It was a night for turning a singer into a star.

        David Gray, the Welsh singer-songwriter who a year ago could only draw a half-capacity crowd at the smaller Bogart's, sold out the Taft Theatre soon after tickets went on sale and Tuesday night delivered a an hour-and-40 minutes of the sound and songcraft which fuels his bandwagon.

        It's a grassroots uprising, rather than a record company/publicity effort, much in the same way it worked for one of his leading supporters, Dave Matthews.

        So at the Taft he had a triumphant look about him as he soaked in the girlish screams from women in their 30s (40s?) and the cheers and applause from a crowd passing its concert-going time until Mr. Matthews rolls through.

        Mr. Gray is a lot like the better-known Dave in the sense that both are a little bland and roundabout as writers. Mr. Gray is more of a craftsman with the pen than a poet. His lyrics were a sonic partner to the tunes — there's no joy reading them out of the CD booklet. The stand-out moments of the show had to do with the music each time, never the words.

        Unlike Mr. Matthews, Mr. Gray showed no jazz-rock pretentions. His best songs were three-or-four-chord, up-tempo, hook-filled nuggets, and the best of the best was his hit "Babylon." With his ringing voice atop the mix of keyboards, acoustic guitar and programmed drum beats his three-man band put forth, he has a sound of his own, which is a must when you're a bland writer looking for grassroot support.

        He played several songs from his White Ladder breakthrough, including the night's other highlight, an extended version of "Please Forgive Me" that featured Mr. Gray pounding out a two-chord motif on piano while the dance-club drum program and light show slowly intensified.

        There were several brand-new titles, including "Be Mine," "Real Love," and "All the Love," all of which the audience pleasantly received. He also performed "Twilight," a selection from Lost Songs 95-98, an acoustic record he released that same day.

        Opener Nina Gordon chose her last name as a tribute to Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon before gaining some recognition herself as a member of Veruca Salt. It's time for another name change. May we modestly propose Nina Gordon Lightfoot? Gone are the days of Nina the decent alternative rocker. She has gone solo and now allows herself to be groomed by her record company as a middle-of-the-road gal singer. The next Sheryl Crow. Or maybe Meredith Brooks. Whatever the case, the results are thoroughly dull, as her 35-minute set proved.

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