Outside of her relatively small but loyal following, the United States has not seen much of Sinéad O’Connor over the past decade, though she has continued to release albums and perform. Despite having a massive hit with the Prince-penned "Nothing Compares 2 U," she is remembered equally for the controversy she generated with her infamous appearance on Saturday Night Live and her refusal to have the national anthem played before a concert in New Jersey.

The intervening years have clearly led to a more mellow Sinéad O’Connor, but that does not mean she is any less ardent or passionate in her beliefs. During her performance last night at The Music Center at Strathmore, she did not resort to anger and rebellion to make her point. Instead, O'Connor called on her sense of vulnerability, femininity, and spirituality as tools in making a social critique and political statement that were unflinching, but also tender.

Sporting her trademark crewcut and wearing a simple black suit with a white shirt, O'Connor's voice is a bit more dry and rough than it used to be, but it is still a fine instrument. Though she was at ease enough to joke with the audience between songs, she still does not appear comfortable on stage. But her lyrics are delivered with such honesty and sincerity that one overlooks any awkwardness. Her performance was skillfully enhanced by her backing band, whose instrumentation consisted of guitar, bass, drums, electric violin, and a keyboard/woodwind player.

A concert hall setting seemed odd for such a performance because while O'Connor's music does have its quiet moments, she does employ a full rock band, and the crowd was more enthusiastic than those typically found in such a venue. At times it seemed likely that this was one of the louder concerts Strathmore has seen. While a large club might have been better suited for some parts of the set, the concert hall was perfect for the more intimate moments. Though O'Connor's acoustic guitar did cause some minor feedback and she appeared to be having trouble with her in-ear monitors, the sound quality was generally top notch. The design consisted only of the band's instruments, straightforward lighting, and simple colored patterns projected onto a plain black curtain that hung at the rear of the stage.

The evening's performance was nothing if not characteristically Irish, beginning with opening act Damien Dempsey. A true bloke with a jovial Everyman stage presence, Dempsey delivered a strong set of contemporary Irish folk songs. He began performing solo, but added musicians from O'Connor's band incrementally until he was eventually joined by her entire backing ensemble. While there is nothing groundbreaking in Dempsey's music, his demeanor, full-throated voice, and biographical lyrics made for a pleasurable listen.

O'Connor opened with "The Emperor's New Clothes" and went on to perform most of her other notable tunes including, "Black Boys on Mopeds," the moving "What Doesn't Belong to Me," with its plaintive and all too relevant cry of "I'm Irish, I'm English/I'm Moslem, I'm Jewish/I'm a girl, I'm a boy," "The Last Day of Our Acquaintance," and, of course "Nothing Compares 2 U." Unexpected highlights include a gorgeous a cappella rendition of "In This Heart," as well as songs from her latest album, Theology, an anti-war album that uses holy scripture to send its message. "If You Had a Vineyard," a song whose lyrics are taken directly from the Book of Isaiah, was written for, O'Connor announced, people who believe that "perhaps God might not like war."

Time must have played an important role in O'Connor's maturation, but it was equally apparent that family life has also had a profound effect. During one of the show's many gentle moments, a baby's cry pierced through the hall. O'Connor had an immediate and visceral reaction to the infant and then went on to tell the audience that she had four babies of her own, ranging in age from 20 years to 10 months. She also joked that "it's weird when something you gave birth to can carry you across the room."

Image from the artist website