Sunday night, Greg Dulli brought his new band and new persona back to the old neighborhood and earned a hero's welcome.

        With his Twilight Singers, the frontman for the Afghan Whigs played Top Cat's in the Whigs' old stomping grounds of Corryville. He drew an adoring, sold-out, shoulder-to-shoulder crowd of about 500.

        It's the third date of the band's brief tour in support of Twilight as Played By the Twilight Singers. The band's 65-minute set drew heavily from that disc, but included covers of the Whigs' “Crazy” (which Mr. Dulli dedicated to Whigs bassist and co-leader John Curley, who was in attendance), as well as “Easy to Be Stupid.'' from Twilight Singer Harold “Happy” Chichester's main band, Howlin' Maggie. The Twilight Singers is almost as much Mr. Chichester's group, as he often shared lead vocal duties, provided high harmony and played the soulful piano that set much of that Twilight mood.

        The Twilight Singers includes most of Howlin' Maggie — Mr. Chichester, drummer Carlton Smith and guitarist Lance Elliott. Whig drummer Michael Horrigan is the Twilight Singers' bassist and percussionist.

        But the group is clearly Mr. Dulli's vision. While most musicians let their artsier sides loose in their side projects, the Twilight Singers showcase the lighter side of Greg Dulli. In concert it was a much poppier and more accessible sound than the purposefully dark and turgid Whigs.

        “Clyde” moved to a more assured swagger than the album version, opening into a harder rocking finish. And the songs from Twilight that rocked pretty hard on disc, such as one-two punch of the ballad “Love” into the rocker “Annie Mae” turned explosive in concert, as Mr. Dulli sweated over his Telecaster guitar, a ciga rette dangling from his grin.

        Best of all, he took full advantage of the new group's broader sense of dynamics. His vocals were often at a quieter, crooning level, so when his voice did raise into his patented Whigs scream, it had a powerfully dramatic effect.

        And though the crowd was ready for a Whigs-style blowout, Mr. Dulli even crooned his encore. He returned alone to take a seat at the piano and do a gentle, solo reprise of “Love.”

        P.J. Olsson opened with a sporadically catchy half hour that mixed pop psychedelia with electronic effects, a live drummer and his own keyboards and folkie acoustic guitar.

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