It was an older, better-dressed crowd at the Gladys Knight/Andy Kim concert last night than can sometimes be found occupying the Bryce Jordan Center. But looks can be deceiving: When the music hit, suits or no, things got a little rowdy.

Last night's attendees had plenty to shout about: Gladys Knight held the crowd captive from her first footsteps onstage, breezing through hit after hit and sounding nearly as good as ever.

First up was bubblegum pop singer-songwriter Andy Kim. In a boxy black suit and a very stately looking mullet, Kim warmed up the crowd with a brief set of favorites from his back catalogue. Kim, who once upon a time penned classics such as "Rock Me Gently" and "Sugar Sugar" (one of the most perfectly simple pop songs of all time), led his band through a few familiar tunes from a bygone era in rock 'n' roll, sweet songs of teenage love and heartache. I'm not sure how he did it, but Kim, who celebrated his 53rd birthday last night, still managed to pull them off.

Though he felt the need to half-apologize for playing a "new" song in the midst of all the hits, Kim's tender "Shady Hollow Dreamer," about the death of his father, was really quite good, and new perhaps only for such a veteran, written as it was in 1972.

He made occasional complaints of a freshly acquired case of Canadian-borne laryngitis, but when Kim let his voice go (as he did in the climaxes of some of his more notable songs), he sounded just fine. Even when he hopped into the crowd and asked for a couple of amateur backup singers for "Sugar Sugar," you'd be hard up to call Kim's performance "energetic," but the songs Kim wrote are undeniable, and Kim kept things lively to the end.

But Kim proved to be a mere appetizer for Knight, who, after a slightly extended intermission while she was en route to the venue, served up a smoking set that kept the audience at the edge of its chairs.

Possessing one of the finest sets of pipes that soul music could ever call its own, Knight's ebullient set could barely be contained by the Bryce Jordan stage. Switching off between songs and stories, the gorgeous Knight radiated with good cheer, even when she was singing the blues.

She ran through all the classics, bringing new fire to "If I Were Your Woman" and "Love Overboard" and, yes, "Midnight Train to Georgia." Knight danced around the stage like a woman half her age, and sang every song like she always has -- sweet and smoky and soulful. Her 10-piece band was sharp as a knife at every turn but didn't overshadow Knight. This was Gladys' show, and she did not disappoint.

As glad as the audience was to have her there, Gladys seemed twice as glad to be able to perform for such a warm, responsive crowd, thanking them profusely for supporting her throughout the many years. And considering that Knight has probably sang "Every Beat Of My Heart" nearly every night of her life for the past 40 years, you'd hardly know it from her powerful take on the song at Bryce Jordan Center.

At one point, an audience member yelled that they'd love it if next time around, Gladys could make a stop in Williamsport.

"Williamsport? I'll write that down," Gladys said, beaming. " 'Cuz I'll go anywhere."

After last night, I bet there'll be an awful lot of people willing to go anywhere to hear Ms. Knight again.