Like fellow Celtic rockers Van Morrison and U2, Mike Scott's music has always been epic, soulful and big-sounding. And on Tuesday (12/16), The Waterboys [ tickets ]' singer cherry-picked some of his best songs for a feverish Hollywood crowd at The Avalon.

The Avalon's hardwood floor was filled with folding chairs, as if it were a makeshift rock and roll church. Scott--wearing a simple, untucked, black, button-down shirt and striped '80s-rocker pants--stood onstage like a preacher driven by a fiery set of spiritual folk rock.

The first of two one-hour sets featured songs off The Waterboys' most recent release, "Universal Hall," some of Scott's solo work (in the form of "Bring 'em All In") the classic Waterboys track "A Man is in Love," and an epic rendition of "Sweet Thing/Blackbird," featuring Scott's haunting story of his 3 a.m. stroll through the Hollywood Hills. It was quite a mixed bag--and not always great; the songs off "Universal Hall" were particularly weak.

But Scott and pianist Richard Naiff played incredibly. Scott passionately strummed his acoustic guitar throughout the concert. Often, his eyes were closed as he sang with a voice that sounded more experienced and emotive than ever. Meanwhile, Naiff was hunched over his keyboard, dramatically pounding away, his long hair flailing in the cool theater air. The two were so lost in their performance it was as if they had forgotten they were onstage alone, sans drummer, bassist, or electric guitar.

It was the night's second set that provided the show's most viscerally satisfying moments. After a 30-minute intermission, Scott and Naiff returned and poured on the salvation. Songs included "Killing My Heart," "Don't Bang the Drum," and the gorgeous epic "Long Way into the Light."

On "Don't Bang the Drum" Scott sang stoically to Naiff's lonely piano flourishes, turning the tune--a rocker on 1985's "This Is the Sea"--into a sweet, wanting ballad. "Seek the Light," from "Universal Hall," was a meditative mantra that grew in intensity with each passing measure. After the performance, Scott sheepishly admitted, "I've got loads of those mantra songs." Next came "Fisherman's Blues," a sweet, beautiful revelation.

The audience was mesmerized. By show's end, the crowd was so emphatically worked up that people were applauding, chanting--literally stomping the theater floor--demanding that the Waterboys singer play some more.

Unable to let the fans down, Scott and Naiff returned to play Ray Charles' "Come Live With Me," and, after another rowdy wave of applause, the two ended the evening with an unforgettable version of "This Is the Sea." As Scott sang, "Once you were tethered, well now you are free. That was the river, this is the sea," the hungry crowd finally found redemption.