The first line of “Crocodile Tears,” the opening song of Lauren Mayberry’s set at The Belasco on March 2, is “You pick up the phone to start a chain reaction.” She sang it directly into a prop rotary phone. Later, on “Something in the Air,” she pulled out a red megaphone – the red, white, and blue version she ordered to match the song’s lyric, she said, came with a mood-dampening picture of the president.

Vicious Creatures, the CHVRCHES frontwoman’s debut solo album, sounds like Mayberry at her most direct as a songwriter. It’s fitting, then, that the show to support it shared that trait – to the point, nothing hidden behind metaphor, and at full voice.

“To the point” also described both the setup and the setlist for her solo tour. Being backed by a percussionist, a multi-instrumentalist, and pre-recorded tracks gave Mayberry plenty of space to twirl around the nearly empty Belasco stage on “Change Shapes” and thrash about during “Sorry Etc.,” a show highlight. That emptiness added a fun wrinkle to “Punch Drunk,” as well: moving from pose to pose like a choreographed pop star, but without the full pomp and circumstance of a large show behind her, Mayberry looked lost in her own world, like a fan dancing around her living room (a testament to how comfortable the now-veteran frontwoman feels on stage).

Her setlist, too, was minimalist: 13 songs, comprised of the 12 that make up her solo debut and a cover of “Bitter Sweet Symphony” that started with Mayberry alone at a keyboard before growing into a full aural spectacle. It made for a sprint of sorts, a full experience of the record in an hour (encore included).

Throughout the night, though, the star of the show was Mayberry’s voice, which dealt with the delicate moments of “Are You Awake?” and the scream-singing of “Sorry Etc.” with aplomb. This show came at the end of her “Vicious Creatures” tour (with one make-up date scheduled for San Francisco in May), meaning it’s been a run of 23 shows in 34 days, looping all the way around the country. But her vocals were as strong live as as they were in the studio, even as they had to occasionally fight with a sound mix (especially the pre-recorded tracks) that threatened to overwhelm.

Just before show-closer “Sunday Best,” Mayberry took a second to reassure the crowd – much of which was decked out in CHVRCHES gear – that she wasn’t quitting her day job, thanking the assemblage for taking in her side quest. But based on the reaction from many in the audience, if she does come back for a second solo round, she’ll find plenty of support.

Earlier: Singer/songwriter Cult of Venus opened the evening with a brisk set of singles. Her latest track “Algorithm” closed the performance, but it may have been “Silence” that garnered the biggest reaction, as she was able to detach from her electronics (a one-woman band, she triggers her entire live show while also playing keys and guitar) and engage the crowd while also showing off stunningly pure vocals.