In support of her lastest album, "Testimony: Vol. 2 Love & Politics," India.Arie [ tickets ] kicked off her tour at Zellerback Hall, in Berkeley, CA, last night (4/1) with a sold out show. Cheers erupted as she took the stage, and though she was smiling, her eyes quickly welled up with tears as she gently strummed her guitar.

"I made a decision before I decided to tour, that I would just be completely honest. ...I have a lot on my mind," she told the audience, which responded enthusiastically in kind. She seemed to be channeling her roots, turning the theater into a congregation: "Are you with me?!"

Clearly the recent loss of her beloved grandmother has had a profound impact on the singer. In a lengthy open letter on her MySpace page, she wrote, "The last good conversation we had was on Inauguration Day. We talked for a couple hours ... and she told me the lady she cleaned house for, chartered a bus from Lansing to see Martin Luther King give the "I have a dream speech. ...what a rich life!"

India.Arie has shows scheduled around the country through at least May. Here are some of my photos from the show.