k.d. lang had 'em before first note at the Kimmel

It's always interesting to see how an artist will react to a crowd that rewards her for simply showing up. On Sunday night, k.d. lang seemed determined to push herself harder to enthrall the already-smitten Kimmel Center audience. And it worked, turning the 90-minute performance into a k.d. lovefest, complete with gifts from ardent female fans and spontaneous standing ovations.

Following a relaxed but nicely paced solo set by classically inspired composer/pianist Dustin O'Halloran, the barefoot chanteuse launched into "Upstream," the first of several songs from her just-released CD Watershed. Backed by a tight five-man band - four of the players also provided backing vocals - lang's vocals veered from whispery, bedroom lows to roof-raising highs.

Dressed in a loosely fitting three-piece suit and necktie, the androgynous lang - who played both an acoustic guitar and a banjo (the latter of which she kiddingly referred to as a "chick magnet") - seemed clearly flattered by the crowd's unrelenting adulation.

"There's no point, really, in continuing with the musical portion of the program," she joked, after opening one of several gifts handed over by fans.

lang, whose penchant for mid-tempo ballads has all but crowded out the rollicking "cow-punk" songs of her early career, smartly chose to mix things throughout her set, moving from slow to less-slow tunes and back. "Smoke Rings," which had her dueting with several band members, and the romantic "Wash Me Clean" were especially endearing to the mixed-age crowd.

In addition to her own songs, lang sang several covers, including a languorous version of Chris Isaak's swirling "Western Stars" and a haunting interpretation of Jane Siberry's "The Valley." Her heartfelt, transcendent rendition of Leonard Cohen's darkly spiritual "Hallelujah" proved the evening's showstopper, prompting a standing ovation. From there, lang segued into the only song that could possibly stand up to it, "Constant Craving."

The concert concluded with two encores, the first of which was highlighted by a hoedownish rendition of 1987's "Pay Dirt." The second was interrupted (surprise, surprise) by fans bearing yet more gifts before things wound down with "Shadow and the Frame."