So, last night Rose and I went over the Palladium to see Lyle Lovett for a long overdue night out. Nothing brings home Texas for me like a Lyle Lovett concert. If you've never been to a Lyle Lovett and His Large Band concert, you're missing out.
I thought the acoustics at the Palladium were warbled. We had decent seats, middle of Orchestra Center, but the sound, especially the lyrics, sounded like I had an ear full of marbles. I doubt this is a reflection on the band, but a problem with the venue itself. This is a new building, and I just don't think it was designed for this type of music--or it may be a design flaw. Either way, it was seriously disappointing.
Anyway, there were standouts in the concert, but the Large Band is so talented, and the performances so intelligent and seamless, it's hard to part out just one or two...but for me, Luke Bulla on fiddle, and Keith Sewell on vocals, guitar, and mandolin, were exceptional. And, of course, the magical Francine Reed never ever disappoints.
While the acoustics were a major disappointment, the energy of the show was not. The Palladium is grand on the inside, and with 20 foot organ pipes in the background, it was hard not to be transported, and think you were in the First Church of Lyle, at times. Not a complaint. Hardly. But the softer, moodier moments of a Lyle Lovett concert always hit me with a ton of bricks. The version of North Dakota below represents the best moment of the night for me (this is not a video from the concert, but from and A&E special). This won't be my last Lyle Lovett concert, but I might reconsider going back to the Palladium for another performance of any kind.
4 comments:
You are right, Larry. It's hard to follow the words all the way to the end with a dry eye. Thanks.
Never been to a Lovett show, but your review (and the video) has me sold! Can you recommend his best album?
I really love Step Inside This House, and It's Not Big, It's Large is loads of fun...but really, you can't go wrong with any of Lyle's albums. Great writing music if you listen to music when you write.
That was my first Lyle Lovett concert and I am sold. Can you remember the song titles that were played middle towards the end. It included the fiddle and mandolin.
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