The stage design for Citizen Cope’s solo acoustic show caused a heartwarming mood to fall over the State Theatre before he even took to the stage Saturday night. A living room setting complete with couches, a lone coat stand, flowers, draperies and soft lighting created a peaceful mood in anticipation of what became an intimate show. Though the majority of fans were college students, the middle-aged population was also well-represented, serving as a testament to Cope’s appeal to all generations of musical tastes.

Cope’s extreme talent and love for music has been evident since the band’s debut in 2002, but that was even more prevalent with a live solo performance. The absence of front man Clarence Greenwood’s backup band meant all eyes and ears were on his raw musical and poetic talents. A lone figure on the stage, Cope’s soul-gripping voice and relatable lyrics made this performance a memorable one.

As the lights dimmed, Cope was welcomed onto the stage with rowdy applause. Silently picking up his acoustic guitar, he began a light strum leading into his first song, “Waking Moment,” off his first album. Cope capitalized on his songwriting strengths by continuing the set with “If There’s Love,” “Sideways” and “Brother Lee,” knowing the traditionally heartfelt lyrics on these particular tracks would be well received.

It was obvious that Cope was trying to create a sense of calmness in the hall by beginning with a mellow tone. Traveling through the set, he was reluctant to interact with the audience, even to introduce his next song. Cope’s disengaged demeanor meshed well with the stories of hopeless love and devastation told by his lyrics (“These feelings won’t go away / They’ve been knockin’ me sideways / They’ve been knockin’ me out lately”), which set the show off to a sedentary start. The audience’s body language evoked a relaxed mood as couples melted toward each other, their heads falling back as the powerful lyrics sank in. It was evident Cope had achieved the calm mood he was trying to set.

But halfway through the show, these low-tempo songs began to pick up. As he took off his jacket and switched to the electric guitar, the crowd rushed in a frenzy toward the stage. Upbeat chords bounced off the walls as the crowd began to sing along, “But what you’ve done here is put yourself between a bullet and a target and it won’t be long before you’re pulling yourself away.” The show never morphed into a raging concert, but the initial heavy mood in the theater lifted as the audience members interacted with each other and with Cope, reciting the words of the songs as if they were also performing.

Though this was primarily a solo acoustic show, he occasionally used a drum machine that emitted automatic beats, which raised the show’s tempo. Cope’s use of the machine on the song “Drummer Kick” gave an unexpected twist to what began as a solemn performance, and the audience responded with ecstatic cheers.

Popping from deep bass tones to soft acoustic ones, and then back again, the audience was taken on a roller coaster of emotions. With such heavy lyrics, this unpredictability was a necessary element that kept the show from becoming too weighed down.

With his rendition of the characteristically deep record “107 Degrees,” Cope ended the captivating 90-minute performance on the same grave note with which he began. Upon finishing the set he put down his guitar, grabbed his coat and sauntered to the edge of the stage to shake the hands of reaching fans. Naturally, he returned for an encore, strumming his recognizable hit “Son’s Gonna Rise.” It was a fitting end to an emotional show. As the audience came together to recite the words, it would have been astonishing to see someone bopping along without belting out the lyrics.