One year after his last visit to town at the Sierra Nevada Brewery’s Big Room, Jackie Greene returned to Chico, California, on October 30 for a show at the century-old El Rey Theatre, and did not disappoint. The alt-rocker is by now a road-tested veteran, though he’s still a few days shy of his 30th birthday.

Starting as a teen with songs written around his home base near Sacramento, Greene has kicked a lot of dust, raised a lot of eyebrows, and made a lot of fans with his solo work, as well as with Phil Lesh and Friends, Gov’t. Mule, and the Mother Hips’ Tim Bluhm.

Following a spirited 45-minute set by homespun-rockers Truth & Salvage Co., Greene presented an acoustic-then-electric performance of twangy Americana offerings that showcased his songwriting, singing, and dexterity on acoustic and electric guitars, harmonica, and keyboards. The vibe inside the mural-filled, vaudeville-era El Rey had a bit of a cabaret theme, given the setting and abundance of night-before-Halloween costumes.

Weaving in four new songs from his current project, “Till the Night Comes,” including the heartfelt ballad, “1961,” Greene performed at least one song from each of his studio albums. The opening set featured Greene on acoustic guitars accompanied only by longtime guitarist Nate Dale. The set featured a relaxed “I Don’t Live in a Dream” to start things off, the dark and chilling “Don’t Let the Devil Take Your Mind,” The Grateful Dead classic, “Friend of the Devil,” and a fine version of “Gone Wanderin’,” the opening track off Greene’s 2002 debut project.

The second set included plenty of newer material at the outset, and then Greene offered a fine cluster of cover tunes, including a typically jam-heavy version of The Dead’s “New Speedway Boogie,” Bob Dylan’s “Isis,” and Muddy Waters’ “She’s 19 Years Old,” before ending the set with his own rousing rocker, “Ball and Chain.”

The Truth & Salvage Co. came back, in their Halloween costumes, to join the Jackie Greene Band in The Band’s sing-along, “The Weight.” After taking their bows, Green, wearing a San Francisco Giants baseball cap, returned with his band to toss out a powerful version of “Sugaree,” a Jerry Garcia classic that he’s adopted and taken to another level.

When the lights came up, the audience shuffled out of the El Rey to mingle with the impromptu outdoor costume party that breaks out in downtown Chico, a college town, every Halloween weekend.

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