While he was initially marketed as a country artist, Lyle Lovett’s ambitions proved too broad to be contained within that tent. His songwriting draws on influences, like Randy Newman, from far beyond that world, and, over his long career, he’s expanded to a big band sound. Everything he’s done reflects great intelligence and excellent taste, which has allowed to him cross over to mainstream success. In his recent appearance at Wolf Trap, backed by his large band, Lovett demonstrated why he’s grown and maintained his popularity for all these years.

Lovett’s first, self-titled album appeared in 1986, which would prove to be a watershed for the development of what has become known as Americana, as it also marked the debut of fellow Texan Steve Earle (with Guitar Town) and Dwight Yoakam (with Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc.). Five singles from that record reached the country Top 40, with four making the Top 10, including “Give Me Back My Heart,” which Lyle played at Wolf Trap on August 9. Earle has referred to this moment as “the great credibility scare.” In the late ’80s, Lovett and Earle, along with Nanci Griffith, went from their Nashville labels to the mainstream divisions of their record companies, a transition that, for Lovett, began with his sophomore LP, Pontiac, and continued with his move to California following the release of his third album, Lyle Lovett and His Large Band. (Griffith gave Lovett’s career a boost early on; he sang on her album, Once In A Blue Moon, and she recorded his “If I Were The Man You Wanted,” which also made its way into the set Friday night.)

A relative latecomer to music, Lyle didn’t start writing songs until he was a student at Texas A&M in the ’70s. He came from a working class family in the small town of Klein, Texas, with both of his parents working in the oil industry. He praised them, saying, “My parents made choices based on what they had to do, so I could make chances based on what I wanted to do.” He added, “I hope to be that kind of dad to my kids.”

It was at Texas A&M that Lyle met fellow future musician Robert Earl Keen in 1976. They both loved school so much, he said, that they graduated in 1980, despite Robert being a member of the class of 1978 and Lyle being a member of the class of 1979. (Robert commented on this as well during his recent performance at The Birchmere, which you can read about here.) Together, they wrote “This Old Porch” (Keen titled his version “The Front Porch Song”).

The band kicked off the set with the instrumental “Cooking At The Continental,” a cover of the Horace Silver Quintet which appears on Lovett’s most recent album, 12th of June, which come out in 2022, after a 10-year gap between records. That record also included the humorous “Pants Is Overrated,” a song I, as someone who lives alone, can really get behind, as well as “Are We Dancing” and “Pig Meat Man.” The latter two songs were inspired by Lovett’s young children. “Are We Dancing,” he explaining, “is something I would sing to them when they were babies and we danced across the floor.” “Pig Meat Man” grew out of his son’s remark that he is “a vegetarian who likes salami.” I can’t blame the kid — salami is pretty tasty!

Watch Lyle Lovett perform a set of songs including “Are We Dancing” live for KUTX Austin on YouTube:

One of the charms of Lovett’s music is that while the lyrics are intelligent and often quite beautiful, there is a certain warmth and innocence to his songs. “If I Had A Boat,” which he closed with, was written “from the perspective of a child thinking about what he wants to be when he grows up. Of course, I was 20.” He then added a joke: “A child says to his father, ‘I want to be a musician when I grow up.’ The father replies, ‘Son, you can’t do both.'”

Lyle joined the band after “Cookin’ at the Continental,” singing “Black and Blue,” followed by his take on gospel, “Church.” Before “Here I Am,” he said, “I’m the guy who looks over your shoulder and reads the newspaper. Don’t turn the page. I’m not done.” I can’t fault Lyle for this, as just yesterday I salvaged the Washington Post from my building’s recycling bin. (The highlight being a mini-section on the recent renaissance in horror movies.) After “Here I Am,” he talked about how, now that they’re old enough, he can bring his kids on the road some of the time when he’s on tour. “My seven-year old thinks Amy [one of Lyle’s band members] is his girlfriend.” Lyle’s kids inspired the next song, “It’s a Naked Party.”

After “Pants,” the set continued with a couple of his classic numbers, “She’s No Lady” and “I Know You know.” The evening was rounded out with the title track from My Baby Don’t Tolerate, “I Will Rise Up,” and “Nobody Knows Me.”

Of note, some musical legends joined Lyle at Wolf Trap on August 9. Bassist Leland Sklar and drummer Russ Kunkel are fixtures of the Los Angeles musical scene going back to the ’60s, having recorded and toured with the likes of James Taylor, Jackson Browne, and Linda Ronstadt, among many, many others. (Sklar’s Wikipedia page notes he has played on more than 2,000 albums!)

Before Lovett and his Large Band took the stage, the audience was treated by a performance by an American institution, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. Named after Preservation Hall in New Orleans, the PHJB has been around since the 1960s, maintaining the Crescent City’s rich  tradition of Black music. “All roads lead back to New Orleans,” as they said during the set. Their sit included “St. Louis Blues,” “Tootie Ma Is a Big Fine Thing,” “Keep Your Head Up,” and a couple of instrumental numbers. They closed with the a medley of the beloved New Orleans tune “When The Saints Go Marching In” and “You Are My Sunshine.”

I can’t claim to be any kind of expert on jazz, but I know good music when I hear it, and the PHJB was excellent. The rest of the crowd agreed with me, rewarding their set with thunderous applause and a standing ovation. They were a fitting complement for Lovett, who incorporates elements of jazz and swing in his work his big band.

This was Lovett’s 30th appearance at Wolf Trap, and it’s quite apparent why he keeps on coming back. His songs are fantastic, and he always put on an incredible show, especially when he’s back by his Large Band. It was an evening of music and charm to remember.

Here are some photos of Preservation Hall Jazz Band opening Lyle Lovett at Wolf Trap on August 9, 2024. All pictures copyright and courtesy of James Todd Miller.

 

Here are some photos of Lyle Lovett and His Large Band performing at Wolf Trap on August 9, 2024. All pictures copyright and courtesy of James Todd Miller.