Thomas dressed for the occasion in a glittering green evening gown

Thomas, the undisputed Soul Queen of New Orleans, dressed for the occasion in a glittering green evening gown. In a concession to comfort and a bum left knee, she sported flats, not heels, beneath the dress.That dichotomy is the 70-year-old Thomas in a nutshell: A voice suited for the most prestigious concert halls, coupled with a New Orleanian’s gleefully unpretentious worldview.She mostly limits her local appearances to festivals and special events. To hear her in an acoustically sound, Michael kors outlet sit-down setting was a treat, if a bit confining. For her part, she pronounced the new Joy “beautiful.”Early on, her band at times strove too hard to fill the space around her. A shrill, cheap-sounding, synthesized reproduction of the strings that usher in Etta James’ “At Last” distracted from what was an otherwise credible take. Unnecessary synthesizer flourishes cropped up in other arrangements as well, especially in the set’s early showcase of Thomas’ more recent material.She acknowledged that most in attendance preferred her classics. With good reason – her enduring 1960s singles are among the finest in New Orleans rhythm & blues.She ushered in the standards portion of her show with “You Can Have My Husband (But Please Don’t Mess With My Man).” A bout of Big Easy trumpet jazzed “Hip Shakin’ Mama.” Head cocked slightly to one side, swaying within the confines of her gown, eyes closed and smiling broadly, she navigated a spot-on “Ruler of My Heart.” A lickety-split “Breakaway” was glorious. Her voice, if anything, is richer and fuller than when she first recorded 50 years ago.Through “Breakaway,” audience members remained seated, intimidated, perhaps, by the theatrical setting. But a dozen couples in the balcony, and more on the floor, could not resist Thomas’ invitation to “shine some belt buckles” during the ballad “It’s Raining.”Those slow-dancers broke the ice. During “I Done Got Over It,” the entire audience arose, michael kors following the singer’s urging to “get your backfield in motion.” Black napkins were waved as a mass “indoor second-line” broke out during detours into “Iko Iko” and “Hey Pocky Way.” Thomas was putting the joy in the Joy.Backfields settled back into seats for “Wish Someone Would Care.” A radiant “Simply the Best” closed out the regular set. In the encore, she navigated Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young,” guided by a printed lyric sheet. The song showcased her supple pipes in all their glory, though I would have preferred her other statement on aging, “Time Is On My Side,” the only one of her major songs not included Thursday.