Jenny Lewis rocks and lulls at National show

With Rilo Kiley, Jenny Lewis falls effortlessly into polished Fleetwood Mac-styled pop.

On her own, with a ragamuffin group of incredibly adept musicians, Lewis delves deeper into a soulful mixture of folk and country with a splintery pop edge.

At The National Friday night, Lewis and her five-piece band – including boyfriend/guitarist/co-singer Jonathan Rice – alternately rocked and lulled during an 80-minute set that drew mostly from her two solo albums.

From the bouncy roots rock of “You Are What You Love,“ during which Lewis titled her acoustic guitar upward to play a few bars Johnny Cash style, to the haunting title track of her latest album, “Acid Tongue,“ Lewis’ voice sounded supple and strong.

Clad in her usual uniform of high-waisted short-shorts, Lewis, 33, was never overtly sexual. But when she attacked her vintage keyboard while kneeling, her auburn mane whipping unfettered to the epic “Jack Killed Mom,“ it’s doubtful any of the men in the crowd of 1,000 had any complaints.

While not in the chattiest mood (“Thank you – you guys are cool,“ was the most she said during the first chunk of the show), Lewis was nonetheless an alluring presence.

She bounced through the zippy country pop of “Carpetbaggers,“ with Rice handling the role that Elvis Costello plays on the recorded version.

A native of Alexandria, Rice, who played a young Roy Orbison in the Cash biopic “Walk the Line,“ showcased his chops by sharing vocals with Lewis on her expert cover of the Traveling Wilburys “Handle with Care” – a song that might be even better in her hands. Kudos to multi-instrumentalist Danielle Haim (could she not be mistaken for Lewis’ little sister?) for adding layers to “Handle” with cowbell and harmonica.

The band’s drummer, Barbara Gruska, can also be credited for inserting a hefty dose of fierce to Lewis’ stage show. A highlight of the night came with an intense set-ending percussion jam between Gruska and Haim, a display that would certainly quell any scoffing about a female’s ability with drumsticks.

During the encore, Lewis acknowledged her Rilo roots with a hushed “Silver Lining,“ which she performed alone onstage with her acoustic guitar, and asked the audience to sing some background “do do do’s.“

With her quiet success as a solo artist, it will be interesting to watch Lewis’ next move.

Contact Melissa Ruggieri at (804) 649-6120 or .