Lyle Lovett just oozes warmth from the moment he walks on stage. I can still remember the first time I saw him perform in town. It was 1993, and he was at the Santa Barbara Bowl (called the County Bowl at that point) with his new bride — a barefoot Julia Roberts — onstage with him promoting his excellent fourth album, Joshua Judges Ruth.
That marriage didn’t last long, but his quirky charm and sweet Southern hospitality continue to endure all these decades later. Now a devoted (and full of stories) first-time father of 9-year-old twins with his wife April, Lovett had his Small Large Band onstage with him this time, celebrating his 69th birthday on November 1 by playing Campbell Hall in a UCSB Arts & Lectures production.
As for life with some pretty young children for a man his age, Lovett said he had no idea how much becoming a parent was going to change his life. “But it didn’t change in a single way I didn’t want it to.”
It was a lovely way to celebrate the life of one of the music industry’s most unique and enduring careers. Earlier that week, the native Texan has been named to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and his set list included many Lovett originals, including “I Will Rise Up,” “Here I Am,” with some fabulous spoken word segments in middle that highlight his prowess as a lyricist, and “It’s a Naked Party,” written with his children, about which he said, “they take their songwriting seriously.”
Lovett takes his songwriting seriously too, but his humor is enjoyably tongue in cheek, particularly with covers like Tammy Wynette’s “Stand By Your Man.”
“It’s always inspiring to be on campus,” said Lovett, who is currently doing a fellowship with students at his alma mater, Texas A&M. “Art classes can only make the world better,” he added.
So can art itself, the band demonstrated through a very entertaining night of songs and stories.
The Small Large Band was top notch, and Lovett allowed them multiple opportunities to shine.
“Improvisation is such a big part of the way we work,” explained Lovett. “Just to listen to them have a dialogue with each other is the best.”
He continued, “Every one of these musicians onstage, they are like family. It’s important to like the people you work with because it’s a lot of your life. It’s a privilege to be with them every day,” he said, as he introduced Jeff White (guitar, mandolin, vocals), Jim Cox (piano, keyboards), James Harrah (guitar), Amy Keys (vocals), Russ Kunkel (drums), Leland Sklar (bass), and Lamont Van Hook (guest vocalist) with the same kind of pride and good humor that lucky people would use to introduce their family.
As we all joined together to sing “Happy Birthday” to Lovett, he responded: “I could not be happier to be here with you all.” Right back atcha, Lyle. Right back atcha, until we meet again.
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