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 Lyle Lovett |
 John Hiatt |
 Lyle Lovett |
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Story and photos by Gypsy Davey Two identical chairs sat on stage, vacant and lonely. Separated by identical tables, with a wingspan's distance between them. The stage that was both sparsely adorned and illuminated. Under the simplicity of the lighting, they sat waiting to be filled by two distinctly different performers. Lyle Lovett, the lanky country crooner, dapper and smooth, seated to the left, and John Hiatt, the gritty, soulfully bluesy, alt-country rock 'n' roller to the right. The commonality that closely binds them however, is one of great friendship and admiration for the each other. Billed as "An Acoustic Evening with" they together embarked on a journey of celebrating their well-worn cannon of tunes.Immersed in the intimacy of the atmosphere, the performers settled in with an unscripted structure allowing each to contextually volley off of the other, as well as leave ample room for audience lob-ins. The dry sense of humor shared and appreciated by both, mastered by Lyle, flowed thick throughout the night, as anecdotal set-ups served each song, and complementary gestures were given at songs close. At times the banter was so sarcastic it was difficult to discern whether compliments were genuine, or whether we were to await their punch line. Before John began "My Dog and Me," a beautiful song of companionship between a man and his dog, he told of how the ill-tempered dog took to nipping, and had to be stowed in a trailer that housed the family's furnishings during a renovation project. Not approving of the move, the dog ate his way through the half metal half wood door, to which Lyle responded, "Now that's a good dog." When asked if John belonged to any of the popular Social Media outlets, he replied that he "was hooked up, both with Twitter and Facial." With that, Lyle presented him an online birthday request received from Rebekka, to play "Dust Down a Country Road," after which commenting on the distinct canine contrast with the earlier "My Dog and Me," eluding to the lyrical verse "If I had a bullet I'd put it in this gun, and catch that old dog napping, I'd shoot him before he runs." The interchanges continued in like fashion throughout the night. Lyle told of someone whom inherited a gold tooth from her grandmother who had recently passed, and had plans of melting the tooth down for a ring to wear. Lyle used the set-up as segue into "Creeps Like Me." A truly remarkable highlight of the evening was Lyle's cover song by the late Walter Hyatt titled "Understand You," a song that John commented on containing everything that a woman wants to hear, with Lyle responding, "Hyatt was quite clever." Another Lovett standout was the hilarious "The Girl with the Holiday Smile," off his new release titled Release Me. Any Christmas song with an opening line like "I met a hooker at the grocery store," will hold my interest. Hiatt shined during "Icy Blue Heart" and "Feels Like Rain," despite few struggles at times with cord changes and forgotten lyrics. It's precisely what made this show enduring, and authentic. Like sitting in their living room remembering and reflecting on stories and songs that have over the years unified a tight-knit fan base, one that anxiously awaits their next outing. |
 Lyle Lovett & John Hiatt |
 Lyle Lovett & John Hiatt |
 Lyle Lovett & John Hiatt |
 John Hiatt |
 Lyle Lovett & John Hiatt |