I’ve seen Rufus Wainwright three times over his career.

The first was back in 1998, I believe, at the Variety Playhouse. Imogen Heap opened, before she reinvented herself. With only a single major label album to his credit, he ran through his self-titled debut perfectly. The set was peppered with hints of things to come, songs that wouldn’t be released for another couple of years like “California” and “Greek Song.”

The second was in 2005 at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. A lovely show in a beautiful place.

But nothing beats last night’s show at The Tabernacle. We missed the opening band by seconds, though the tail end of their last song was nice enough. When Neko Case came out as the second opener, she said “Rufus is going to blow your mind!” And she was right. But first, let me say how awesome it is to hear Neko Case in person. She has a voice like a High Lonesome blow-torch. Someone over to our left said she sounded like Sissy Spacek, as in when Spacek was in Coal Miner’s Daughter. Wrong. Her voice is shaped like Loretta Lynn’s, sure, but the sound is so much sweeter and more powerful for it. She did about seven songs, some of which I knew or mostly remembered. I’m partial to the material prior to last year’s Fox Confessor, but even those songs are just excellent live. Her back-up singer was great as well and had no trouble keeping up with her.

First to emerge was the Wainwright All-Star Band … or His Merry Men … or talented refugees from a Godspell revival. Whatever they were, they were decked out in seventies-era hippie-stripes that would make The Brady Band sick with envy. Two guitarists, a bassist, a drummer and three gentlemen forming a brass section — the hippiest hippie of the three on french horn. Following them and launching into “Release The Stars” was Rufus himself, working tighter stripes and about a half-dozen chunks of rhinestone bling. His outfit looked like a homemade attempt at an Elvis Presley (or Porter Waggoner) Nudie Suit.

The band was excellent. And while Rufus has always an accomplished composer and an entertaining performer, it must be said that he has discovered his inner showman. For the stand-and-deliver numbers right up front, he was working the crowd like he was in Vegas, hand gestures, knowing looks, sidelong smiles and all. The only problems came from restless audience members during the slower, quieter numbers. Just because the overall volume of the venue has dropped to zero, do not mistake that silence for a cue to scream “I love you” in German. For one thing, it’s asinine. For another, Rufus speaks French. Idiots.

As for the rest of the set, I don’t want to say much else. Before last night, I’d never seen a concert progression so incredibly awesome that it deserves a spoiler warning. All in all, a brilliant and stunning show that tops pretty much every live act I’ve seen in about a decade.

This is the set list. I think. I’m pretty sure I have all of the songs, but the order might off here and there.

First Set (Wearing the brooches & stripes ensemble.)

• Release The Stars
• Going To A Town
• Sans Souci
• Rules & Regulations
• Tulsa
• Art Teacher
• Tiergarten
• Leaving For Paris
• Between My Legs (featuring guest spoken word bit by contest-winner Amélie Keller)

Second Set (Wearing lederhosen. No lie.)

• Harvester Of Hearts
• Do I Disappoint You
• Foggy Day in London
• If Love Were All
• Nobody’s Off The Hook
• Beautiful Child
• Not Ready To Love
• Slide Show
• Macushlah (done sans microphone)
• 14th Street (including band solos, finishing with the banjo)

Encore (Wearing bathrobe.)

• I Don’t Know What It Is
• Pretty Things
• Hallelujah

Big Finale

• Get Happy
• Gay Messiah