Something Borrowed, Something Blue as Isaak Lights Up Pantages

Bounding between driving country-rockers and mournful ballads, Chris Isaak favored up-tempo material from his new album during his concert Friday at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. But for all the old-fashioned showmanship, his most indelible moments came in the quieter tunes, although Isaak and his longtime band Silvertone didn’t slow down often. The 100-minute set showcased the singer-guitarist’s latest collection, “Speak of the Devil,” along with older favorites.

Wreathed in smoky indigo light, Isaak crooned his classic hit “Wicked Game” with such haunting melancholy that he seemed to be channeling the ache of a million broken hearts. With a veteran’s confidence, the 42-year-old singer casually dared to sing Roy Orbison’s “Only the Lonely,” marking it with his own subtle dramatics while underscoring the oft-noted similarity between their spooky-sorrowful vocal timbres.

Such new ballads as the ex-lover’s plea “Don’t Get So Down on Yourself” weren’t nearly as intense, nor were they as emotionally driven as the bleak new rocker “Black Flowers,” which evoked palpable feelings of betrayal. But Isaak had no trouble firing up the crowd or the band, which burned so brightly on “Speak of the Devil” that the genteel Pantages took on the gritty aura of a honky-tonk.