The Soothing Melodies of the Cowboy Junkies:

Imagine the scene. The stage is dark except for a small pool of light at its center. A vase of yellow tulips sits on a small table. A bentwood chair tilts picturesquely to one side.

Then a slender silhouette, her face hidden by wild locks of curly hair and a black leather jacket draped over her flowered sundress, glides in from stage left. Without even acknowledging the audience, she hunches her head over the microphone and starts to sing in sultry Texas twang.

As she slowly raises her face to the screaming crowd, the stage lights brighten to reveal six shaggy-haired men positioned in a circle around her, all slouched over their guitars, drums, keyboards and harmonicas.

The Cowboy Junkies played for a packed house last weekend at The Orpheum in Boston, one stop on their tour to promote Black Eyed Man, the band's newest album. While the nature of their mellow, bluesy music kept the show from being as exciting and invigorating as most rock concerts, they certainly created the laid-back, soothing atmosphere that fans of their recorded music would expect.

Margot Timmins, the band's the lead vocalist, was undoubtedly the center of the show, perhaps more for her quirky, spacy--but sexy--personality than for her singing. As the night moved on, she gradually relaxed her shy demeanor, spontaneously telling quaint stories from life on the road the over the tea she poured herself between songs.

Timmins brother Michael (acoustic guitar) and Peter (drums) represent the instrumental core of the group, and certainly the Junkies project the image of a down-home family band.

Unfortunately, the band often became so absorbed in their music that they seldomly raised their heads from their instruments; the two male Timminses, along with Alan Anton (bass), Jeff Bird (mandolin, harmonica), Spencer Evans (piano, clarinet, organ) and Ken Myhr (electric guitar) seemed to be playing more for the enrichment of their own souls than to win over the huge crowd before them.

Anyone who hasn't heard the Cowboy Junkies would have a herd time imagining their mix of blues, folk, country and rock that somehow blends to create a mellow, Iyrical sound. For example, their performance of the lulling, romantic "Misguided Angel" resonated with the sweet wail of Bird's harmonica.

More upbeat but equally powerful was the angry sound of "Murder Tonight in the Trailer Park," which Myhr and Michael Timmins fueled with their rousing guitar solos.

The Cowboy Junkies, who originate (curiously enough) from Toronto, express their fascination with the American South in many of their songs. Black Eyed Man recalls their past tour experiences, conjuring up images of backwater towns like Macon, Georgia, where the Civil War seems to linger unresolved in the minds of old Confederates.

The Junkies' lyrics describe the loneliness of travel and the heartache of lost hopes and broken dreams, but their message is one of strength rather than resignation. "Cowboy Junkies Lament," their ballad about poverty and troubled families, has an uplifting chorus: "Dark don't lie, dreams come true, all it takes is one or two/ Maybe just a few will see you through."

John Prine, the Junkies' opening act, joined Margot Timmins for a duet in the tender love song "If You Were the Woman and I Was the Man."

However, Prine sounded much more natural on his own than when trying to blend his nasal, gruff voice with Timmins' quiet, smooth one. In his opening set, Prince's country style and simple, honest lyrics won the audience's tremendous enthusiasm. His "It's a Big Ol' Goofy World," which rambled with a ridiculous quality reminiscent of Bob Dylan, even provoked whoops and hollers of delight.

As Margot Timmins brought the show to a close, she muttered a humble "Thank you" and poured herself a final cup of tea.

The Cowboy Junkies do not play a stand-up-and-cheer kind of concert, but pick up their new album or catch their U.S. tour if you want a relaxing evening of mellow music with a cast of endearing, genuine characters. After the applause had died down, the audience wandered out in a dreamy, lazy mood, their ragged spirits soothed by Timmins' lullabies.