"Wow" is about the only word to describe an evening of hook-filled subtle rockers punctuated by sing-along melodies, understated guitars, soaring strings, heavenly harmonies and uplifting sentiments at the seriously underattended Spiritualized show Wednesday night at the Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara.

Putting the "spirit" in Spiritualized was the current lineup that included Jason Pierce, aka Jason Spaceman, and keyboard player Doggen and seven young ladies — four of them in the string section (three violins and a cello) and three wonderful backup singers.

Spiritualized is Pierce's latest group of shoegazer heavyweights — his musical medium on his decades-old surreal spiritual journey and the successors to Spacemen 3.

Next stop for Spiritualized is this evening at the giant Coachella Music Festival.

Letting his fingers do the talking, Pierce had the stage presence of a shy stump. But in a way, this was a refreshing change from the usual idiotic screaming rock star posers — thus mercifully, no "Howzit goin' Santa Barbara?!"

At the end of the show, Pierce did utter a humble "Thank you" and then three more after the encore, each quieter than the last.

Also, he never faced the crowd during the 20-song show. Oddly, he sat sideways on a chair onstage, facing Doggen.

Almost all the songs had a religious theme — some obviously so, like "Amen," done with real religious fervor and once upon a time a hit for the Impressions.

Other themes included the usual suspects — the love lost or a love-lousy scenario but with little cynicism, just simple acoustic guitars and soft, almost whispered, vocals from Pierce and those powerful, wonderful singers.

Often the songs started off slow but then gradually gave way to a crescendo of voices so sweet that ears within a 10-block radius were in danger of getting cavities.

It was worth the drive to hear the magnificent "Feel So Sad," way longer than the Spacemen 3 album version, and "Stop Your Crying."

All this is the kinder, gentler version of the band — all acoustic and such — when before it was all plugged in, electric psychedelic rock.

There was plenty of applause after each song from the paying choir, but not much shouting in anticipation as is usual when a band plays the first few notes of a song.

Pierce didn't announce any of the songs he played, but the show was a cross-section of his two decades-plus of surreal rock and he played several songs off his latest, "Songs in A&E," including "Death Take Your Fiddle."

After the set ended, Pierce whispered his initial "Thank you," then stood up, nodded to the crowd and marched off the stage, taking all his musical minions.

The crowd of about 200 cheered, hooted and hollered, then started stomping the wooden floor and it did take awhile until the band reappeared, only to end on a high note, literally, with the uplifting "Oh, Happy Day," an 18th-century hymn and an international hit for the Edwin Hawkins Singers in 1969.

So in a way, Pierce tricked all the atheists and agnostics into attending church without all the hoopla. Then again, if church rocked like this, a lot more people would be there every Sunday.

— E-mail music writer Bill Locey at blocey@pacbell.net.