Review

“All these songs are true — unless you can tell I’m lying,” teased folk singer and comedian Christine Lavin from the stage at The Grand in Ellsworth on Friday. But this giggling New Yorker, who stands no more than 5 feet 2 inches, rocks an auditorium with only a guitar and a crystalline voice, and twirls a baton made of light sticks, is captivating because honesty appears to be her greatest asset.

Lavin charmed the audience for more than two hours with a selection of comic and serious songs from her five albums. In between numbers (and sometimes during numbers), she casually spoke to the roomful of fans and told humorous tales of growing up in a family of nine, living in New York, and being in relationships.

All of Lavin’s songs told a story, and had a story behind how they were written. For instance, Lavin wrote “Good Thing He Can’t Read My Mind” after becoming discouraged with blind dates. She sang of having to endure opera, skiing, and sushi with politeness. In a more subdued number, “Castlemaine,” Lavin told of her travels to Australia and a memorable emotional exchange she had with one of her hosts.

During “Sensitive New Age Men,” one of Lavin’s more recent tunes, she invited three men from the audience to sing backup vocals with her. “This is going to be the male bonding experience of the night,” she said. But everyone was able to enjoy her clever (and affectionate) scrutiny of that breed of yuppies “who like to cry at weddings, who think Rambo is upsetting, who tape `Thirtysomething’ on their VCRs, who put `child on board’ stickers on their cars.”

“I think you can tell I’m having a good time,” said Lavin, obviously thrilled with the warm reception she was receiving from the near-full house. “Performers would kill to perform in a place like this.”

As a grand finale, Lavin sang harmony with herself by playing a pre-recorded tape of “Dream” and “Summer Song.” When the singing ended, the music continued with an animated voice-over of Lavin’s thoughts about how to end the show. This led to her trademark showstopper, a most impressive baton twirling act.

When the show was over, Lavin slipped off stage for only a moment before returning to the lobby of The Grand to chat with audience members and to sign baseball cards with pictures of her in a barrel going over Niagara Falls.

Lavin’s fun-loving performing style is not easily categorizable. She’s a bubbly party girl, a perceptive social commentator, a talented folk singer (who often sounds like Joni Mitchell), and an effervescent clown. Mostly though, she’s a storyteller, recording the tearful and joyful moments of life as they go by.