The night was off to a tumultuous and energetic start, thanks in part to the slight delay in start time that had the disgruntled banging on the door to be let in and rumors circulating that it was going to be standing-room only.

This was the scene Sunday night at the M-Shop, as a sold-out crowd waited anxiously for teen-age blues-guitar sensation Shannon Curfman.

The evening of music finally began with the witty, tongue-in-cheek lyrics and deft showmanship of opener Rob Lumbard. He left the crowd asking for more, but what it got instead was a heavy dose of Shannon. It was not disappointed.

The lights finally dimmed and Curfman strode in defiantly and began laying down her trademark hard and full groove with “Few and Far Between.” The crowd couldn’t help but feel good as she grinned her way through the first number, with a no foolin’ heads-up feel.

She continued straight on to “Love Me Like That,” a funked-out tune in which she laid down the law as one would think only a heart broken woman 30 years her senior would be able to do.

The paradox of her age and musical and lyrical ability was apparent consistently throughout the evening, as she kept a playful air, teasing her fellow musicians during most numbers, yet remaining very tuned in to the job at hand.

Curfman peeled off her new single, “I Don’t Make Promises,” a definite crowd-pleaser with catchy lyrics and soulful, wailing organ by veteran keyboardist Kevin Murphey. Murphey’s organ got so hot, at one point the stage-hand poked his head out from behind the speakers on stage and screamed his approval.

The other musicians in the band were equally adept at keeping up with Curfman’s strong lead and served to lay a strong foundation for her to build from. Murphey once again had the spotlight on the unreleased song, ambiguously titled “Snake.” Shannon sat back on tambourine for this piece to let Murphey take center stage with his multiple keyboards. The tune was reminiscent of the Spin Doctors with its funky feel and punchy lyrical delivery.

Shannon commented on the attentive audience, and the personal feel of the M-Shop. She also kindly pointed out her mom hanging out in the back selling CD’s. Mommy’s little girl went on to mentioning casually her recent appearance on the Tonight Show and her start with rock giant John Mellencamp.

The spotlight returned to Shannon for the duration of the show, as she continued rocking hard right till the very end, with a very adept cover of Mellencamp’s “Pink Houses” in the encore.

The evening maintained a high level of energy with energetic performances from both Lumbard and Curfman. The combination of Curfman’s bravado on the guitar and her pleasing stage presence made for a great show, well worth standing for.