Mon. Oct. 22

 Sinead O'Connor gave one of tihe best performances at the Paradise I've ever seen, when she made her Boston debut there back in 1987, touring behind her debut LP, "The Lion and the Cobra." Yes, her shaved head was a novelty; and, yes, she was so petite and pretty anyway. Her voice was maginificent, her righteous anger palpable and her resolution firm. She was in the forefront, then, of yet another "strong women in rock" wave. And she was a force through the mid-'90s. But there was the Pope thing - she tore up his picture, not a bad protest against the Church we thought then and now, but of course she was reviled by all those who revile such things (the Catholic equivalent of the yahoos who crushed Dixie Chicks CDs after Natalie's famous anti-Bush comment). Moreover, O'Connor's music became infrequent, and, really, nowhere near as commanding. At one point, she "retired" - well, like David Bowie and Cher retire, we guess. But she's back now, with "Theology," an album inspired by the post-9/11 world and she's on tour, at the Orpheum Theatre Monday Oct. 22 at 7:30, Damien Dempsey opening. The advert promises O'Connor will play her "hits and songs from her new album." If true, this is a smart statement to make, because O'Connor has fans (or former fans, or wavering fans) who fear she might turn her back on all that's gone before - she wouldn't be the first to do so - and concentrate just on the new disc. Which is a curiosity: It's a double-disc with, essentially, the same songs done in stripped-down and full-bore versions. There's range, from reggae to Celtic soul and there's that quest for spirituality that's been part of O'Connor's journey for years. Mix the best of these up with the best of her past, and this could be quite a concert. Tickets: $55-$35.

1 Hamilton Place, 617-931-2000 www.ticketmaster.com