{"id":78679,"date":"2025-07-20T18:45:11","date_gmt":"2025-07-20T18:45:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/78679\/"},"modified":"2025-07-20T18:45:11","modified_gmt":"2025-07-20T18:45:11","slug":"lyle-lovett-and-his-large-band-at-auditorium-theatre","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/78679\/","title":{"rendered":"Lyle Lovett and his Large Band at Auditorium Theatre"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every skilled roots-based singer-songwriter should be allowed once in their touring life to experience the caliber of musicians who surrounded Lyle Lovett Saturday at the Auditorium Theatre. Nattily dressed in suits and formal wear, Lovett\u2019s aptly named Large Band frequently overshadowed the headliner and made him the better for it. Then again, the marathon 165-minute performance was at odds with modern conventions in several ways.<\/p>\n

For starters, the impressive sight of a 13-person-strong backing ensemble in anything less than an arena setting has become rare due to the enormous travel expenses involved. Factor in issues related to ego \u2014 few artists will risk ceding the spotlight to a crackerjack support cast, let alone fork over a bigger cut of their paycheck to compensate extra personnel \u2014 and the notion practically becomes a nonstarter.<\/p>\n

\"LyleLyle Lovett and His Large Band perform at the Auditorium Theatre on July 19, 2025. (Chris Sweda\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n

Humble and endearing, Lovett declared how privileged he felt in the company of an esteemed group. He gave each instrumentalist at least one solo turn, introduced everybody by name and conversed extensively with a majority of the members. Lovett stood tall and stiff at center stage, yet seldom served as the center of attention. Whether by design or chance, the selflessness helped compensate for a strange approach that impacted his singing for roughly half the show.<\/p>\n

Perhaps in an effort to rest his pipes, Lovett allocated plenty of time for banter and dialogue. He talked. And talked. He shared memories of his first Chicago appearance at Park West in 1988. He gushed about his 8-year-old twins. He recalled his ancestral heritage. He extolled local FM outlet WXRT. And, ironically, he often played the role of radio announcer.<\/p>\n

At one point, Lovett equated his outings with the Large Band to summer camp. A more accurate analogy might compare the events to a traditional dinner that lasts for hours. Unhurried and unencumbered, he savored every moment. He instilled pride in what he offered and emphasized his regional heritage. As host, his relaxed manner and gentle, low-key speaking voice complemented his keen wit and subdued humor. Did he prattle on too long? Probably, though his casual smile and gentlemanly charm shielded him from impatience.<\/p>\n

The singer-guitarist\u2019s one-on-one chats with his mates further reflected his uncommon sincerity. Rather than treat them in token fashion, he let them share tidbits about their lives with a three-quarters-full crowd that otherwise would probably just hear their name in passing. Journalist, documentarian and comedian rolled into one, he recognized the potential treasure contained in subtlety and ordinariness, and mined them for all their worth.<\/p>\n

Content to maintain a low profile that suits the unassuming tenor of his songs, Lovett has reached a point in his career where it feels easy to take him for granted. Part of that mentality owes to Lovett\u2019s steady presence, which extends to appearances on the big screen and TV. Not to mention his habit of hitting the road. He also carved out time to help raise a family, tend a farm and breed quarter horses on land owned by his great-great-grandparents.<\/p>\n

Almost half a century removed from the start of his club days, the Klein, Texas, native continues to gig with several ensembles and perform the occasional solo concert. Unlike most of his peers, the 67-year-old Lovett maintains a schedule with few off days. Summer and fall will see him grace more than four dozen stages across the U.S. and Europe. Three August shows will benefit the Central Texas flood recovery efforts.<\/p>\n

Lovett mentioned the Hill Country tragedy once on Saturday, and dedicated the foot-stomping \u201cI\u2019m Going to Wait\u201d to his Texas neighbors. Resilience, spirituality and call-and-response assertiveness factored into a number of other church-themed highlights. A harmony-soaked rendition of the 19th century hymn \u201cPass Me Not, O Gentle Saviour\u201d deposited all those in attendance at a Sunday service. An impassioned reading of \u201cI\u2019m a Soldier in the Army of the Lord\u201d dared people not to sway or praise a higher power. During the tidal-wave sweep of \u201cI Will Rise Up,\u201d Lovett sang with a conviction that defied any obstacle, including mortality.<\/p>\n

On each gospel number, Lovett received ample reinforcement from a trio of superb supplementary vocalists. The massed sounds of clapping hands, rattling piano keys and hard-blowing horns added to the momentum. Lovett engaged as an equitable participant rather than a clear-cut leader. The more, the merrier, even as the Large Band strictly adhered to a deceptively simple discipline that contributed to much of its success.<\/p>\n

\"LyleLyle Lovett and His Large Band perform at the Auditorium Theatre on July 19, 2025. (Chris Sweda\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n

The hangups occurred when Lovett needed to forcefully project above the full group, or stagger his deliveries. He had discernible trouble forming the lead words and phrases in lines, and presenting them in clear fashion. The tic never emerged when he spoke. And it didn\u2019t materialize on every song. But the condition, which at its worst sidetracked his pace and rolled words with an overly nasal quality, caused a handful of tunes (\u201cCute as a Bug,\u201d \u201cPants Is Overrated\u201d) to suffer from unintelligibility. Another audible change related to the natural effects of age. On several stripped-down songs arranged for piano and little else (\u201cAre We Dancing,\u201d \u201c12th of June\u201d), Lovett\u2019s croon revealed a pronounced cragginess.<\/p>\n

Refusing to take himself too seriously, Lovett entertained with good-natured silliness and sly irreverence. With his signature hair, once stacked atop his head akin to ornamental topiary, now thin and gray, and his expressions of joyous understatement suggesting a prankster mentality, he fit his self-described portrayal as the kind of person who hovers over your shoulder as you read a newspaper and hopes you don\u2019t turn the page too soon.<\/p>\n

A concise, carefree \u201cPenguins\u201d featured a choreographed line dance. Flush with deft spoken-word asides and R&B accents, \u201cHere I Am\u201d sent up flirtatious boasts with a straight face. The shuffling \u201cDon\u2019t Touch My Hat\u201d tsked-tsked as an amusing warning. Nothing, however, salvaged \u201cIt\u2019s a Naked Party,\u201d a forgettable novelty ditty he co-wrote with his then 5-year-old kids. It seemed beneath him and his cohorts.<\/p>\n

Indeed, his band \u2014 versed in acoustic-based jump blues, swing, bluegrass, gospel, country, folk, jazz and pop \u2014 came across so smooth and controlled that each participant warranted an official mention. And so: Russ Kunkel, drums. Leland Sklar, bass. Jim Cox, piano. Jeff White, guitar and mandolin. James Harrah, electric guitar. Buck Reid, steel guitar. Mace Hibbard, saxophone. Brad Leali, saxophone. Steve Herrman, trumpet. Charles Rose, trombone. Lamont Van Hook, Amy Keys and Willie Greene Jr., backing vocals.<\/p>\n

\"LyleLyle Lovett and His Large Band perform at the Auditorium Theatre on July 19, 2025. (Chris Sweda\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n

Watching Kunkel \u2014 whose storied resume lists work on landmark records such as Carole King\u2019s \u201cTapestry,\u201d Joni Mitchell\u2019s \u201cBlue\u201d and Warren Zevon\u2019s \u201cExcitable Boy\u201d \u2014 interact with the heavily bearded Sklar, a session pro who claims credits on north of 2,000 albums, functioned as a clinic in effortless chemistry and infallible timing. With a relationship dating to 1970, the tandem built a balanced, rhythmic symmetry that accommodated any type of flourish or alteration.<\/p>\n

Led by a pair of university professors and an original member of the Muscle Shoals Horns, Lovett\u2019s brass section was nearly as memorable. Ditto the auxiliary singers, particularly Greene, who paired a deep, sonorous bass range with enthusiastic dance moves that underlined the across-the-board camaraderie.<\/p>\n

They might not have all been from Texas, but the Lone Star State and its diverse dancehall tradition would welcome \u2018em as any time.<\/p>\n

Bob Gendron is a freelance critic.<\/p>\n

Setlist from the Auditorium Theatre on July 19:<\/strong>
\u201cThe Blues Walk\u201d (Clifford Brown cover)
\u201cPass Me Not, O Gentle Saviour\u201d (Fanny Crosby-William H. Doane cover)
\u201cI\u2019m a Soldier in the Army of the Lord\u201d (traditional)
\u201cChurch\u201d
\u201cHere I Am\u201d
\u201cPants Is Overrated\u201d
\u201cIt\u2019s a Naked Party\u201d
\u201cPig Meat Man\u201d
\u201cCowboy Man\u201d
\u201cCute as a Bug\u201d
\u201cPenguins\u201d
\u201cDon\u2019t Touch My Hat\u201d
\u201cNorth Dakota\u201d
\u201cShe\u2019s No Lady\u201d
\u201cI Will Rise Up\u201d
\u201cI\u2019ve Been to Memphis\u201d
\u201cAre We Dancing\u201d
\u201c12th of June\u201d
\u201cIf I Had a Boat\u201d
\u201cI\u2019m Going to Wait\u201d<\/p>\n

Encore<\/strong>
\u201cMy Baby Don\u2019t Tolerate\u201d
\u201cThat\u2019s Right (You\u2019re Not from Texas)\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Every skilled roots-based singer-songwriter should be allowed once in their touring life to experience the caliber of musicians…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":78680,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5124],"tags":[960,171,5386,1818,1370,5424,1072],"class_list":{"0":"post-78679","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-chicago","8":"tag-chicago","9":"tag-entertainment","10":"tag-il","11":"tag-illinois","12":"tag-latest-headlines","13":"tag-music-and-concerts","14":"tag-things-to-do"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114887047682466410","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78679","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=78679"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78679\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/78680"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=78679"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=78679"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=78679"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}