Review: Ariana Grande brings ‘Yours Truly’ to Club Nokia

Key changes outnumbered costume changes during Ariana Grande’s concert Monday night at Club Nokia, where the ascendant pop-soul singer (and star of Nickelodeon’s “Sam & Cat�) touched down for the final date of her so-called Listening Sessions tour.

It was a big night for Grande: Squinting up into the mezzanine at this packed downtown venue, she thanked her cast mates and various Nickelodeon executives for coming to the show; later, her manager appeared onstage to tell Grande that her debut album, “Yours Truly,� will enter this week’s chart at No. 1.

She received the news by doing her best Taylor Swift -- hand over open mouth, wide eyes beaming happy incredulity -- while her fans cheered proprietarily, gratified by their role in Grande’s success.

PHOTOS: Celebrities by The Times

Given the heightened atmosphere (and Grande’s kiddie-TV background), you might’ve expected lights, cameras, action -- a miniature version, perhaps, of current arena productions by Swift or Beyoncé or Bruno Mars.

What Grande presented, though, was both more modest and more surprising: an hourlong set of powerful live singing with accompaniment from a crafty nine-piece band that included two horn players and a violinist.

“My favorite instrument!� she said of the violin.

Wearing a sparkly purple number from her seemingly infinite collection of above-the-knee princess dresses, Grande performed most of “Yours Truly,� which mines the sound of early-1990s R&B -- early-1990s Mariah Carey, to be precise -- with an exuberance that prevents it from hardening into pure nostalgia.

In “Lovin’ It� she showed off the fluttering high notes that have earned her countless comparisons to the younger Carey; “Honeymoon Avenue� had some tart melisma cutting against the creamy lushness of the strings. And Grande’s band repeatedly flexed its technique, transforming the vintage doo-wop throb of “Tattooed Heart� into the kind of soul-jazz workout you could scarcely imagine at a concert by, say, Selena Gomez.

PHOTOS: Hollywood backlot moments

Even her few concessions to spectacle -- guest appearances by the rappers Big Sean and Mac Miller -- ended up emphasizing her musicianship, as when Big Sean followed his verse in “Right There� by declaring that Grande is “in this for the long run.�

She seemed determined to prove it too in her encore, adding an assured a cappella intro to her summer hit “The Way� and taking a number of harmony vocal lines for herself rather than letting her two backup singers handle them.

At the end of the song, still bubbly but conscious of school-night bedtimes, she hugged each member of her group, then exited stage left. But the band kept playing even as the curtains closed.

ALSO:

Review: No fun with Fun. at the Greek Theatre

Watch the video for ‘Wrecking Ball’ by Miley Cyrus

Review: Janelle Monae’s ‘Electric Lady’ impressive, but lacking

Twitter: @mikaelwood