Morrissey at the Observatory: night one of two in North Park was light on hits and heavy on feeling.

Given his penchant for last-minute show cancellations, the last thing that San Diegans with Morrissey tickets wanted to see four hours before show time was an e-mail with “Event Update” in the subject line.

Thankfully, the alert was just a notification that the singer would be taking the Observatory stage promptly at 8:30, a promise he fulfilled to the delight of a packed house. Unlike his last San Diego appearance, a 2013 show at the Balboa Theatre, the first concert of Morrissey’s two-night stand in North Park was light on hits but heavy on feeling. Though he kicked off the show with a pair of singles, “Suedehead” and “Alma Matters,” most of the evening’s set list was made up of deeper cuts and material from his most recent album, last year’s World Peace Is None of Your Business.

Morrissey seemed at ease throughout the show, joking and playfully responding to fans’ catcalls, but as always packed an emotional punch with disturbing video accompaniment during songs like “Meat Is Murder” and “Ganglord.” Clearly the singer knows that sadness sells…even if, unfortunately, it doesn’t pay. “If tears were good luck,” he told fans before ending with “Everyday Is Like Sunday,” “we’d be rich.”

• Concert: Morrissey
• Date: August 20
• Venue: Observatory North Park
• Seats: Toward the back