When Tom Waits opened his latest tour Tuesday night in Phoenix, he didn't give a reciprocal shout out to Scarlett Johansson, whose new album of Waits covers has brought the troubadour back into mainstream consciousness. But he did give a nod of sorts to another Hollywood name: Charlie Chaplin. From 'Ain't Goin' Down to the Well,' from 2006's 'Orphans' collection, Waits, wearing a bowler hat, used his body as his greatest instrument. Hunched over, arms outstretched and flapping like wings, he sang, "I'm a true believer."

With a dazzling 'Eyeball Kid,' he switched to a sequined bowler that shone like a disco ball as he moved in a slow circle around the front of the stage. The Chaplin nod came during 'Chocolate Jesus,' as Waits dipped the bowler over his eyes and moved about the stage like Chaplin's most famous character, the Tramp.

In past years, Waits' shows have been marked by his exceptionally witty stage banter. And when Waits went to the piano in the middle of the two-hour set, unable to rely on his body language, he returned to the storyteller mode. His banter often centers on a theme, with last night's motif being Phoenix laws. This led to such outlandish laugh-out-loud statements as "You can't bring a lion to the movies in Baltimore ... but apparently you can in Phoenix." Waits also vowed to overturn a Phoenix law that says you can't take home an unfinished piece of pie from a diner.

Of course, the humor was juxtaposed with the poetic beauty of songs like 'Christmas Card From a Hooker in Minneapolis,' a sing-along version of 'Innocent When You Dream,' 'Get Behind the Mule' and 'Picture in a Frame.'

Before he left the stage, Waits -- who chose Phoenix as the opening city because, "It was either bring all of you to California or come here" -- let the city know how special it was. "You're the 'P' in P-E-H-D-T-S-C-K-J-M-B-A," he said, alluding to his YouTube press conference, in which he announced the tour. "Let's hear it for the 'P.'"