As an artist with Frank Zappa-style eccentricities, gender bending habits, and a bad reputation, Ariel Marcus Rosenberg (formerly known as Ariel Pink) had a full-house for his show at The Paradise last Saturday. Sure, his misogynistic statements in interviews have gotten him attention, but artistically he’s well deserving of recognition. The quality of his songwriting has improved and he’s matured as a live performer. He has been able to cast a wider net, catching fans who may have thought he was too “out there” before 2014’s pom pom, the title of his last full-length album. Opening the night was the electronic trio Jack Name, an L.A. band whose haunted house psych-pop sound fell short on the live stage.After thirty minutes of feeling pretty numbed by what was, or maybe what wasn’t happening, the itch for the main attraction turned unbearable, so the room warmly welcomed Pink who yellow and black striped pants. The first half of the set consisted of new songs like “White Freckles” and “Jell-o.” But one of the best songs of the night was “Life in L.A.,” a free jazz-inspired tune from his earlier days when he performed under the moniker, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti. The keyboardist broke out a saxophone that was splendidly menacing: a refreshing opportunity to see the Animal Collective-associated musician perform an older one.

For “Put Your Number In My Phone,” his vocal gravitas compared to Stephin Merritt of The Magnetic Fields. Nearing the end of the night, he lowered his register to sing about “getting some time alone” with Jessica, the girl who does the voicemail interlude in the recording. For being a tipsy clown, he gave a damn good Valley girl impression. There was also a chunk of the night where he performed with his hairy navel out. Ariel closed the night with his standout from the new album, “Picture Me Gone,” which tells a tale of a calculated approach to suicide for the digital age and aged. Whistling stage left is the keyboardist as dudes screamed in the pit. A get up close and personal to trade iPhones (part of a lyric reference in the song), as they sang the refrain, “picture me gone, picture me gone, picture me gone.” Without much of a goodbye, he turns away with a cigarette dangling from his mouth looking a bit like William H. Macy’s character in Shameless. After he handed off his microphone to the crowd, he exited through the back with his pink sweater and studded heels leaving the crowd wanting an encore.

Set List
“White Freckles”
“Jell-o”
“Kinski Assassin”
“Four Shadows”
“Lipstick”
“One Summer Night”
“Not Enough Violence“
“Goth Bomb”
“Black Ballerina”
“Menopause Man”
“Life in L.A.”
“Dayzed Inn Daydreams”
“Put Your Number in My Phone”
“Dinosaur Carebears”
“Picture Me Gone”
(No encore)