The walls of the Maintenance Shop resonated with the smooth vocals and off-the-cuff humor of folk singer Vance Gilbert Tuesday.

Unfortunately, very few people were there to witness it.

Despite a disappointing turnout of only about 30 people, the lounge-singer-turned-folk artist performed as if the room were filled to capacity. Gilbert delighted the crowd for nearly two hours with soulful lyrics and technically flawless guitar playing, with a bit of stand-up comedy thrown into the mix for flavor.

“Have you folks been [to the M-Shop] before?” Gilbert asked the audience at the beginning of his set. When the crowd said that they had, Gilbert responded, “Then I guess I shouldn’t be so flattered that you’re here to hear me play.”

This level of humility was the underlying theme throughout Gilbert’s performance.

Through both his lyrics and his spoken interaction with the crowd, Gilbert perfected the image of the modern American folk singer.

He was insightful and poignant, but was not afraid to admit that he was human.

“This is why I became a folk singer,” Gilbert said, motioning towards his husky midsection. “I like to eat, but with a guitar in front of me, no one notices.”

Opening for Gilbert was New York native Andrew Kerr, whose unique blend of folk and comedy had the audience rolling with laughter long before Gilbert took the stage.

“I’m going to play a four-hour set,” Kerr said. “After that, Vance will be ‘closing’ for me.”

Kerr’s songs were more like stories set to music than actual songs.

With topics ranging from selling retirement plans to coal workers in Kentucky to getting a fan letter addressed to Britney Spears, Kerr proved that folk music could be fun.

The between-song comedy by both performers may have had the crowd laughing, but Gilbert’s music was the real highlight of the evening. Through frenetic guitar pickings and a voice somewhere between Aaron Neville and Curtis Mayfield, Gilbert laid the groundwork for his emotional and somewhat controversial storytelling over the sincerity of an acoustic guitar.

Through his music, Gilbert showed the audience that even if an issue has left the social spotlight, it still needs attention.

“There are some topics, like race discrimination, that people think are ‘all better,’ just because no one talks about them anymore,” Gilbert said. “People may not like it, but these things need to be talked about and I’m going to do it.”