Calling herself the "queen of depressing love songs," Sarah McLachlan [ tickets ] pleased the crowd with her self-deprecating humor and soaring vocals Friday (July 16) at Glendale Arena in Glendale, AZ.

While introducing the song "Push," which she described as a love letter to her husband/drummer Ashwin Sood, McLachlan said with a laugh, "It's one of the few times I've managed to write a story with a happy ending."

McLachlan's two-hour show seemed more like an episode of VH1's "Storytellers" than a proper concert. She took several breaks to share stories of motherhood, her onetime fear of commitment, songwriting and even breast feeding. She was warmly accepted.

"On a fabulously positive note, a couple years ago, I had a little baby girl," McLachlan said to which fans responded by yelling the name of her daughter, India. "She's speaking in full sentences. She's the joy of our lives. She's amazing. I strongly recommend motherhood."

An obvious vocal irritation or cold gave McLachlan's voice a raspier, more-muscular feel, ironically, in songs like "Building a Mystery," "Sweet Surrender" and "Possession." McLachlan showed off her range with an acoustic, dramatic rendition of "You are My Sunshine," which paved the way for "Hold On." She was talkative; but she seemed to struggle early on during between-song banter.

The singer was animated at the microphone, waving her arms to the music or running her hands up and down the mic stand. She utilized her vast stage, which was book-ended by a grand piano and a volcano, from which drums arose. Faux landscaping covered the front corners of the stage, and ntertwined branches loomed overhead.

McLachlan's tour is in support of her 2003, multi-platinum album, "Afterglow," which sits at No. 135 on The Billboard 200 chart dated July 24. The album, which is her first in six years, spawned the hit "Fallen," which she used to open the show.

"Thank you for being so patient for me," McLachlan said to the audience of primarily women. "I'm just thrilled that so many people remember me. This was a fun tour to put together."

In previous tours, she said, she struggled with not having enough material to fill a headlining set. Now, she has too many songs, she said.

"Now, for me it's [about] having to edit out a bunch of songs," told the audience. "Basically, for this tour, I picked all my favorite songs."

Butterfly Boucher, a native of Australia, opened the show for McLachlan, playing cuts from her pop-rock solo debut, "Flutterby," including her relentlessly addictive single "Another White Dash." Her music brings forth an amalgamation of Bjork, Dido and Jewel.

Boucher, which rhymes with "voucher," based her opening set around repeated remarks that patrons should purchase her album at the merchandise booths.

"There's a whole album of tunes just like that waiting to be played in your home stereo--and your friend's home studio and you're extended family's home studio," Boucher said with a laugh.

Later she repeated the same sentiment: "Just imagine you could be listening to that on your way home," she said.