Contemporary singer-composer Tim Buckley played to near-capacity biz at last week's concert at the 2,700-seat Philharmonic Hall, NY. He grossed $9,600 with tickets scaled to $4.50.

Buckley developed his style and merged his outside influences about two years ago; since then he has been working in his individual direction. Performance was an interesting indication of the moment's culmination point.

A hyper-emotional performer, Buckley becomes totally involved in all aspects of expression, with moans, grunts and shrill screams common in his delivery. He has chosen to sacrifice theatrical polish for pure emotion at times, a commodity that will alienate him from the audience at large while endearing him to his hardcore fans.

Buckley played acoustic 12-string guitar and was backed by longtime guitarist Lee Underwood, who set jazz riffs into a modern electric style. Stand-up bass and vibes rounded the sound, with the vibist switching from metal to wooden vibes for different effects.

Buckley's voice demonstrated amazing range and quality, especially in "Wings," "Pleasant Street" and "Love From Room 109". He starts a cadence with a low grumble and raises it to a high-pitched whine within a few bars. His phrasing is unique, but not as well thought out as on disks; at times he seemed to consciously make clichés of his stock riffs.