reverb-heavy (complete with disco ball) cover of Jefferson Airplane’s White Rabbit.

If you already loved Welch, you loved her even more after that.