Kevin Bronson on December 11th, 2014

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It’s a daunting task, trying to recreate the orchestral splendor on Kan Wakan’s debut album “Moving On” in a club environment. But the L.A. collective masterminded by Gueorgui Linev and Peter Potyondy tried valiantly Tuesday night at the Troubadour in a slow-moving, guest-heavy concert that ended in 18 minutes of grandeur, marrying their first single “Forever Found” with the two-part “Midnight Moon.”

• ||| Photos by Michelle Shiers

Linev mentioned early in the show how glad he was that the band would be able to try things they couldn’t in a typical club set of “35 or 40 minutes.” And try things they did – the show included three interludes, including a 10-minute percussion display by a quartet of players, four guest singers and some patience-testing lineup and instrument rotations that made many in the crowd wish they were in a sit-down concert hall.

Most of the singing was done KP, who took over principal vocal duties earlier this year from Kristianne Bautista (who sang on the recordings). Her powerful voice inhabits the emotive and sometimes wounded glory of the compositions, with an added dose of theatricality. Kan Wakan, however, has indicated it will not go forward with just one lead singer; plans are for the next album to feature multiple guests.

Tuesday’s show presaged that, although much of the shape-shifting came at the expense of cohesiveness. Young Vietnamese American singer Tien soared through the mournful “Retreat;” Kadhja Bonet and Niia (who opened the show) brought their torchy jazz stylings to “Why Don’t You Save Me?” and “Lovely Head,” respectively; and Lindsay Olsen absolutely nailed a cover of Portishead’s “The Rip,” which featured Cristina Black on harp.

Notably absent were the strings that drench the album in sophistication and have been a presence in previous live shows.

Still, Kan Wakan achieved those Big Moments that make “Moving On” one of the most remarkable albums of the year. After a a hiccup at the beginning, KP knocked the album’s title track out of the park, and later injected “Are We Saying Goodbye” and “Sawdust” with their requisite mix of tenderness and muscle.

The show-stealer at the end, though, was “Midnight Moon,” a cinematic, two-movement spectacle allowed saxophonist Ted Taforo an opportunity to send fans home with chills up their spines. He did.