Sara Bareilles's Brave Enough Tour kicked off in Washington, D.C. about two weeks ago.

Tuesday night, at the El Rey, Bareilles, the 3-time Grammy nominee who gained recognition with "Love Song" in 2007, explained the reason behind the name of the tour. "This is literally the scariest thing I could tihnk of to do," she said.

With encouragement from friend and fellow judge Ben Folds (of Ben Folds Five) on NBC's "The Sing-Off," Bareilles pushed herself to do a solo, and seemingly nerve racking tour.

"I'm telling everyone to brave in my new song, so I figured I'd have to be too," she continued.

The first set of Bareilles fans lined up outside the venue at 12 p.m., and the last kicked themselves every step towards the back of the line that continued for two blocks along Wilshire at 7:30 p.m.

Greeted by a (Bright Lights and) City Scaped YAMAHA, side tables draped in black and topped with tierd candles, an eclectic crowd rushed in securing spots close to the stage, ready for an intimate evening.

Even the security guards commented on the diverse group of people that listen to Bareilles' music. "I'd say she's like the Joni Mitchell of my day," said Kevin, who was meticulously gaurding the fire hazard walk ways. "Everyone listens to her and loves her," he continued. 

Bareilles moved between five instruments last night, but the piano was home base. (by Cortney Riles)

"Gravity" is a little far off from "A Case Of You," but either way, Kevin's last remark was spot on. As soon as Bareilles stepped on stage, it was evident (surprising to her even) just how many people appreciate her music.

For the rest of the night—through 11 tunes, laughter and several "thank yous"—Bareilles proved how brave she is and encouraged her audience to be the same:

B - Badass 

Her suspenders, scripted pants and bowler hat (which apparently gives her a Harry Potter scar) could easily explain why, but the list is never ending. 

R - Raw

Amidst jokes about widdling instruments, how many UCLA students were in attendance, being one of the last to find out that Reese Witherspoon had been arrested and that she and Taylor Swift share the same three chords in each of their songs, Bareilles made a point to be up front and honest.

Whether it's the meaning behind her music or expressing gratitude to her fans, she brought it all back to why she's performing in the first place—for the love of music and those who love to listen to it. 

"This is a song that hasn't been recorded or released anywhere, and it dawned on me today of why," said Bareilles half way through the set. "Because it's written for you, for the exchange of me and you in a room," she continued. Bareilles then proceeded to play "I Just Want You" on her ukelele.

A - Awkward

"If you could just smell my pits," Bareilles said after the first song which was a mashup of "Love On The Rocks" and "Benny & The Jets." There were several eyebrow raising remarks throughout the show, but then again, some of the funniest and most entertaining people are very awkward. 

V - Varied

Not only can she sing and write, but the girl can play. Bareilles moved counter clockwise from the piano, to the acoustic guitar to the ukele to the electric guitar and finally to the harmonium, an Indian instrument she picked up from a friend on an earlier visit to L.A.

On it, she played "Once Upon Another Time," the titlular song of the EP that was released nearly one year ago. The reflective tune (centered on just how good it was to be young) eased the anxious sing along crowd.

E - Engaging 

Bareilles played a mix of old and new tunes, which required a lot of audience involvement. "Now let's see if you can sing," Bareilles said skeptically before diving into "Love Song." And they could, considering Bareilles took the entire first chorus off.

"You sound so good! Were you guys practicing today? Anyone dust off the old SB cd? Yup, me too, I listent to myself all the time," she joked. "Uncharted" and "King Of Anything" were two other sing along breaks for Bareilles. 

Before closing with "Yellow Brick Road," Bareilles, a big fan of Elton John, shared the Brave Enough project that the Bareilles team is working on. Fans are encourage to fill out "I'm brave enough to," cards that can be found at all 18 stops. The final piece is a way to encourage everyone to step out and speak up for themselves and whatever they believe in by collectively displaying what others are fight for (or against) themselves.

If the response to Bareilles's performance (that she was so nervous about embarking upon) indicated anything, it was how encouraging the use of just one voice can be. 

Read more of NT's show reviews here.

Reach Staff Reporter Cortney Riles here.