While it’s perfectly clear that with maturity often comes a bit of cynicism (“...no one is faithful”) and disdain, Me’Shell’s sultry voice still has the chilling ability to reach into your core and drag your soul out into the open. Her stage intensity shone like a star in the Eastern sky, leading the way for the lost souls. “Free My Mind,” delivered at the top of the show, was rocking, yet somehow soothingly subtle, as could be said of most of Me’Shell’s work.

The set list included songs like “Save Me,” as well as several selections from Bitter, including brilliant versions of “Satisfy,” “Bitter,” “Loyalty,” “Beautiful,” and “Wasted Time.” Her touring band is an extremely capable group of excellent musicians, with Alan Cato on guitar being a standout among them. Her encore of “Grace,” the unbelievably gorgeous final track off the new disc, left all present slack-jawed and yearning for more.

Sadly, the only negative energy that evening came from Me’Shell herself, who, during “Free My Mind,” seemed to be making a statement about greed, stating “...I will take nothing of these worldly gains. Ain’t that right Maverick?” Unless Me’Shell donates all her revenues to charity, I wish she would stick to the amazing music she is obviously capable of creating and leave the nasty comments at home. As she herself states, “Let the rivers wash over me, in the real world I’m just a commodity the moguls sell, but it’s this that makes me happy.” Well, us too, Me’Shell. Hopefully it’s just a phase she’s going through.