With their youngest child out of the house, John Hiatt and his wife, Nancy, are empty nesters these days. After what the singer called "a period of adjustment," they are loving life.

Life and love are the central themes of Hiatt's 19th album, "Same Old Man," portions of which he played during a loose-but-professional and winsome show Friday night at the Pabst Theater.

Many in the crowd of about 700 appeared to be about Hiatt's age (55) and likely were experiencing the empty nest syndrome and the reawakening and rediscovering of love that Hiatt sings about on his new record.

Hiatt, whose stage banter ranks among the best in music, peppered the periods between songs with off-the-cuff observations about his marriage, nicknames ("there are bunnies involved") and the fellowship of alcohol and entertainment.

From the first chord of the show opener "Perfectly Good Guitar," Hiatt and his three-piece band The Ageless Beauties had heads bobbing and toes tapping. The version of "Cry Love" was as powerful as anything Hiatt has done in numerous local appearances of late and brought people out of their seats.

Other show highlights included "That's What Love Can Do," from the new record, "Crossing Muddy Waters" and an elegant reading of "Drive South."

The Ageless Beauties -- guitarist Doug Rancio, drummer Kenneth Blevins and bassist Patrick O'Hearn -- did not provide backing vocals for Hiatt, whose gruff delivery sometimes overshadows his the wit and lilt of his lyrics. The band provided a solid foundation for the songs, and seemed to enjoy playing behind a great wordsmith in an ornate setting.

"I don't know how we got to play such a beautiful hall," Hiatt said. "But, thanks for having us."