Singer-pianist Vanessa Carlton [ tickets ] kicked off her tour Friday (11/2) at Scottsdale, AZ's Martini Ranch with a few opening-night jitters, but nonetheless delivered 90 minutes of elegantly performed pop songs.

Accompanied by her piano and Mellotron, as well as a violinist, Carlton breathed a sigh of relief when she finished several songs, some of which were making their live debut. At one point she said, "God help us," which was met by laughter from the crowd. Carlton sat stiffly at the piano for the first two songs, but finally let go and began to sway during the melancholy "Heroes and Thieves," the title track from her latest album.

"I'm so excited," the piano tickler told the crowd. "We're like circus freaks who travel around the country."

Carlton kicked off her set with the passionate and fun "Nolita Fairytale," which didn't necessarily work in this setting. The first single from "Heroes and Thieves," the song has an undercurrent of marching band drums. With that missing, it relied solely on Carlton and the violinist, leaving the song feeling a bit empty.

With a crocheted afghan thrown over her grand piano, Carlton introduced several of her songs as "chapters," creating a storytellers vibe in the intimate club. She told stories about the making of various songs.

She complained about her former record label, A&M, sending her into the studio after she was finished supporting her 2004 album "Harmonium." During those sessions, Carlton said she had a "revelation" to leave the label and pursue a different deal.

For the song "C'est La Vie," she ignored the underage show patrons and gave her English translation of the French saying.

"It is translated in my lexicon as f--- it," she said. The song, which Carlton played alone on the Mellotron, brought down the set's energy. She described the song as one that helped her get through a rough break up.

Curiously, she asked the audience if they were all Republicans. Before the crowd had a chance to answer, she said "never mind." Instead she spoke about how intolerance makes her "very upset."

"There are people in this room that are in love with others that your mother doesn't approve of," she said in introducing "Who's to Say."

Carlton's comfort level rose during the latter half of the show. The set list, shown below, showcased how her career has evolved. Many of the newer songs, such as "Nolita Fairytale," had more energy than the songs she wrote as a gangly teenager, like "A Thousand Miles."

Opener Graham Colton [ tickets ], perhaps best known for being Kelly Clarkson's ex-boyfriend, entertained the crowd with acoustic renditions of his songs. The boy-next-door look worked well for Colton, who said he rarely plays shows in which he's alone on stage with his acoustic guitar.

Set List:
"Nolita Fairytale"
"Hands on Me"
"Heroes and Thieves"
"Ordinary Day"
"This Time"
"My Best"
"C'est La Vie"
"Who's to Say"
"Winter"
"The One"
"White Houses"
"All is Well"
"Fools Like Me"
"Home"
"More than This"
"A Thousand Miles"