Kristian played his annual solo show at Eddie’s Attic in Decatur, GA, last night — two shows, actually, to packed and lovely houses full of fans, some of whom have been watching him play that room since it first opened in 1992. (Read his blog about the Eddie’s tradition here.)

Alongside singer-songwriter and old friend Troy Bieser — Troy cowrote “Baby Girl,” and Kristian is producing the new album from his band, Telegram — Mr. Bush settled in for two long sets of songs from Sugarland, Billy Pilgrim, and everything in between. He mixed his own songs with covers (a mournful mix of “I Won’t Tell” faded into Springsteen’s “Atlantic City”), pulled out some rarities (“Bluelight”; “Wooden Sky,” an unfinished song based on the Mark Helprin novel Winter’s Tale), and remixed familiar tunes for the acoustic setting: “Incredible Machine” mashed into old Billy Pilgrim standard “Insomniac,” and “Find the Beat” became a sweet, silly singalong that fell somewhere between Ingrid Michaelson and John Mayer. The crowd, of course, answered back with the “HEY”s on command. (Cue giggles.)

The second show started upbeat — with Kristian showing off his Suzuki violin skills on the mandolin via Bach’s Bourrée and Troy having the audience sing “Happy Birthday” to his dad via cell phone — but then it turned into a bit of a heartbreaker when both artists decided to “kick out the sad jams,” as Troy put it. He excels at melancholy, thanks to the Jeff Buckley-ish tone of his voice on songs like “I Shouldn’t Want You” and “The Fighter”; Kristian’s anthemic “Open Up Your Door” dripped with desperation, and he warned the room “It’s gonna get dark” before singing of the shortcomings of science in “Medicine Man.” “Halfway Home” and a hilarious cover of The Pogues’ “Fairytale of New York” helped lighten the mood as the night came to a close, and Kristian even found a way to put a little of the Sesame Street theme into “Find the Beat” before realizing the clock had struck midnight and some folks had to drive carpool in the morning. His parting words to the early show could apply just as well to the sober tones of the late: “I hope this holiday season you don’t take yourself as seriously as you think you should take yourself.”

Were you there? We hope you’ll write about your experience both here in the comments and by blogging in our fan community, and don’t forget to share your photos on Twitter via hashtag #KBAttic — those of you who couldn’t make it this year should check out the great shots already collected there.

UPDATED: We’ve got an mp3 of Kristian’s “Incredible Machine/Insomniac” mashup for your enjoyment!

“Incredible Machine/Insomniac” – Kristian Bush [Live at Eddie’s Attic 2010]

SET LISTS

Early Show
Blue Light (KB)
Good Fortune (TB)
I Won’t Tell/Atlantic City (KB)
Gospel (TB)
Maybe Baby (KB/TB)
Grey Gull (TB)
Walk Alone/Stand Up (KB)
I Shouldn’t Want You (TB)
Wooden Sky (KB)
Jesus’s Son (TB)
Halfway Home (KB)
Incredible Machine/Insomniac (KB)
Heaven Hold Me Down (TB)
Find the Beat (KB)

Late Show
Stand Up (KB)
Good Fortune (TB)
I Won’t Tell/Atlantic City (KB)
Gospel (TB)
Open Up Your Door (KB)
I Shouldn’t Want You (TB)
Hold On (KB)
Don’t Tell Me I’m in Love (TB)
What’s it Worth (KB)
Put it Back Again (KB)
Lonely Doesn’t Bother Me (TB)
Maybe Baby (KB/TB)
Medicine Man (KB)
Jesus’s Son (TB)
Gold And Green (KB)
Heaven Hold Me Down (TB)
Incredible Machine/Insomniac (KB)
The Fighter (TB)
Halfway Home (KB)
Fairytale of New York – The Pogues (KB/TB)
Find the Beat (KB)
What Kind of Fool Do You Think I Am (TB)