John Mark McMillan's latest traveling show was called “A Mighty Raucous Evening” tour, but when you come to Portland, Ore., all behavioral bets are off.

The coffee-sipping, microbrewing, hipster-heavy populace is a much more internal-processing bunch than most across the country, providing much introspective “ruckus” and very little outward exertions of emotional energy. Remember, Portland was part of the ambivalent '90s “grunge” movement, too.

That said, a sold-out show at the intimate Mississippi Studios proved a huge hit with the cerebral Bridgetown crowd.

The mesmerizing sounds of ambient rock group All The Bright Lights captivated the crowd right away, broadcasting a sound that was reminiscent of another ambient band, Sigur Ros, “but more ambiguous, believe it or not.”

Epic songs such as “The One Who Gave It All” and “Wilora Lake” were full of drama, movement and equal parts tonal explosion and harmonic restraint. The truly impressive 25 minutes of sound was described by attenders as emotive “soundtrack music.” The sound was big, bold and artful, and one wondered how the crowd would change gears to the raw, folk-rocker McMillan.

That shift proved nearly seamless, as it quickly became obvious that All The Bright Lights served as McMillan's backing band. Their precision and artistry served as a fabulous backdrop to McMillan's unmatched lyricism and vocal honesty.

John Mark began his set the same way he begins his Integrity debut album, The Medicine: with the uptempo “Reckoning Day.” Perhaps the most raucous moment of the night took place when he took the stage unceremoniously to begin the song, beckoning, “Won't you come alive, everybody?”

Following the energetic opener was the similarly energetic “Sheet of Night,” a new song from McMillan's forthcoming album, Economy (scheduled for a Nov. 1, 2011 release). If the new songs presented at the concert were any indication, Economy will provide listeners with plenty more of McMillan's vivid poetry. “Sheet of Night” exclaims, “Like diamonds we shine up against a sheet of night,” pointing to Jesus-followers' role as the “light of the world.”

Starting with the undeniable “whoa” melody line used at the end of the chorus, John Mark eased into one of his most well-loved songs, “Death In His Grave,” a folk tale-like refrain about Jesus' vanquishing of death.

With just a few “How's everybody doing?”-type questions and sincere compliments about Portland between songs, the show kept moving with the medium-tempoed “Skeleton Bones,” which saw the crowd enthusiastically singing along, “Oh let us adore the Son of Glory dressed in love.”

John Mark warned in promotional videos that there would be some unscripted, unpredictable moments in the “A Mighty Raucous Evening” tour, and in Portland, those came in the form of worshipful lingering on certain themes and chords within some songs. After “Skeleton Bones,” McMillan vamped, inviting the people to “open up your gates” and “open up your doors.” The powerful skeletal references continued with a rendition of the cozy, worshipful ballad “Carbon Ribs.”

John Mark then took a break from music to tell people why he was touring, which was to raise $18,000 by the end of the tour to build a clean water well in Tanzania. (Side note: The Portland stop was the last one on the “Mighty Raucous Evening” tour, and McMillan said they were below their $18,000 goal. If you'd like to help John Mark's efforts in Tanzania, please visit his website here.)

Predictably, and rightfully so, the most powerful moment of the evening came with the singing of McMillan's career-launching worship song, “How He Loves.” This was the song John Mark sang the least, turning the honest-worship-through-gritted-teeth lyrics over to the audience, who sang it at the top of their lungs, arms raised and eyes lifted. It was a heartfelt acknowledgment of the love of God, and it was powerful.

Another one of the more vocal moments of the evening took place during the band's “final” song, “Ten Thousand,” in which McMillan turned the microphone to the crowd as they sang the chorus: “World, I have overcome you / World, I have overcome you / World, I have overcome / By my song and the blood of a son.”

Band members gradually trickled out until the stage was empty, and the audience cheered, demanding more music. McMillan didn't make Portland wait long before he closed out the evening with two more new songs from the Economy album.

“Murdered Son” matched the somber mood John Mark left after “Ten Thousand,” with his acoustic guitar in the forefront and the ambient accents of his band proclaiming “Glory to One, God's murdered Son, who paid for my resurrection.”

The night ended on a foot-stomping, head-bobbing sort of note, as the band unveiled “Daylight.” A Southern Rock groove complete with abrupt guitar stops and pounding percussion, this was the most musical ruckus produced from the stage all night, loudly declaring: “We live on the edge of darkness, but daylight is coming on.” It fit John Mark's voice and style, even if it seemed a far cry from “Skeleton Bones” and “Ten Thousand.”

From the familiar territory of “Skeleton Bones” and “How He Loves” to the exciting unveilings from Economy, the “A Mighty Raucous Evening” tour came to an end on a high note in the Rose City. The raw, honest, internally processing worship music struck a chord with Portlanders, who emerged from their pensiveness into full-scale worship.

In Portland, you better believe that's a mighty raucous evening.