Before he was a genius, Van Morrison was a professional, and he’d probably take the latter as a higher compliment. Morrison came up in the world of Irish showbands — a regionalized variant on the jazz big band, a relic of a time when there was more money in live music than today, and a commitment that entails practice as a lifestyle. This work ethic is the most useful way to explain how he was able to write perfect songs like “Here Comes the Night” as a teenager — and, if the legends are true, improvise the songs on 1968’s masterpiece “Astral Weeks” more or less on the spot.

Anyone who knew the first thing about Morrison knew they were unlikely to hear any of those songs at his exclusive engagement at San Francisco’s Chapel on Monday. This was the launch party for his new album, “Somebody Tried to Sell Me a Bridge,” which is entirely in a blues idiom; Morrison’s father had one of the biggest record collections in Ireland, and the eventual Van the Man grew up immersed in blues, R&B and classic soul. This is still the music dearest and truest to his heart, and though he’s an infamously erratic live performer, the chance to be immersed in this music allowed him to coast on a kind of cool professionalism.

The setlist leaned obscure, and he sounded best on faster numbers like Eddie Vinson’s “Kidney Stew Blues” and Marie Adams’ “I’m Gonna Play the Honky Tonks.” The most unconventional cover, a slowed-down version of Fats Domino’s “Ain’t That a Shame,” gave him an opportunity to indulge in the perverse repetitions of words that so enthralled rock critics in the 1970s, when Morrison was in his live prime. On recordings like “Listen to the Lion” from 1974’s definitive live album “It’s Too Late to Stop Now,” these repetitions felt like his way of channeling a universal, Bardic Celtic subconscious. These days, it feels more like one of his moves.

“I used to live here,” he repeated at one point, emphasizing his Bay Area roots, but the rich vein of Marin new age and Theosophic thought that came to full flower on his ‘80s records was not relevant to this set. Here was the Belfast boy, drunk on blues.

A more evident connection to Morrison’s Marin years was the presence of John Allair, one of Marin County’s earliest rockers and one of the few people alive today who can be said to have played with Fats Domino in his prime. Now in his mid-80s, he’s a damned good organist, and not just for his age. Rising from his seat to solo, he was often more visible than Morrison, who stalked among his musicians, giving stage directions and generally seemed more comfortable at the center than at the front.

Allair’s presence also reinforced the idea that this show was a living link to a pre-Beatles era when putting on a great show was more important than being a genius, when musicians came to the blues through Sonny Boy Williamson rather than Led Zeppelin, when the average artist would put more of a premium on practice than on the druggy surrendering to cosmic visions that became associated with great rock music in the mid- to late ‘60s. An announcer began the set by announcing, “Ladies and gentlemen, Van Morrison.” When was the last time you went to a set with an announcer? Usually rock bands dim the lights, trudge glumly onstage and hope you’ll cheer. A lot was gained when rock ‘n’ roll became art rather than dance music, but a lot was lost.

Morrison is 80 years old, thinner than the pink-suited popinjay who graced the Band’s “Last Waltz” stage with Rockette high kicks. If there wasn’t much of the “Astral Weeks” wonder boy in Morrison’s set, there wasn’t much of the cantankerous side, either; aside from a brusque request to turn the mic up, his bubble of contentment remained un-popped throughout the show. When he encored with the garage-rock standard “Gloria,” just in case you forgot he wrote it, it felt like a gift from this most uncompromising artist: a rare glimmer of genius amid the professionalism, and maybe a reward to the audience for not shouting for it.

Morrison performs at 7 p.m. Monday and Tuesday at the Palace of Fine Arts at 3301 Lyon St. in San Francisco. Admission is $277 and up. Go to palaceoffinearts.org.

Gonzaga’s third and final time facing San Francisco inside the home of the Golden State Warriors played out similarly to their previous two meetings in the Bay Area.

For the third year in a row, the Bulldogs (26-2, 14-1 West Coast Conference) left the Chase Center with a decisive thanks in large part to Graham Ike, who finished Wednesday’s contest with a game-high 22 points to lead his team to an 80-59 victory over the Dons (15-14, 7-9 WCC).

The Gonzaga Bulldogs are in control of the West Coast Conference once again, boasting a 13-1 record with their only loss coming in an inexplicable loss to Portland.

They hit the road tonight to take on the San Francisco Dons, who are just 7-8 in conference play, and as you’d expect, Gonzaga is set as a heavy favorite. Let’s take a look.

Gonzaga vs. San Francisco Odds, Spread, and Total

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

Spread

• Gonzaga -14.5 (-115)
• San Francisco +14.5 (-105)

Moneyline

• Gonzaga -1700
• San Francisco +890

Total

• OVER 148.5 (-110)
• UNDER 148.5 (-110)

Gonzaga vs. San Francisco How to Watch

• Date: Wednesday, February 18
• Game Time: 11:00 pm ET
• Venue: The Sobrato Center
• How to Watch (TV): ESPN2
• Gonzaga Record: 25-2 (13-1 in WCC)
• San Francisco Record: 15-13 (7-8 in WCC)

Gonzaga vs. San Francisco Betting Trends

• The UNDER is 7-2 in Gonzaga’s last nine games
• Gonzaga has won 10 straight games against San Francisco
• Gonzaga is 1-7 ATS in its last eight games played on a Wednesday
• San Francisco is 4-10 ATS in its last 14 games
• The OVER is 5-1 in San Francisco’s alst six games

Gonzaga vs. San Francisco Key Player to Watch

• Tyon Grant-Foster, G – Gonzaga Bulldogs

Gonzaga’s two big men, Graham Ike and Braden Huff, are the two best players on this Bulldogs team, but Tyon Grant-Foster may be the most important tonight. San Francisco is primarily a three-point shooting team, so if Gonzaga wants to win comfortably, it needs to find a way to defend the perimeter. That’s where Grant-Foster comes in. He’s averaging 1.1 blocks per game, so that level of defensive play will need to hold up tonight.

Gonzaga vs. San Francisco Prediction and Pick

It’s a brave call to make, but I’m going to take the points with San Francisco on its home court. I think San Francisco’s style of play matches up well with Gonzaga. The Dons likely won’t win, but they can do enough to cover this big spread.

Gonzaga allows teams to shoot 30.9% from beyond the arc. That mark has gotten worse lately, up to 36.4% over its last three games. Now, they take on a San Francisco team that’s 47th in the country in 3-point shot rate, with 45.7% of their shots coming from beyond the arc.

Defensively, San Francisco can slow down Gonzaga’s front court. They rank 95th in opponent two-point field goal percentage, keeping teams to shooting just 49.7% from two-point range.

Let’s also remember the last time these two teams played this season, Gonzaga escaped with a narrow 68-66 win. Now, with the Dons hosting the Bulldogs, we could be in for another close one.

Pick: San Francisco +14.5 (-105)

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