How much you enjoyed Ray LaMontagne’s series-opening concert at Les Schwab Amphitheater on Wednesday night probably depends on what kind of LaMontagne fan you are.

The contemplative singer-songwriter’s roughly 90-minute performance, including the three-song encore, focused almost exclusively on two albums: “Part of the Light,” just released a few weeks ago, and 2014’s Dan Auerbach-produced “Supernova.” As such, the show was heavily weighted toward the psychedelic, ’70s-tinged rock that LaMontagne has explored to varying degrees since his Grammy-winning, 2010 breakout disc “God Willin’ & The Creek Don’t Rise.”

And as such, you can probably guess where the divides fell in the crowd of just more than 3,800 (according to amphitheater director Marney Smith). Hardcore LaMontagne fans looking to hear old favorites may have walked away disappointed; likewise, casual fans’ experiences were most likely commensurate with what song or album hooked them (with newer fans obviously coming out on top in this instance).

This focus on the new puts LaMontagne in the same company as Wilco or Radiohead, two bands known for rarely playing anything from their first few albums — and like LaMontagne, artists known for pushing the boundaries of their music. (Not to say LaMontagne usually avoids his earlier albums, because up until this tour, all evidence suggests he didn’t.)

It makes sense for an evolving artist such as LaMontagne to want to focus on the music he’s just released. And let’s be honest: If LaMontagne had to play the typical greatest-hits, same-set-list-every-night show, the crowd would have noticed. What Bend got instead was an enthusiastic, energetic performance from an influential songwriter enjoying the hell out sharing new music with his fans.

Taking the stage at 8:15 p.m., LaMontagne and his five-piece band — My Morning Jacket guitarist Carl Broemel, bassist Seth Kauffman, drummer Dave Givan and keyboardist Ethan Gruska — got down to business, firing off rockers “Julia” and “Lavendar” in quick succession. “To the Sea,” the trippy opening track to “Part of the Light,” slowed things down a bit, before LaMontagne offered one of the only moments of stage banter during the whole evening: “It’s nice to see you.”

Things picked up again with the snarling “As Black as Blood is Blue,” another “Light” track highlighted by LaMontagne and Broemel intertwining, Thin Lizzy-esque leads in the mid-section. It was followed by the evening’s most tender moment, “Such a Simple Thing,” and one of LaMontagne’s best lyrics in the hook: “My heart, it’s like paper; yours is like a flame.”

Other highlights included the insistent yet wistful “Drive-In Movies” and another new number, the rousing “Paper Man.” The main set closed with an extended jam of “Goodbye Blue Sky,” though the band returned to rock out for at least a good 20 minutes more in the encore.

Canadian singer-songwriter Neko Case, last seen in Bend with The New Pornographers at Midtown Ballroom last year, dove deep into her own upcoming album “Hell On,” due out June 1. This reviewer took Case to task for performing with a music stand with The New Pornographers. The stand returned here, but this time around, Case was fully engaged with the crowd, delivering a roughly 45-minute set that ended too soon.

Side note: Case hires the best musicians for her backing groups. In 2015, she played Bend with Archers of Loaf leader Eric Bachmann in tow; this time around, she brought guitarist-vocalist Rachel Flotard, the mastermind behind Seattle power-pop band Visqueen.

— Reporter: 541-617-7814, bmcelhiney@bendbulletin.com