Truly great songwriters are hard to come by. An artist who can craft great lyrics and melodies together while conveying real thoughts and emotions (and some humor along the way) is a rare find. But to have both the talent and charisma to entertain a roomful of listeners while presenting your work is almost unheard of. Don't tell that to Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt. The two veteran singer-songwriters brought their joint tour to Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater on Thursday night and effortlessly and flawlessly did what they do best. [Text by Gabe, photos by Kevin.]
Walking out to a mostly bare stage a little after 8 p.m., the two sharply-dressed men sat side by side center-stage flanked by a couple of guitars and small tables that held their beverages. Currently in the midst of a two-man, all-acoustic tour, the two longtime friends and collaborators have eschewed the need for conventions like a pre-planned setlist. Instead, they've decided to play whatever strikes them at the moment, which adds a welcomed bit of spontaneity and excitement to the experience.
Trading turns, the two dug deeply into their respective, vast catalogs when taking the mic. Getting things off to a rousing start, John Hiatt opened the evening with "Drive South," one of his signature tunes. The tall Indiana native was in fine form while belting it out in his husky blues-soaked drawl. Armed only with his guitar, Hiatt soared and filled every nook of the room with his playful reading of the song.
In his trademark dry, sardonic yet so engaging manner, Lyle Lovett instantly reminded all 1,400 in attendance just what it is about him that makes him so highly-revered and respected. Opening his set with "Her First Mistake," a standout track from his awesome 1996 album The Road to Ensenada, Lovett perfectly displayed his aching, longing vocal style along with his subtle guitar work. A true entertainer to say the least.
For the next two-and-a-half hours straight, Lovett and Hiatt dazzled the crowd with music, stories, anecdotes and various recollections from their long careers. Sometimes posed as a mock interview, Hiatt would occasionally lean over and grill Lovett: "Lyle … do you remember writing that song?" which opened the floor to some hilarious banter.
No strangers to this type of format, Lovett and Hiatt have toured with other well-known songwriters in more of a showcase type of performance, but this was more intimate and the obvious chemistry between the two men was ever-present. The differences in their individual styles are noticeable enough that they break up any monotony that might occur and they display two distinctive yet equally effective approaches to the craft of songwriting.
Both men mentioned the honor and respect that comes with another artist recording one of their compositions and their pride seemed genuine. It's nice to see this much talent on display on a stage without a hint of ego or grandeur to go with it.
A whopping 28-song setlist kept the crowd entertained and captivated, and even included some requests that were granted after being shouted from the enthusiastic crowd. John Hiatt quickly launched into "Memphis In The Meantime" after hearing it called out from the audience. Lovett was greeted by a very loud (and maybe slightly inebriated?) member of the crowd, who seemed to want to hold a conversation with him from his seat in the theater. Strange, but comical nonetheless.
And comical was the entire night. A night of laughs and all that great music those in attendance won't soon forget. A solo performance by either of these two heavyweights is well worth the price of admission. But seeing the two geniuses together onstage doing what they do best is simply too good to miss.
This article appears in Mar 22-28, 2012.