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Concert review: Lyle Lovett defies time as he leads Large Band at Merrill

The concert Wednesday was part of his tour for the album '12th of June.'

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Lyle Lovett performs Wednesday at Merrill Auditorium in Portland. Photos by Robert Ker

Lyle Lovett is a man out of time. Appearing in the mid-1980s like he just walked off the set of a David Lynch production, Lovett helped plant the seeds for the alternative country movement with his wry songwriting, sophisticated composition, and attention to tradition – particularly that of music from his native Texas.

CONCERT REVIEW

WHAT: Lyle Lovett and his Large Band

WHEN: Wednesday, Aug. 10

WHERE: Merrill Auditorium, Portland

He seemed old for his age when he was young, and now that he’s older – 64 as of his performance Wednesday at Portland’s Merrill Auditorium – he seems young for his more advanced age.

Over the decades, trends in music have shifted numerous times, and he’s found himself going from a forebear of Americana’s future to a keeper of the flame for past styles. You don’t hear Western swing and traditional jump blues terribly often in Portland, but you do when Lyle Lovett and his Large Band’s tour buses are parked on Congress Street. On this August evening, concertgoers were treated to those styles in addition to country, gospel, soul, bluegrass, jazz, classic pop, Irish folk songs and a lot more – all swirled together, sometimes in the same song.

Touring behind “12th of June,” his first album in a decade, Lovett brought his full Large Band to the Merrill stage. Comprising 14 musicians in addition to Lovett himself, the Large Band features a slowly evolving array of players, including grand piano, fiddle, pedal steel, a full horn section and a trio of male gospel singers.

Lovett gave his Large Band space to shine.

The new album exists as a showcase for the Large Band, and in that respect, it serves the same function as Lovett’s concerts; while it is undoubtedly his show, he’s quite democratic in how he shares the stage with his bandmates, letting them play their own songs and giving each member moments to call their own. Indeed, he summons the lost art of the bandleader, communicating musical cues to his colleagues with subtle turns and glances – visible even in the back row thanks to Lovett’s striking profile – such as in “I’ve Been To Memphis,” within which he gifted each bandmate a few bars to perform solo.

Despite performing with so many musicians behind him, you never feel bludgeoned by a wall of sound. Rather, thanks to an expert sound mix and the acoustics of the Merrill (a room complimented by Lovett as one of the best in the world), you’re treated to a supple, nuanced blend of sonics that allows you to train your ear on whichever instrument suits you. This mix also allows for quieter songs – such as the folk-pop classic “If I Had a Boat” or the delicate romantic ballad “Nobody Knows Me” – to occupy similar space as the more raucous workouts, such as the sultry blues of the crowd favorite “Here I Am” or the rollicking swing of “Cute As a Bug.”

The set provided a fine balance of Lovett’s skills as both a songwriter and an interpreter of others’ work, including covers of songs by Nat King Cole, Don Redman, and Charlie Poole & The North Carolina Ramblers. These are not new songs, of course, and there was a vintage professionalism to the whole show; the band members themselves were resplendent in black suits. That is not to say the performance felt mired in the past. The atmospheric gospel of live staple “I Will Rise Up” was as alive and gripping as anything you’ll witness, and “Pants is Overrated” is a goofball nod to fatherhood, which is a relatively recent development in Lovett’s life.

That he can pair such a grave song with one so silly is part of his whole approach to his career, much as the way he deftly balances the past and the future, as if by magic.

Robert Ker is a freelance writer in Portland. He can be reached at [email protected] .

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Review: Lyle Lovett and His Large Band kick off a four-night stand at the City Winery

Don’t miss an intimate opportunity to see Lovett and his dazzlingly versatile ensemble

Lyle Lovett’s engagement at the City Winery Philadelphia with His Large Band this week is something special.

The Texas songwriter with a dry sense of humor and a broad musical range is on the road in support of his new album, 12th of June . It’s his first in 10 years and first with the Large Band in 15.

At the City Winery, Lovett and his dazzlingly versatile ensemble have settled in for four nights in an intimate room much cozier than the theaters they’re playing in most other markets.

On Tuesday, they kicked off the run with a generous 2 ½ hour show that was relaxed, discursive, and precise, as impressive for its musicianship as it was for its haberdashery. (All 14 guys in the band, including their leader, wore suits and ties.)

The Large Band is many things. It’s a mutable organism that includes four horn players and three backup vocalists that adapts to all their front man can do.

Sure, Lovett is still identified as the country artist he emerged as in the 1980s, albeit one with a head of hair that reached toward the heavens and a taste for the quirky and absurd in songs like “If I Had A Boat,” which was a crowd-pleaser on Tuesday.

But the 64-year-old songwriter — who is the father of 5-year-old twins whose birth inspired much of 12th of June , including its title — works in many idioms.

At City Winery, Lovett opened with “Are We Dancing,” a gorgeous, understated waltz about cradling his children. Then he let the Large Band breathe on a robust version of jazz pianist Horace Silver’s “Cookin’ At The Continental.”

That was followed by Lovett bringing out the vocal trio of Willie Greene Jr., Lamont Van Hook, and Jason Eskridge to crowd onto the stage for “Pants is Overrated,” a droll tune that reflected his kids’ preference for going bottomless delivered in the full-on gospel style familiar to fans of Lovett’s “Church,” from 1992′s Joshua Judges Ruth , which was the rousing foot-stomping show closer on Tuesday.

Throughout the night, the band shape-shifted. Bassist Leland Sklar and drummer Russ Kunkel — the A-list rhythm section for Los Angeles acts like Linda Ronstadt and Warren Zevon in the 1970s and 1980s — anchored the group on songs like the swaggering blues “My Baby Don’t Tolerate” and country swing “Cowboy Man.”

But along with the horn section and singers and steel guitarist Buck Reid and pianist Jim Cox — whose impeccable playing moved Lovett to ask “Do you really only have 10 fingers?” — players came and went on stage all night.

Fiddle player Luke Bulla displayed his virtuosity, playing and singing solo on his own “Temperance Reel.” The story of how he wrote the song at late Texas songwriter Guy Clark’s house then inspired Lovett to sing Clark’s “Anyhow, I Love You,” the high point of a stunning acoustic interlude.

Earlier in the pandemic, Lovett put on monthly virtual get-togethers, pairing off with a songwriter like Elvis Costello or Shawn Colvin. Those shows, like everything Lovett does, delivered a standard of professionalism hard to come by in those barren livestream-only days.

He’s clearly delighted to be back on stage, however, and he was a courtly presence on Tuesday, frequently expressing thanks to the audience and musicians for granting him the privilege to play with them. No mention was made of Francine Reed, his longtime duet partner who sings on 12th of June but was absent on Tuesday.

An underrated vocalist, Lovett shone throughout the evening, on playful songs like “She’s No Lady” and “Pig Meat Man” (about his son’s love of bacon) or tender ones such as “Her Loving Man.”

Lovett is so good at being clever that it can occasionally be frustrating. Sometimes you wish he would lose the semi-ironic detachment and, as he and the band put it in a Nat King Cole cover “Straighten Up and Fly Right.”

Because when he does, he can be profoundly moving. Case in point on Tuesday was 12th of June’s title song, which he prefaced with a story about the Lovett family cemetery in the Big Thicket region of east Texas.

He told of family picnics over generations, and watching his kids play in the creek where he once frolicked. As an older dad, the lines about loving his family forever “though I fly beyond this life” were particularly heartrending. The song is a small masterpiece.

Lyle Lovett and His Large Band’s show at the City Winery Philadelphia on Friday is sold out. Tickets remain for Wednesday and Thursday. $75-$175, 8 p.m., 8/3-8/4, 990 Filbert St., citywinery.com/philadelphia .

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The tour kicks off January 25 in Orlando, Florida.

Published on

Four-time Grammy-winning singer, composer, and actor Lyle Lovett has confirmed a 2022 tour with his Acoustic Group. Emerging from the pandemic, the dates mark his first in-person shows since March 2020.

Kicking off February 26 with two nights in Alexandria, VA, the tour will continue in intimate venues throughout the south, culminating in his home state of Texas. Tickets will go on sale November 19.

The show will feature stripped-down arrangements of Lovett standards as well as a preview of songs from his upcoming Verve Records release scheduled for May. The intimacy of the venues will match Lovett’s informal, conversational onstage style, and provide the audience with an up-close, “living-room” listening experience.

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Lovett’s Acoustic Group features longtime bassist Viktor Krauss, who has played with Lovett since 1994, and violinist Luke Bulla, who’s played and sung in Lovett’s different configurations since 2009. Veteran country and bluegrass multi-instrumentalist Jeff White, who reunited with Lovett for his last Acoustic Group tour in 2020, will play acoustic guitar, mandolin and sing on the tour. Tennessee dobro whiz Josh Swift, who also played on the 2020 Acoustic Group tour, will play dobro and sing.

In addition to 2022 touring and a new album, Lovett’s best-selling album to date, Joshua Judges Ruth , will see a special thirtieth anniversary Vinyl Me, Please re-release in March 2022 via CURB Records.

“It doesn’t seem possible that was 30 years ago,” Lovett says. “I never dreamed in 1976 when I was 18 and first started performing that in 2022 I’d still be able to do something for a living I love this much. It’s thanks to the people who keep showing up, who keep buying my records and who’ve supported my livestreams during the pandemic. I’m grateful to them, and I want to do my best for them every time.”

Visit Lyle Lovett’s website for ticket information.

Lyle Lovett And His Acoustic Group Tour Dates: January 25, 2022—Orlando, FL—Dr. Phillips Centers Steinmetz Hall February 26, 2022—Alexandria, VA—The Birchmere February 27, 2022—Alexandria, VA—The Birchmere February 28, 2022—Virginia Beach, VA—Sander Center for the Performing Arts March 1, 2022—Charleston, SC—Charleston Gaillard Center March 2, 2022—Knoxville, TN—Bijou Theatre March 3, 2022—Asheville, NC—The Orange Peel March 4, 2022—Chattanooga, TN—Walker Theatre March 6, 2022—Myrtle Beach, SC—Carolina Opry Theater March 7, 2022—Charlotte, NC—Knight Theater- Levine Center for the Arts March 8, 2022—Greensboro, NC—Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts March 10, 2022—Albany, GA—Albany Municipal Auditorium March 12, 2022—Clearwater, FL—Capitol Theatre March 13, 2022—Clearwater, FL—Capitol Theatre March 14, 2022—Ft Lauderdale, FL—The Parker March 15, 2022—Jacksonville, FL—Florida Theatre March 16, 2022—Mobile, AL—Saenger Theater March 17, 2022—Birmingham, AL—The Lyric Theatre March 18, 2022—Birmingham, AL—The Lyric Theatre March 19, 2022—Germantown, TN—Germantown Performing Arts Center March 21, 2022—Jackson, MS—Thalia Mara Hall March 22, 2022—Fort Smith, AR—ArcBest Performing Arts Center March 23, 2022—Eureka Springs, AR—The Auditorium March 25, 2022—Galveston, TX—The Grand 1894 Opera House March 26, 2022—Galveston, TX—The Grand 1894 Opera House March 27, 2022—New Braunfels, TX—Gruene Hall March 28—Waco, TX—Waco Hall April 8, 2022—Dallas, TX—The Majestic Theatre April 9, 2022—Dallas, TX—The Majestic Theatre

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Lyle Lovett Announces Extensive 2022 Acoustic Tour

Accomplished singer-songwriter Lyle Lovett is hitting the road again in 2022. The Texas native is set to perform a stripped-down acoustic tour beginning in January.

Lovett's trek across the southern U.S. will begin on January 25, 2022 in Orlando, Fla. before heading up the eastern coast. He'll stop in Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Tennessee before heading back down through Georgia before additional dates in Florida. He'll also visit multiple venues in Alabama and Arkansas before returning to Texas for gigs in Galveston, New Braunfels, Waco and Dallas.

Fans can expect an intimate and conversational setting for the tour dates, which will include previews of new songs from Lovett's upcoming album, expected to be released in May. The acoustic tour will also coincide with a very special career mile marker for Lovett. In March, he'll release a special 30th anniversary re-release of his best selling album Joshua Judges Ruth on vinyl.

“It doesn’t seem possible that was 30 years ago,” Lovett said in a statement. “I never dreamed in 1976 when I was 18 and first started performing that in 2022 I’d still be able to do something for a living I love this much. It’s thanks to the people who keep showing up, who keep buying my records and who’ve supported my livestreams during the pandemic. I’m grateful to them, and I want to do my best for them every time.”

Tickets for many of Lovett's 2022 tour dates are on sale now. You can find full information on ticketing at his official website .

Lyle Lovett, 2022 Acoustic Tour Dates:

January 25, 2022 — Orlando, Fla. @ Dr. Phillips Centers Steinmetz Hall February 26, 2022 — Alexandria, Va. @ The Birchmere February 27, 2022 —Alexandria, Va. @ The Birchmere February 28, 2022 — Virginia Beach, Va. @ Sander Center for the Performing Arts March 1, 2022 — Charleston, S.C. @ Charleston Gaillard Center March 2, 2022 — Knoxville, Tenn. @ Bijou Theatre March 3, 2022 — Asheville, N.C. @ The Orange Peel March 4, 2022 — Chattanooga, Tenn. @ Walker Theatre March 6, 2022 — Myrtle Beach, S.C. @ Carolina Opry Theater March 7, 2022 — Charlotte, N.C. @ Knight Theater- Levine Center for the Arts March 8, 2022 — Greensboro, N.C. @ Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts March 10, 2022 — Albany, Ga. @ Albany Municipal Auditorium March 12, 2022 — Clearwater, Fla. @ Capitol Theatre March 13, 2022 — Clearwater, Fla. @ Capitol Theatre March 14, 2022 — Ft Lauderdale, Fla. @ The Parker March 15, 2022 — Jacksonville, Fla. @ Florida Theatre March 16, 2022 — Mobile, Ala. @ Saenger Theater March 17, 2022 — Birmingham, Ala. @ The Lyric Theatre March 18, 2022 — Birmingham, Ala. @ The Lyric Theatre March 19, 2022 — Germantown, Tenn. @ Germantown Performing Arts Center March 21, 2022 — Jackson, Miss. @ Thalia Mara Hall March 22, 2022 — Fort Smith, Ark. @ ArcBest Performing Arts Center March 23, 2022 — Eureka Springs, Ark. @ The Auditorium March 25, 2022 — Galveston, Texas @ The Grand 1894 Opera House March 26, 2022 — Galveston, Texas @ The Grand 1894 Opera House March 27, 2022 — New Braunfels, Texas @ Gruene Hall March 28, 2022 — Waco, Texas @ Waco Hall April 8, 2022 — Dallas, Texas @ The Majestic Theatre April 9, 2022 — Dallas, Texas @ The Majestic Theatre

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Lyle Lovett And His Acoustic Group Confirm 2022 Tour

• November 19, 2021, 12:53 am

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• Lyle Lovett
• Tour Announcement

Legendary Singer Lyle Lovett Releases 2022 Acoustic Tour Dates

by Jacob Uitti November 22, 2021, 9:56 am

Legendary singer-songwriter Lyle Lovett announced a number of forthcoming acoustic tour dates for 2022. They span from January to April and include famed venues in the south, from Texas to Arkansas.

Videos by American Songwriter

With the announcement, the four-time Grammy Award-winning musician, who rose to fame in the ‘80s and released his self-titled debut LP in 1986, is set to play his first in-person shows since March 2020.

“I never dreamed in 1976 when I was 18 and first started performing that in 2022 I’d still be able to do something for a living I love this much,” Lovett said in a statement. “It’s thanks to the people who keep showing up, who keep buying my records and who’ve supported my livestreams during the pandemic. I’m grateful to them, and I want to do my best for them every time.”

Beginning January 25 in Orlando with The Royale Philharmonic Orchestra, Lovett will then play two nights at the Birchmere in Virginia, before setting off on a string of dates that run through early April, concluding in Dallas, Texas on April 9.

See the full list of dates below. Tickets go on sale Friday here .

According to a release about the upcoming tour: “The shows will feature stripped-down arrangements of Lovett standards as well as a preview of songs from his upcoming Verve Records release scheduled for May. The intimacy of the venues will match Lovett’s informal, conversational onstage style, and provide the audience with an up-close, ‘living-room’ listening experience.

“Lovett’s Acoustic Group features longtime bassist Viktor Krauss, who has played with Lovett since 1994, and violinist Luke Bulla, who’s played and sung in Lovett’s different configurations since 2009. Veteran country and bluegrass multi-instrumentalist Jeff White, who reunited with Lovett for his last Acoustic Group tour in 2020, will play acoustic guitar, mandolin, and sing on the tour. Tennessee dobro whiz Josh Swift, who also played on the 2020 Acoustic Group tour, will play dobro and sing.”

LYLE LOVETT AND HIS ACOUSTIC GROUP LIVE Tour Dates:

January 25, 2022—Orlando, FL—Dr. Phillips Centers Steinmetz Hall

February 26, 2022—Alexandria, VA—The Birchmere

February 27, 2022—Alexandria, VA—The Birchmere

February 28, 2022—Virginia Beach, VA—Sander Center for the Performing Arts*

March 1, 2022—Charleston, SC—Charleston Gaillard Center*

March 2, 2022—Knoxville, TN—Bijou Theatre

March 3, 2022—Asheville, NC—The Orange Peel

March 4, 2022—Chattanooga, TN—Walker Theatre

March 6, 2022—Myrtle Beach, SC—Carolina Opry Theater

March 7, 2022—Charlotte, NC—Knight Theater- Levine Center for the Arts

March 8, 2022—Greensboro, NC—Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts*

March 10, 2022—Albany, GA—Albany Municipal Auditorium

March 12, 2022—Clearwater, FL—Capitol Theatre

March 13, 2022—Clearwater, FL—Capitol Theatre

March 14, 2022—Ft Lauderdale, FL—The Parker

March 15, 2022—Jacksonville, FL—Florida Theatre

March 16, 2022—Mobile, AL—Saenger Theater

March 17, 2022—Birmingham, AL—The Lyric Theatre

March 18, 2022—Birmingham, AL—The Lyric Theatre

March 19, 2022—Germantown, TN—Germantown Performing Arts Center

March 21, 2022—Jackson, MS—Thalia Mara Hall

March 22, 2022—Fort Smith, AR—ArcBest Performing Arts Center

March 23, 2022—Eureka Springs, AR—The Auditorium

March 25, 2022—Galveston, TX—The Grand 1894 Opera House

March 26, 2022—Galveston, TX—The Grand 1894 Opera House

March 27, 2022—New Braunfels, TX—Gruene Hall

March 28—Waco, TX—Waco Hall †

April 8, 2022—Dallas, TX—The Majestic Theatre

April 9, 2022—Dallas, TX—The Majestic Theatre

*Tickets on sale December 10

†Tickets on sale December 6

Photo by Rob Ball/WireImage

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© 2024 American Songwriter

Lyle Lovett on his new album '12th of June' and how a Phoenix house band changed his life

Lyle Lovett is on the phone from Texas to talk about his upcoming performance at Mesa Arts Center in support of his first album in a decade, "12th of June," whose title is a reference to the day his twins were born in June 2017. 

But first, he'd like to talk about a city that's been very near and dear to him for quite some time.

"You know, I wanted to talk to you because Phoenix has been such an important place for me," he says.

"My first studio recordings were done in a little studio that's not there anymore in Scottsdale called Chaton Recordings with Billy Williams, J. David Sloan and their band, the Rogues, who were the house band at Mr. Lucky's back in those days."

The Rogues included several players who would go on to be members of Lyle Lovett and his Large Band: Ray Herndon, Matt McKenzie, Matt Rollings.

"And through them, I met Francine Reed, Steve Marsh, Bob Warren, Dan Tomlinson, people I've played with for years," he says. "So Phoenix is a very special place to me."

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Mr. Lucky's by way of Luxembourg

Lovett met the Mr. Lucky's band in Luxembourg.

No, really.

In 1978, he befriended a country singer there who called himself Buffalo Wayne in honor of Buffalo Bill and John Wayne (his two favorite American cowboys) on a trip to Europe with a group of students from Texas A&M while taking German in a summer program.

Five years later, Buffalo Wayne invited him to play at Schueberfouer, an annual fair in Luxembourg.

"One of the events that year was an American music tent," Lovett recalls. 

"The owner of that event had been to Mr. Lucky's, loved J. David Sloan and the Rogues and hired them to come to Luxembourg."

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How the Rogues became Lyle Lovett's band

Lovett was there to play acoustically during the set changes between the Rogues and a Top 40 cover band from Orlando called Body and Soul.

"Well, Buffalo Wayne got dismissed early on in the gig," Lovett says. "And I was concerned because I was doing the whole thing for just round-trip airfare. And at that point, I'd been granted one-way airfare. So my return ticket was in jeopardy." 

His act had been going by fairly unnoticed.

"I could tell it was nonessential to the evening," he says with a laugh.

So he explained his plight to Sloan and Williams.

"And they said, 'Why don't you sit in with us? We'll learn your songs and play with you. Then, at the end of this deal, you can say you deserve your airfare home.'"

In addition to saving the day, it opened Lovett's eyes to what his songs could sound like with the proper backing.

"I had never heard my songs brought to life the way J. David Sloan and the Rogues brought them to life," Lovett says. "The way they played the songs, the arrangements, it was just uplifting to me."

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Lyle Lovett recording in Scottsdale

Before they went their separate ways, Williams and Sloan offered Lovett a deal on some studio time.

"They said, 'If you ever want to try recording with us, we'll give you the first day free,'" he says. 

"So in June or May of 1984, I called Billy Williams and said, 'Is that offer still good?' And he said, 'Yeah, man, come on out.'"

They ended up recording four songs in that one free day, and that become the first of several demos Lovett took to Nashville on trip to add some harmonies to a record his friend Nanci Griffith was making.

"That summer of 1984, I just kept coming back to Phoenix and working with Billy and the guys," Lovett says.

"Our work day at Chaton was 10 to 4 because we had to quit so the guys could all get ready and go play Mr. Lucky's in the evening," Lovett says.

"And I would usually go down there and sit in the sound booth. Sometimes I'd sit in with them. But it was a wonderful summer going back and forth to Phoenix."

By October 1984, they had recorded 18 songs.

"And that 18-song demo tape is the demo tape that eventually I got my record deal with," Lovett says. 

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'They're like family to me'

Lovett has fond memories of the time he spent in Arizona.

"I got introduced to the music community of Phoenix, which is just so deep in terms of ability and taste," Lovett says. 

"And it's all because of running into this band in Luxembourg. That's a long way to go to get to Phoenix from Texas. It's a lot shorter if you just go I-10."

The people he met in those formative years have remained an important part of Lovett's life. 

"They're like family to me," he says. 

Williams went on to produce or co-produce several albums for Lovett, from 1987's "Pontiac" to 2007's "It's Not Big, It's Large."

"Not only did he produce my first demos, he let me stay at his house," Lovett says of those early recordings with Williams.

"Billy lived over close to Mr. Lucky's, and we'd ride to the studio together every day across Glendale Avenue to Scottsdale. It was really a great education for me."

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Francine Reed on Lovett's latest album

He's hoping Reed, who retired from touring during the pandemic, will be at the Mesa concert to join the band onstage.

"12th of June" features three duets with Reed — "Straighten Up and Fly Right," "Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good to You" and "Peel Me a Grape."

Those first two songs have been part of the live show for several tours. 

"A few summers ago, I asked Francine if she'd sing them with me as a way to showcase her more in the live show," Lovett says. "And because we'd played them live, I thought it would be nice for people to be able to have them on a recording as well."

They did "Peel Me a Grape" to add another standard to the mix when they went back on tour. 

"This record was supposed to come out two years ago," Lovett says. 

"But because of the pandemic isolation, everything stopped. And during that time, Francine decided to just sort of step back and not tour. I was hopeful she would do this tour but I certainly am happy for her to do what she wants to do."

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'I wouldn't record without Ray'

The album also features Herndon on guitar. 

"I wouldn't record without Ray," Lovett says. 

"You know, Ray could make a living as a session player if he wanted to. He'd have to live in a place like Nashville or Los Angeles or New York. But what's so appealing to me about the community there is that someone as immensely talented as Ray Herndon chooses to live where he's from, to run his family's business and uphold his family's legacy. That's where life is for Ray. And I just admire that greatly."

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Writing songs for his family on '12th of June'

Family is a major theme on the originals he wrote for "12th of June."

"Well, most of these songs were given to me by my children," he says. 

On the title track, Lovett, who turned 64 last year, addresses his new family in the context of his own mortality.

"To these beautiful two children and to my sweet and tender wife," he sings. "I will love you three forever though I fly beyond this life."

Although the album was inspired by the twins' birth, it took Lovett a year to get to where he could reflect upon the day's events. 

"The day they were actually born, it was all so procedural," Lovett says. 

"There was twice the staff in the delivery room with twins being born. And I remember thinking, 'This is not what I was expecting in terms of emotional impact.' It was not a time of reflection. It was a time of, 'Hey, we got stuff to do here.'"

Not every song inspired by the twins is as likely to inspire tears as "12th of June." Take "Pants Is Overrated."

As Lovett recalls, "That was really just an effort at 12 and 18 months to get them dressed and having them resist to the point that I would sometimes just throw up my hands and think, 'Maybe they're right and I've got it wrong, Maybe we just shouldn't be getting dressed.'"

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The life-changing nature of parenthood

The arrival of those twins has had a major impact on how Lovett looks at everything.

"I know I'm not the first person to have a child in the world," he says. 

"But when it happens to you, it's all these things you can't anticipate, just in the best way. I'm just grateful that even at this age, I have gotten to experience it. And ultimately, I hope that I can serve them well in their growing up and be around long enough to be a positive influence on them."

His friends teased him, Lovett says, about how having kids would change his life, and he in turn insisted that it wouldn't.

"But of course it does," he says.

"The thing my buddies didn't tell me as they teased me was, 'It doesn't change your life in a single way that you don't want it to.' Every change that happens to you is something you gladly embrace and accept."

Don't say this album is Lyle Lovett 'coming back to music'

It has been 10 years since his previous release, 2012's "Release Me," but Lovett isn't wild about the way that little detail has been handled in the media. 

"We just did a CBS Saturday Morning and it was characterized as '...comes back to music,'" he says.

"Except for the pandemic isolation, which was a borderline devastating break, I've played 100-plus dates a year since the beginning of my career. So I certainly haven't taken a break from music."

He did take a break from making records long enough to figure out the business side of his career. "Release Me" was his final album on Lost Highway. This new album is his first on Verve.

"So much had changed between 1986, when my first record came out, and 2012, that I wanted to thoroughly search out my options for releasing my next record and how I wanted to do business," Lovett says. 

He went with Verve in part because a young executive named Jamie Krentz earned his trust.

"The people that you meet are so important to either contributing to you feeling confident enough to write something or making you feel like you should shut up," Lovett says. 

"I've been so fortunate over the course of my career to work with people like Billy Williams and J. David Sloan and Ray Herndon and Matt Rollings, who brought an enthusiasm to what I was doing and encouraged me to speak up rather than shut up."

Lyle Lovett

When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 16. 

Where: Mesa Arts Center, 1 E. Main St. 

Admission: $40-$60.

Details: 480-644-6500,  mesaartscenter.com .

Reach the reporter at [email protected] or 602-444-4495. Follow him on Twitter @EdMasley .

Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

Lovett, Isaak: just damn good fun

The greek, los angeles, june 18, 2022.

Reviewed by Dan MacIntosh

Utah Concert Review

Relive the Utah Concert Experience!

Chris Issak & Lyle Lovett

Chris Isaak & Lyle Lovett July• 1, 2022• Red Butte Garden Amphitheater

Reviewed and Photographed by Kevin Rolfe

Red Butte Garden started July off on a good note with a double headliner show starring Chris Isaak and Lyle Lovett.  These two legends could not have picked a better date to come to Utah.  The weather was perfect, and everyone was feeling good heading into the Independence Day weekend.   I’ve seen Chris Isaak in concert once.  I was invited last minute and was beyond impressed with the concert.  I’ve always wanted to see him again.  I had never seen Lyle Lovett in concert before this show.  So for me personally, this was a perfect mix of anticipation to see someone I had enjoyed before, and the anticipation of seeing someone I had been wanting to see. 

I chatted with a few people before the show and I asked them if they had seen either artist before.  They had seen both and mentioned that they never pass up the opportunity to see them whenever they come to Utah. They assured me that I was in for a good night.

Lyle Lovett

When I was walking into the amphitheater I noticed there were a lot of tour buses. Like way more than I was expecting.  Being an amateur to Lyle Lovett concerts, I was unaware that he brings his “Large Band” with him.  Large Band is the actual name of the ensemble.  Large indeed.  13 strong by my count.  Once the band was in place they began the show with “Are We Dancing?”.  Sharply dressed Lyle Lovett took the stage to a warm applause.  I always wonder if it’s weird to perform with the sun still up.  It seems so much easier when lights are in your face and the room is dark.  Lovett looked perfectly comfortable, but it made me wonder. 

Lovett departed the stage for the second song, an instrumental, titled “Cookin’ at the Continental”.  The Large Band took advantage of the opportunity to show the audience what we were dealing with.  Turns out we had a mini orchestra of amazingly talented musicians.  There wasn’t a weak link in the group.  The music felt like a mix of Jazz and Western Swing.  I was drawn in immediately.  

Lyle Lovett returned and joined the band by adding his own guitar to the ensemble.  The band also increased in numbers as three male backup singers joined Lyle on stage.  Lovett and his Large Band now played “Pants is Overrated”.   I was fascinated with the style of music that was being played.  In many ways, it felt genreless.  I’ve mentioned Jazz and Western Swing.  But there were times when songs were very much classic Country.  It wasn’t one style per se.  But it all sounded like Lyle Lovett.  I did not know what to expect, but it wasn’t this.  I was totally drawn into the performance.  These various styles mixed with Lovett’s unique vocals were a refreshing and different experience musically for me.  

Lyle Lovett took the time to introduce one by one each member of his band.  Many of them have recorded with Lovett since 1988. The musician that stood out to me the most, and the one I recognized from the moment he walked on stage was bassist Leland Sklar.  You may have seen Sklar perform here and there, but you have no doubt heard him.  He has played bass guitar on many of the greatest songs in Rock n Roll history.  I looked and there are too many to list in this review.  But I consider it a real honor to have seen him perform live.  The man is a living legend.

Lyle Lovett’s set felt like it flew by.  Songs like “Her Loving Man” and “12th of June” stood out as favorites from the crowd.  Many couples got up to slow dance together during these and many other songs.  The audience loved what might be Lovett’s biggest hit “If I Had a Boat”.  People were singing along witht their friends.  

Lyle shared that his young son has been spent his young life as a vegetarian. “But he loves bacon!” he exclaimed.  He followed his comments with “Pig Meat Man”. The song had a nice groove to it.  A Blues feel.  People moved and got into it. 

Lyle Lovett ended his set by thanking the Utah audience.  “We appreciate you bringing us back to Salt Lake City every year.  Y’all come down to my state some time.” He then finished with “That’s Right (You’re Not From Texas)”.  The song had elements of a Dixieland Gospel style.  People were on their feet clapping and dancing.  Many raising their hands as if they were in church.  It was a fun closer that got the crowd going and also showed off all of the strengths of Lyle Lovett and his Large Band.  Seeing Lyle Lovett in concert far exceeded any expectations I had. He’s a true artist.  

Chris Isaak

Lyle Lovett was such a good experience that I began to worry that after all that Chris Isaak might be a bit of a letdown.  Well, I had nothing to worry about.  Chris Isaak is a true performer. His band was significantly smaller, but they were awesome in their own right.  The first thing I noticed was just how good Chris’ voice still is.  There are so many singers in their 60s who just don’t have the pipes they once had.  With Chris Isaak this is not the case.  It seemed his voice was as strong and as clear as it has always been.  Even his falsetto was as pure as I’ve ever heard it.  That seems to be the first thing to go.  But Isaak sounded excellent. 

There is one thing I lied about though.  While I did notice how amazing Chris Isaak’s voice was, the first thing I noticed was his suit.  Chris Isaak Walked out in a black suit with an intricate rhine stone design.  It sparkled in the lights.  

Isaak told the crowd that he wears these suits like doctors wear their white robes.  It shows that they’re professionals and that people should feel comfortable taking their clothes off in front of them.  The comment drew a large laugh from the Red Butte Garden crowd.  Chris is a great entertainer.  He was really funny throughout the night.  Chris ensured us that the show wouldn’t go below the State Fair level.  He told us this was a family show.  Then his drummer yelled out, “Bull Shit!”. Another large laugh from the crowd.  When things got a little loose later in the night, he joked that they were still above State Fair level although he could smell the corn dogs.  

I was surprised when Isaak played his smash hit, “Wicked Game” pretty early in the set.  The song was unsurprisingly well received.  People slow danced.  Others got, how should I put this,  real friendly during the song.  I have a feeling a lot of people at the show have this song on a certain playlist.  Things got steamy real quick in the amphitheater.  I’ve heard this song a million times like all of us have.  It was so huge when it came out.  But I have to say that there is nothing like hearing it live.  I figure as many times as I’ve heard it, Chris Isaak has performed it.  But he still put everything into the song and it sounded excellent.  

Chris mentioned that while they did have a setlist to go by they often get lost and excited.  He invited the remaining sitters to stand up.  That we were in the Rock n Roll portion of the show.  They didn’t need much convincing.  The entire venue was on their feet when Chris Isaak performed a cover of “Ring of Fire”.  I love that song and he did a great job with it.  Come to think of it, Isaak did an awesome job with all of the covers he performed.  He also played Roy Orbison’s “Only the Lonely” to perfection.  Sharing a story of when he opened for Orbison and Roy helped him get noticed by the press.  Something that helped launch his career.  Chris also covered “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley.  I came to the conclusion that Chris Isaak may have been born a couple of decades too late.  His voice is perfect for these songs and this style of music.  But perhaps it’s good that he was born when he was so he can carry the torch of this great genre of music.  

The wind picked up.  The hanging speakers swayed and the wind blew into the microphones a few times.  But that didn’t slow down Chris and the boys or the fans.  We continued on with a night of great music.   A couple of nights earlier at Howard Jones, lightning caused the show to be stopped for a few minutes.  From what I could tell there was no lightning or threat of bad weather in the air.  So we were able to finish the show without delay.  

When Chris Isaak returned for his encore, he was now donned in what I can only describe as a suit that looked like a mirror ball.  His music matched the look as he broke into another huge hit of his, “Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing”.  The crowd was so into it.  The song has such a good groove and seemed to have a way of drawing the crowd in completely.  People were letting loose and singing along.  There was a woman next to me who had been dancing the entire night.  She did not hold back on this song.  A younger man came up to her and just started dancing.  Nothing inappropriate, just dancing near her as if he didn’t notice her.  As the song progressed, they started dancing together.  It almost looked rehearsed how in sync they were with each other.  I don’t think I’ve seen anything like it.  

The entire night was a great experience.  Lyle Lovett got the show going.  He impressed me far beyond anything I could have imagined.  Chris Isaak carried things to the next level and entertained the sold out Red Butte Garden audience.  It was an excellent pairing for what was a perfect summer night in Salt Lake City.  

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Lyle Lovett Returns Large Band & Trademark Eclectic Mix on ’12th of June’ (ALBUM REVIEW

• By Jim Hynes
• No Comments

Several years ago, this writer was in a conversation with the late Stephen Bruton who pondered why we couldn’t hear artists such as Miles Davis, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Chick Corea, Doc Watson, and British bands on the same radio show. Lyle Lovett is another Texan who grew up listening to music in that eclectic way but more so than perhaps anyone else, Lovett brings this level of diversity to his music. Who else would open an album with a Horace Silver tune, and a couple of tunes associated with Nat King Cole adjacent to singer-songwriter fare and other country-style tunes that feature some of Nashville’s best players such as Paul Franklin, Stuart Duncan, and Sam Bush? Artists aren’t supposed to do this in the genre-confining obsessed formatting of today, but Lovett not only does it, but as he so often has, he makes this sonic mix seem natural.  Returning with his first album in over decade, Lovett and His Large Band give us 12 th of June , his debut on Verve.

 Yes, it begins with the swing of Horace Silver’s “Cookin’ at the Continental” but then quickly segues to a trademark quirky tune “Pants is Overrated.”  Here’s one of the verses – “My people from across the pong/They hail from Scotland and beyond/Where sheep make wool for socks and shoes/And grown men run around in skirts…Pants is overrated.”  In addition to his 13-piece Large Band, the tune features a choir of nine background vocalists and a string quartet. As the old saying goes, “Everything’s bigger and better in Texas.”  From there Lovett engages in playful duets with the great Francine Reed on the familiar Nat King Cole associated “Straighten Up and Fly Right” and “Gee Baby, Ain’t I Good to You” as well as another classic, David Frishberg’s tantalizing “Peel Me a Grape.” At that point, the album’s second half then features six consecutive Lovett originals.  Lovett makes no apologies for such a seemingly contradictory sequencing – “This album reflects the music I grew up around. My music is like me. I live on land that belonged to my grandfather. I live next door to my mother. I think the music reflects where I’m from and who I am.”

The hymn-like country waltz “Her Loving Me” is an unabashed ode to his wife, dubbed as “Queen of Know.” Franklin’s pedal steel cuts right to the bone in his solo mid-song with strong accompaniment from the band, especially pianist Jim Cox. It’s classic Lovett, musically evoking his earlier material like “Walk Through the Bottom Land.” The title track follows, in essence, a piano ballad imbued by Duncan’s yearning fiddle, Lovett espouses love for his wife and twin children in his new role as a parent but with a curveball too as he contemplates his own mortality in the closing verses, “ I will love you three forever/Though I fly beyond this life.” Just as cynical types will begin to think that Lovett may be getting too sappy, he brings one of his signature witty tunes with “Pig Meat Man.” It’s tempting to think this is of the double entendre mode of Bessie Smith tunes like “Kitchen Man” but instead Lovett claims this stomping blues tune is nothing more than his love for pork – bacon, and sausage. The punchy horns shine here both in unison and solo spots as Cox’s sturdy B3 immensely fills the little remaining space. 

“The Mocking Ones” is an elegiac country ballad colored by pedal steel, fiddle, and mandolin as Lovett recalls an old love affair or friendship that never quite worked out, paying it off in the lines – “To wait, forget and still remember some/To hold our heads above the laughing tongues/Falling from faces of the mocking ones.”  Cox delivers an elegant piano intro to the slow-building waltz “Are We Dancing” featuring stunning contributions from the string quartet while the closer “On a Winter’s Morning” makes yet another left turn as Cox begins in a piano barrelhouse mode with a tune that unfolds into a 30’s-like vaudeville jazz with clarinet and trombone in the fading coda.  

There may not be any other artist who can go in so many different directions while making us laugh, cry, and dance. There’s much to savor in these eleven tunes. The ten-year hiatus hasn’t diminished Lovett’s strength as a songwriter or musical programmer one bit.

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Lyle Lovett - 12th of June

By Saby Reyes-Kulkarni

The Texan master’s first album in a decade alternates between the large-ensemble jazz of his childhood and the stripped-down twang that’s long been his signature.

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It’d be an understatement to say that singer-songwriter Lyle Lovett has always been keen to emphasize his roots. After his career got off the ground following the release of his self-titled debut in 1986, Lovett chose to remain in the home he grew up in — built by his grandfather in a once-rural area outside of Houston, Texas.

Unsurprisingly, his new album 12th of June maintains this strong sense of identification with home. Named after a family tradition that takes place every year at a small graveyard on their property, 12th of June looks back over Lovett’s life, alternating between the large-ensemble jazz he heard at home in childhood and the intimate, stripped-down twang that’s long been his signature. In truth, the album doesn’t reveal any new shades in either direction, but it does convey a poignant sense that Lovett, now aged 64, is aware that time is passing.

12th of June marks the third studio album to feature Lovett’s playfully named Large Band, which he first introduced on 1989’s Lyle Lovett and His Large Band . At the time that he came up with the name, Lovett wanted audiences to understand that he wasn’t playing big-band music in a literal sense. Instead, the Large ensemble has operated as something like a cross between a big band and a Western swing orchestra, with blues and gospel thrown-in for good measure.

Of course, Lovett and company play some traditional jazz, too. The album kicks off with a straightahead big-band arrangement of hard bop pioneer Horace Silver’s 1959 instrumental ‘Cookin’ at the Continental’. Elsewhere, the Large Band takes a turn at the 1944 Nat King Cole standard ‘Straighten Up and Fly Right’, the first of two duets with vocalist Francine Reed. Reed, guitarist Ray Herndon, steel player Paul Franklin and trombonist/horn arranger Charles Rose have worked on and off with Lovett for decades, so there’s a familiarity and ease that comes across in the demeanor of the performances.

Lovett’s stock in trade has been his unparalleled ability to generate intensity while seeming calm, collected and completely unhurried. If Lovett didn’t quite sound old a quarter century ago, then he certainly sounded wise. His wry, economical wordplay has made it easy to overlook the mastery in his craft - not only did he break the mold, but he made songwriting look easy. As always, throughout 12th of June , Lovett delivers poignant, carefully sculpted lines about being put to rest in a river (the title track) or, say, the kind of unvarnished intimacy that glows most in silence (‘On A Winter’s Morning’).

He can be just as laser-accurate and poetic when singing about the joys of eating bacon and going pantless. At times, the boisterous, filled-out jazz sound gives Lovett’s deadpan humor more room to carry, as if he were allowing himself to have fun rather than hold back. But at this stage in his career, he sounds more settled than sharp. And after a decade-long wait between releases, 12th of June feels a touch too settled, even on its three heartfelt ballads that don’t quite gel with the rest of the song sequence.

Understandably, Lovett has reached a point where he’s more occupied with looking back than pressing forward. If your idea of a good time is sitting under the stars on a summer night being serenaded by the Large Band, 12th of June is for you. But if you’re drawn to the alluring reserve of albums like The Road to Ensenada and I Love Everybody , you’re better off revisiting the back catalog.

12th of June is out now on Verve Records.

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Album Review: Lyle Lovett – ’12th of June’

I certainly didn’t expect to say I was excited for this release, but when Lyle Lovett released “12th of June” ahead of his first project in 10 years – and now free from Curb Records, at that – I had high hopes for what a refreshed comeback album from him would sound like. After all, as I noted in a certain feature on him from last year , my favorite side of Lovett is the more introspective singer-songwriter who, while quirky, always carries a warmth and grace in his presentation that’s immediately likable.

And thus, with his newest album proper … well, it’s a tricky one to discuss. Of course, it’s also where I’d like to stress the subjective nature of these types of exercises, because I didn’t get that more introspective side of him here like I had hoped; The title track to 12th of June is actually something of an anomaly here. No, this album plays in closer proximity to the other side of Lovett – the big large band enthusiast who, I admit, has never done much for me as a vocal or charismatic presence on those kind of jazz-inspired songs. He’s jerky, quirky, and always a bit too stiff, which can contribute well to the looser nature of those songs. I mean, “Pants is Overrated” and “Pig Meat Man” are as dumb as you’d think they’d be from those titles, but at least Lovett leans into them with a wry sense of self-awareness.

On the other hand, there’s a difference between lightweight and gimmicky, the latter being how I’d describe a large chunk of this project, outside of the title track or the almost equally tender “The Mocking Ones.” It doesn’t help that he frequently gets upstaged by his guest performers and even his backing vocalists on those early tracks – particularly “Gee, Baby, Ain’t I Good to You” – or that it’s built more around covers than Lovett originals proper.

And yet, in a weird way, I get it. Lovett has described this project as his combined reflections on fatherhood that came to him late in life. So both the quirkiness and generally sillier nature of this album makes sense to some extent, and does find its footing in places – I happen to really like the chipper rollick of that fiddle and saloon piano interplay featured in “On A Winter’s Morning.” The title track still sticks out sonically, but it’s also the centerpiece and anchoring point of this project that belongs here right alongside the other tracks. But it’s also not without its faults at points: “Her Loving Man,” though a fairly straightforward country song that’s fine enough on a compositional level, features an awkward lyrical hook; “Are We Dancing” is somewhat twee; and the overall sequencing of this album is something of a mess.

But, let’s be honest: Lovett didn’t make this album for me, and he probably didn’t even make it for hardcore fans. He made it for himself, and it’s as weirdly unique as you’d expect from him at any point in his long-running career. How that will hit listeners will vary, but for me … well, this isn’t really the Lovett project for me. But I’m happy to have him and his idiosyncratic optimism back, especially when it was worth the return just for that title track. 

• Favorite tracks: “12th of June,” “The Mocking Ones,” “On a Winter’s Morning”
• Least favorite track: “Gee, Baby, Ain’t I Good to You”

Buy or stream the album.

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One thought on “ Album Review: Lyle Lovett – ’12th of June’ ”

This is almost like two albums in one – a jazz album and a country album. I’ve never been much of a jazz guy, so that portion of the album doesn’t really connect for me, but the country portion is quite good. I particularly like “Her Loving Man” and “12th of June.”

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Lyle Lovett And His Large Band Return To DPAC On August 2022

An Evening with Lyle Lovett and His Large Band will feature an arrangement of Lovett standards, as well as a preview of songs from his upcoming album.

Four-time Grammy-winning singer, composer, and actor Lyle Lovett has confirmed a 2022 tour with his Large Band and will be returning to DPAC on August 15, 2022.

Tickets go on sale Friday, March 18 at 10:00 AM:

• Online at DPACnc.com
• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina - Ticket Center at DPAC: 919.680.2787, 123 Vivian Street, Durham, NC: Mon-Fri 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
• Ticketmaster.com

An Evening with Lyle Lovett and His Large Band will feature an arrangement of Lovett standards, as well as a preview of songs from his upcoming album on Verve Records, scheduled for release this May.

Since its opening in 2008, DPAC (Durham Performing Arts Center) has become the center for live entertainment in North Carolina. Recognized for its contemporary design, DPAC features 2,700 seats, intimate sightlines, and state-of-the-art sound and video. Ranked annually among the top-ten theaters in America by three leading national magazines that cover live entertainment events and venues, DPAC was recently nominated for Theatre of the Decade by Pollstar Magazine.

With a mission of presenting one-of-a-kind live entertainment events, DPAC truly has "something for everyone," hosting 500,000 guests per year to its 200+ performances. Each season, the stage at DPAC comes alive with spectacular touring Broadway productions, high-profile concert and comedy events, family shows and the heralded American Dance Festival. Owned by the City of Durham and operated under the direction of Nederlander and Professional Facilities Management (PFM), since 2011 DPAC has been listed as the #1 performing arts organization in the region by the Triangle Business Journal.

For more information, please visit: www.DPACnc.com .

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