The New Pornographers last visited Tucson in 2005 supporting the then-new album Twin Cinema. Last week when the band came back to town supporting its new release Challengers, it was sadly reminiscent of their last performance.

Last week’s show was by no means bad – The New Pornographers write good songs and perform live with an attention to detail. Songs like “”My Right Versus Yours”” and “”All The Things That Go To Make Heaven And Earth”” sounded great and almost exactly like their recorded counterparts on Challengers.

If you’re a new fan and just want to hear the songs in a concert setting, it’s perfect. On the other hand, long-time fans addicted to the new disc always want to hear something a little more varied.

The shining stars of the night were part-time Pornos Neko Case and Dan Bejar. Both musicians only occasionally play with the band: Case devotes much of her time to her solo career and Bejar is usually busy fronting his main band, Destroyer.

Both Case and Bejar have songs with The New Pornographers where they each stand out. For Case, it’s ballads like “”Go Places”” that showcase her downright amazing voice. Hearing her beautiful words ring throughout The Rialto Theatre never gets old.

Bejar’s contributions included the best song of the night, “”Myriad Harbour,”” as well as “”Jackie, Dressed In Cobras.”” Bejar’s awkward yet intriguing vocal delivery always puts an entirely new spin on the band’s sound.

One new element of The New Pornographers’ show was a large light high above the stage spelling out the band’s name. At the most rocking points of the show, it flashed to the beat creating a small bit excitement in the crowd.

Despite some amazing songs, the crowd seemed like it was ready to fall asleep most of the time. It was that kind of show where you start noticing your feet are really tired after the first few songs.

Openers Lavender Diamond provided some interesting entertainment with their cute and soothing pop songs. Their set was almost a repeat performance of when they opened for The Decemberists last year at the Rialto. Unfortunately this was the theme of the night.

The New Pornographers are a great band and worth seeing, but after a few times the excitement fades. This show was best for the new generation of indie kids.