Me’shell N’Degeocello.

The last time I saw Me’Shell N’Degeocello perform, it was 2005 and she was playing 9:30 Club in support of The Spirit Music Jamia: Dance of the Infidel, an album that drew more from the free form explorations of ’70s era Miles Davis than the modern soul sound N’Degeocello had honed in previous years. The show was sold out, and by the end of her set I would estimate that less than 20% of the audience remained. The avant-garde music was not what the audience expected or wanted, resulting in a stunning rebuke of an artist by her fans. A shame, considering N’Degeocello’s impressive body of work.

In the early ’90s, N’Degeocello was among the first artists signed to Madonna’s Maverick Records and had a minor hit with “If That’s Your Boyfriend (He Wasn’t Last Night)”, off her 1993 debut, Plantation Lullabies. She followed that up with a major hit, a duet on Van Morrison’s “Wild Nights” with John Mellencamp. N’Degeocello’s 1996 album, Peace Beyond Passion, is an under-appreciated masterpiece. The recording didn’t receive much airplay, but it was a forerunner to the neo-soul movement that arose just a few years later. Likewise, her more recent efforts, such as last year’s Weather, are all deserving of wider recognition.

N’Degeocello returned to D.C. last night for another sold-out show, which struck the balance that was lacking back in 2005. The relentlessly exploratory singer-songwriter gave a performance that was totally unexpected, but still established a genuine connection with the listener.

Given that this night was a homecoming of sorts for the Ellington grad, and that it was taking place at the newly restored Howard Theatre, the most surprising element of the show was its very setup. We expected N’Degeocello to perform her cool, genre-blending music with a full band. Instead, she teamed up with veteran session guitarist Chris Bruce for an intimate 80-minute set that put her music in its barest form. While it was not an acoustic show — both musicians played electric instruments — the “unplugged” vibe underscored the themes of love, spirituality, religion and sexuality that pervade N’Degeocello’s lyrics.

The stripped down approach showcased N’Degeocello’s lithe voice, which went from husky and pained on her cover of Nick Drake’s “Pink Moon”, to lofty and infatuated on “I’m Diggin’ You (Like An Old Soul Record)”, a song that she said hadn’t been performed in years. That loose atmosphere made it so that when Bruce had to stop their soulful rendition of Soul Children’s “Don’t Take My Kindness For Weakness” to figure out the chords, or when sound issues interrupted a moment of heartbreak, no one paid any mind. The duo format also allowed N’Degeocello to express her impressive bass playing, which was centered around a warm tone and easy going groove.

Unfortunately, the living room presentation also had its drawbacks, mainly that the songs started to bleed together to anyone who wasn’t intimately familiar with them. At times, N’Degeocello lost the audience to conversation, which leads me to question those who spend $35 on a concert ticket just to treat the event like a night out at any other bar. Nevertheless, the rude talkers lost out on some fine moments from two outstanding musicians.

And a final word should also go out to the venue itself. Bravo, I say, to the forces behind the renovation. The space is absolutely gorgeous. There are obvious kinks being worked out among the service staff (long wait times between server visits) and presentation staff (lighting and sound issues), but the new Howard Theatre holds a lot of potential and is a welcome addition to the District’s burgeoning music scene.