Lucy Kaplansky charmed and surprised a devoted crowd during a solo performance at the Southgate House Thursday night.

        Even her staunchest fans couldn't have predicted her first song, a cry-in-your-beer country classic, “She Thinks I Still Care,” which was a hit for George Jones in 1962. “I figured I had to play a country song since this is the South,” she said afterward. “We are in the South aren't we? Close?”

        Ms. Kaplansky, who's become a major presence in new folk music, took the stage in a brown leather jacket and black leather pants. With her long dark and unruly hair, she looked like a rock 'n' roller, and her music is richer because of rock's influence.

        The 20-song set drew heavily from her fourth and most recent CD, Every Single Day. Ironically, the solo live performances of the songs had more energy than the studio versions featuring a full band.

        Propelled by percussive guitar strumming, “Don't Mind Me” and “Guilty as Sin” were earthier and edgier than most of her recorded material.

        When the tempo slowed and the volume dropped, Ms. Kaplansky proved adept at single-finger strumming and sang beautiful ballads in a haunting voice. There were quite a few couples in the audience, and songs like “I Know What Kind of Love This Is” and “Ten Year Night” induced public displays of affection.

        The covers she played were as unpredictable as they were intriguing. Instead of sounding like a desperate attempt at crossover appeal, her Police cover, “Secret Journey” off Ghosts in the Machine, seemed hypnotic and surreal.

        Two songs were penned by her father, a mathematician who in his free time cooks up some odd little ditties. Sung a cappella, “The Song About Pi” based its melody on the first 14 digits in Pi and sounded like something Frank Zappa would have written had he been locked in math class for a week.

        The evening ended with two songs that were written by another important singer, Julie Miller. A fine love song, the encore, “Broken Things,” was a great vehicle for Ms. Kaplansky's voice. It was no wonder half the crowd hung around afterward to talk to her and ask her to sign CDs.

'Mind' vs. 'Rings': Who will be lord of the Oscar?
'On the Same Page' discussions start
Television: Families come back to ABC with 'Lopez'
City one of five survey sites
'South Pacific' unbelievable
Get to it
Kaplansky's lovely solos charm crowd
Horton Heat revs up Bogart's with rocka billy
I Musici earns standing ovation
Restaurant servers are left waiting for gratuity
Consortium's new leader takes art to heart
Mustard maker pitches to the Reds
Boy gets a charge out of rhino room
Mistaken identity is case of not really seeing
Where to eat on Easter
Heloise still has the answers
Serve it this week: Asparagus