Lyle Lovett doesn't have a reputation as a dynamic personality. Still, he wasted no time engaging the crowd Saturday night at the Fargo Theatre.
The Texas singer played to the locals with the first song, "Farther Down the Line," a rodeo ode which opens with the verse, "Let's have a hand for that young cowboy/ And wish him better luck next time/ And hope we see him up in Fargo/ Or somewhere farther down the line."
Though he seldom moved, the singer/guitarist captivated the sell-out crowd of 870 with a minimal, but magnetic stage presence a sly wit and lyrics to match. Dressed in a dark suit, buttoned only at the top, white shirt and a sparkly belt buckle, Lovett straddled the line between city slicker and cowboy as he talked about growing up outside Houston.
While he was center stage and the star of the show, Lovett was only outshone by cellist John Hagen on his left, who gave a rock star solo to "You Can't Resist It," and gave a jazzy stride to "Here I Am," the second tune of the evening.
Lovett was a performer through and through as he balanced practiced patter with improvised moments of hilarity. When an audience member suggested James Gilmer's deft touches on percussion were too light, the singer introduced the sound man. When someone else yelled for Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird," he explained how the number was his class song at high school graduation, before silencing the crowd with an austere version of "North Dakota." He even congratulated runners of Saturday morning's marathon.
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"Where we come from, this is winter," he said with a smirk.
Lovett pulled tunes from his 19-year-recording career, digging all the way back for "If I Were the Man You Wanted," and up through 2003's "In My Own Mind." He even threw in a few covers from his 1998 toast to Texas troubadours, "Step Inside This House," Steven Fromholz's "Bears" and Eric Taylor's "Memphis Midnight/Memphis Morning."
A few numbers after playing the mock sing-a-long "Fat Babies," he thought he heard a child whimper he apologized with a laugh, "I'm so sorry. I've been doing the adult show all along."
Lovett's lyrics typically draw the most laughs as they did Saturday night, especially with the sly, "She's No Lady, She's My Wife and the sambo "Her First Mistake." He even lured the crowd into singing along with the classic "If I Had a Boat."
Having the pulse of the crowd in his Fargo premiere, he drew ovations by winding down with "Church," which he, "dedicated to all you North Dakota Lutherans," and the apt "Closing Time."
Readers can reach Forum reporter
John Lamb at (701) 241-5533
