Chris Daughtry didn't surprise anybody who showed up for his Dallas tour stop. And that's exactly what his fans wanted.

Daughtry, who's touring to support his first album, made American Idol's final four before being eliminated during the show's fifth season. And he's proof that the American Idol machine works, even for contestants who don't win. Just a few months into his career -- and with a single album of material to share -- he's headlining his own tour and selling out the Gypsy Tea Room.

On Monday night, Daughtry had the sort of audience that most newcomers would kill for. Less talky than the typical Gypsy Tea Room crowd, the packed-in fans were attentive and took direction well. When he jumped off the stage to touch (not shake) a few hands, the women up front went crazy. And when he launched into the set-closing Home with "Y'all got any lighters or cellphones? Let's light this place up," folks all over the room obediently pulled theirs out.

Just like his audience, Daughtry showed up ready to perform. He and his band delivered polished, to-the-letter renditions of almost every song on his self-titled album.

The band opted for a short-but-sweet 10-song set followed by a single encore, a slightly jammy version of There and Back Again. Daughtry didn't need to pad the set with cover tunes to get the crowd involved; they knew the album by heart and sang along. (Considering all the earnest voices that joined in during the radio hit It's Not Over, that song must have provided the soundtrack to a lot of breakups.)

Daughtry pulled out the acoustic guitar to soften a couple of his more sensitive songs, including Over You and Home. But that's the only attempt he made to mix it up. The rest of the show didn't vary in tempo or volume -- some would call that seamless, but the effect was monotonous, an hour of similar songs punctuated by a few perfunctory remarks.

There's no question that even without the AI pedigree, Daughtry delivers. His album continues to hang onto a Top 10 spot on the Billboard 200. He looks good in jeans. He can belt out a tortured guitar ballad. And he can fill a cozy rock venue and give fans just what they expect -- no less or more.

GRADE: B