But it's Bugg's confidence that's really grown in the time between shows, and from the dust-kicking thriller There's a Beast and We Feed It, Bugg delivered one key moment after another at a blink-and-you'll-miss-them pace.
Like Seen It All's world-weary hooks, Kingpin's back-end grunt, Taste It's hook-filled fun, the night's biggest singalong Two Fingers, and the soaring, soppy encore A Song About Love.
And was it just us or did Bugg's sideburns grow just a little longer during his cover of Neil Young's My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)?
Yes, there were moments that Bugg's wiser-than-his-years persona raised eyebrows, especially when the only-just-20-year-old sung lines like, "I'm older than I'm supposed to be" (Storm Passes Away) and, "I swear to God I've seen it all" (Seen It All) without a trace of irony.
But quibbles were few and far between, especially when Bugg sent chills down the spine during the night's centrepiece Broken, a heart-melting moment delivered with just a single spotlight shining down on the stage's obviously emotional sole occupant.
It showed that Bugg is firmly cast from the old school mould of singer-songwriters: his shows come with little banter and few embellishments, just stunning songs performed from the heart in front of an up-for-it crowd.
Sometimes creating a little bit of magic really is that simple.
Jake Bugg
Where: Auckland Town Hall
When: Thursday, April 10