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Live Review: Lyle Lovett and His Large Band in Los Angeles
The acoustics of downtown Los Angeles' Walt Disney Hall could not have been more adept at capitalizing on Lyle Lovett 's voice this New Year's Eve; his Texas inflected, nuanced croon filled the room as if it were erected for this very night.
Performing with his 16-piece Large Band, Lovett gracefully maneuvered through his catalog, performing his unique, kitchen-sink hybrid of country-and-western swing, blue-eyed soul, jazz, gospel and bluegrass.
Opening the show in traditional Large Band fashion, the audience was treated to a jazzy instrumental prologue before Lovett, clad in a black suit and dress boots, took the stage to lead the ensemble--which can only be described as a well-oiled machine--through several jazzy, cinematic, new numbers. Lovett, the ever-consummate bandleader, guided the group in and out of tunes, with members gracefully entering and exiting the stage depending on what accompaniment each song called for. In some cases, from an audience perspective, this proved an incredibly powerful tack, as a song might begin with the lone picking and voice of Lovett and culminate with the entire band.
After introducing each band member with a bit of biographical information Lovett then introduced himself with the intro to "Here I Am," off his 1989 breakout album, "Lyle Lovett and His Large Band": "I'm the guy who sits next to you and reads the newspaper over your shoulder / Wait, don't turn the page / I'm not finished / Life is so ... uncertain." Other favorites--including "That's Right You're Not From Texas," "Church," "If I Had A Boat" and "My Baby Don't Tolerate"--had the audience mouthing every word. Lovett truly knows the intrinsic value of showmanship and tactful audience interaction.
Famous for his dry wit, Lovett's deadpan stage banter could be likened to that of an eccentric, East Texas Woody Allen. The room full of Angelenos ate up Lovett's ribbing about the local news having a weatherman by the name of Johnny Mountain. The candid, off-hand remarks further exemplified why Lovett was a favorite character actor in Robert Altman's later films.
Following a raucous standing ovation, Lovett and the band returned to the stage to ring in 2007 with a spirited rendition of "Auld Lang Syne" before exiting the stage for the evening.
Based on this night's performance, '07 should prove to be quite a year for Lovett--with or without his Large Band.
[Editor's note: a reference to Los Angeles weatherman Dallas Raines was removed from this review on 1/3; during his stage banter, Lovett incorrectly identified Raines as news anchor.]
Lyle Lovett / Guy Clark / Joe Ely / John Hiatt
January 2007
13 - Cincinnati, OH - Aronoff Center for the Performing Arts
14 - Indianapolis, IN - Clowes Memorial Hall
17 - Wausau, WI - Grand Theatre
18 - Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theatre
19 - Chicago, IL - Chicago Theatre
20 - Cleveland, OH - Cleveland State Theatre
21 - Louisville, KY - Kentucky Center for the Arts
22 - Greenville, SC - Peace Concert Hall
25 - Charlotte, NC - Ovens Auditorium
26 - N. Charleston, SC - N. Charleston Performing Arts Center
27 - Atlanta, GA - The Tabernacle
February 2007
6 - Mesa, AZ - Mesa Arts Center
7 - Albuquerque, NM - Popejoy Hall
8 - Colorado Springs, CO - Pikes Peak Center
9 - Denver, CO - Paramount Theatre
11 - Nashville, TN - Schermerhorn Symphony Center
15 - Baton Rouge, LA - Manship Theatre
16, 17 - Meridian, MI - Riley Center for Performing Arts
18 - Birmingham, AL - Alabama Theatre
28 - Alpine, CA - Viejas Casino
March 2007
2-4 - Redwood City, CA - The Fox Theatre
6 - Arcata, CA - Van Duzer Theatre
7 - Portland, OR - Arlene Schnitzer Concert Auditorium
9 - Bellingham, WA - Mt. Baker Theatre
10 - Seattle, WA - Paramount Theatre
12 - Vancouver, British Columbia - Centre in Vancouver
13 - Victoria, British Columbia - University Hall
15 - Edmonton, Alberta - Francis Winspear Centre
16-18 - Calgary, Alberta - Knox United Church
19 - Winnipeg, Manitoba - Manitoba Centennial Centre