Review: Lyle Lovett at Civic Theatre

Reuters

WITH A TWIST: Lyle Lovett, seen in a file photo, mixes jazz, blues and gospel with his country.

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Singer songwriter Lyle Lovett serenaded country, blues and jazz fans at the Civic Theatre last night.

Lovett opened a diverse three-hour set with the raunchy Here I Am, which he half sang, half spoke in a sensual whisper.

Lovett then launched into the faster-paced Truck Song with the clever violin tones of band member Luke Buller as well as his group of four other backing musicians.

Those included Keith Soole on guitar, John Hagan on cello, Victor Kraus on stand-up bass and percussionist James Gill.

Lovett also played guitar duetting with both Soole and Buller, with Buller alternating from violin to guitar when required and Soole slipping between guitar and banjo for several songs.

Hagan's skill on cello was evident in many of the songs, with some impressive and quick movement of the bow.

Many of Lovett's songs were soulful and haunting, such as There's No More Corn On The Brasos, which showed the wide ranging skill of Lovett's backing band.

Their range was also evident in the rousing song, That's Right You're Not From Texas.

Another example of Lovett's versatility was shown in the song I've Been To Memphis - a slower jazz or swing sound.

Other songs well known to Lovett's audiences included If I Had A Boat, My Baby Don't Tolerate and Nobody Knows Me.

He included some bluegrass, which he says can't be picked up in a short time and that it needs to be something learned from an early age.

With the songs Keep It In Your Pantry and Up In Indiana, Lovett, together with Soole on banjo, Buller on fiddle and Kraus on bass, the group all stood around the microphone singing and playing bluegrass songs.

Lovett, 51, asked the somewhat younger backing musicians to give their biographies of their instrumental experience, which ranged from four to seven years.

He says he liked playing music standing with other musicians around the microphone.

Lovett himself, appears totally at home with a guitar and says the way to relax is watching television and making up a song about doing that.

"I saw the best beer commercial on TV once and then it went to the evening news but the evening news was far less exciting than the beer commercial," he quipped.

Lovett joked with the audience often - in one instance after receiving a wolf whistle from a fan said: "That's something I really admire, I can't whistle."

Another fan called out: "We love you." To which Lovett replied: " We love you more. We've been wanting to come here for ages, we've just been waiting for the right invitation."

Lovett played many more songs in his long concert to an initially reserved audience.

But as the concert progressed the audience called out requests and friendly comments to the singer, receiving good-natured responses from him.

The opening act - Australian country songstress Kasey Chambers, supported by her husband Shane Nicholson on acoustic guitar and her father Bill Chambers on electric guitar and steel guitar - was championed by Lovett championed at the start of his set.

Aucklander John Perry said Lovett had a great sound. "Why did he stay away so long?"

Chris Lander, also from Auckland said he wasn't really into country, but liked Lovett.

"I like his voice, his guitar and his lyrics. His humour is dry and it shows in the lyrics."

- © Fairfax NZ News