Member Review: Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt

Hey, OldTime 22 here.

Although getting the chance to meet and greet one of my favorite performers would be more than OK, getting to be with two of them was other-worldly. This was my good luck when BPD got me backstage for An Acoustic Evening with Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt.

Two identical chairs separated by identical tables, with a wingspan's distance between them. The stage was both sparsely adorned and illuminated. Under the simplicity of the lighting, they suddenly appeared: 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.

Oh, joy!!

Thanks, Oldtimer.

Now that the concert season is realy gathering steam, requests forbackstage passes are flooding in. Make yours soon.......................and if you're not yet on board with us, what are you waiting for. Join today.

Lyle Lovett and John Hyatt acoustic tour

The multiple-Grammy-winning Lyle Lovett kicks off his 2009 tour calendar Jan. 14 in Beaver Creek, CO, before heading back on the road with the legendary John Hiatt beginning Feb. 5 in Pittsburgh, PA. The pair has confirmed a slate of 11 cities together. Details are included below.

Lovett's 13th album, "It's Not Big It's Large," was released last August, reaching No. 18 on The Billboard 200 and No. 2 on the Top Country Albums chart. The 12-track set features Lovett's signature Large Band and covers everything from country to blues, to folk, jazz and gospel. A deluxe version of the album including a DVD with studio footage is also available. A few song samples are streaming at the performer's MySpace page.

"Its Not Big It's Large" follows Lovett's Lost Highway Records debut, "My Baby Don't Tolerate," which surfaced in 2003. That set marked his first collection of original material since 1996's "Road to Ensenada."

Hiatt is touring behind his latest studio set, "Same Old Man," which was released in May.

01/14/09 Beaver Creek, CO Vilar Center For The Arts
02/05/09 Pittsburgh, PA Carnegie Music Hall
02/06/09 Philadelphia, PA Kimmel Center For The Perf. Arts
02/08/09 Morristown, NJ The Community Theatre At Mayo Center For The Performing Arts
02/09/09 Englewood, NJ Bergen Performing Arts Ctr.
02/10/09 Morgantown, WV Lyell B. Clay Concert Theatre
02/12/09 Nashville, TN Schermerhorn Symphony Center
02/14/09 Danville, KY Norton Center
02/15/09 Bloomington, IN Buskirk-Chumley Theater
02/18/09 Joliet, IL Rialto Square Theatre
02/19/09 Cincinnati, OH Aronoff Center For The Arts
02/21/09 Midland, TX Midland Center

Don't forget, all passes are first-come, first-served. So don't delay. Order yours today and hang out with Lyle and John. Visit BackstagePassDirect.