You knew something special was in store for folks at the Triple Door last night when the server made sure to inform patrons, right off the bat, that the show would be going until 11:30, with a full set from opener Teddy Thompson, and two from headline act Rufus Wainwright. That’s a long night for a program at TTD… and it flew by.

The former played a set of new tunes from his forthcoming third album (out in July on Verve Forecast), and essentially stripped his sound down to its purest essence: No witty wordplay, no virtuoso guitar, just Everly Brothers-style country rave-ups, with upright bass and brushed snare for accompaniment. He threw in a few covers (“She Thinks I Still Care,” a Merle Haggard number I didn’t recognize), but the originals were the highlight, esp. one called “My Blue Tears.” If you have tickets for tonight’s sold-out show, do not miss him (unlike Mr. Schmader — for shame).

And Rufus? With a seven piece band (inc. a brass & woodwind trio), he offered up his forthcoming Release The Stars in its entirety (but not in order). Even though the record ain’t in stores till May 15, the audience ate it up. Since this was the first show of his tour, he rightfully joked that “basically you’re watching a rehearsal!” I was fortunate enough to hear the record beforehand, and have to say, I was blown away at the fine job he did of translating some very ambitious songs into confident performances. There are little spots that need tweaking - the piano-and-voice-only “Tulsa” should relax and swing a bit more, there was some nagging dissonance between the upright and electric basses on another number - but overall, Wainwright and company did an astonishing job, especially on epic numbers like “”Do I Disappoint You.”

He also threw in two songs from his recent Judy Garland shows (“A Foggy Day in London Town” and “If Love Were All”), an air popularized by the great Irish tenor John McCormack, and a few audience favorites (“Vibrate,” “The Art Teacher”). He looks healthier and seems happier — literally bursting with enthusiasm — than he ever has in my recollection. If you have tickets for tonight’s sold-out show, consider yourself lucky. If you don’t, and can afford it, try and snag a SRO spot.