Lyle Lovett and his Large Band live at Wolf Trap review

A boy says to his father, “Dad, when I grow up, I want to be a musician.” The father says, “I’m sorry, son, but you can’t do both.”

That’s the way Lyle Lovett introduced “If I Had a Boat,” the number that closed his 17-song, hour-forty-five-minute set at Wolf Trap’s Filene Center in Vienna, VA on Friday night. It was the thirtieth time Lovett has brought his Large Band to Virginia. In the early days, he might be opening for the likes of Merle Haggard or Reba McEntire. Now, he’s the headliner.

After the band kicked things off with an instrumental, Lovett did his traditional saunter onto the stage, looking dapper in his grey/blue suit. He sang “Black and Blue” before bringing on his backup sings (Willie Greene, Jr, Lamont Van Hook, and Washington, DC’s Amy Keys)  for a rousing rendition of crowd favorite “Church.”

Lyle Lovett peppers his live shows with wry, sardonic commentary with the timing of a stand-up comic

As he usually does with his Large Band, Lovett featured a number of songs from his breakout 1999 album Live in Texas, including “Nobody Knows Me,” “She’s No Lady,” and “Here I Am,” in addition to “Church” and “If I Had a Boat.” But he also played three songs from his most recent album, 12th of June. Wolf Trap’s strict cutoff time didn’t allowed for an encore, so fans didn’t get to hear the title track from that latest album. But he did serve up rollicking takes on “Pig Meat Man” and “Pants is Overrated,” along with a lovely version of “Are We Dancing.”

Lovett has become more loquacious since becoming a father. He has always peppered his live shows with wry, sardonic commentary with the timing of a stand-up comic, but over the last half-decade, he seems to be telling more and more stories, sometimes about his kids, and at other times, about the old days. He did both on Friday, noting prior to “Pig Meat Man” that his son is the only vegetarian who loves salami.

He told the origin story of the Large Band, and how it formed through happenstance at some gigs in Luxembourg many decades ago. About how he has known his current fiddler Warren Hood since Warren was seven years old, trailing after his father, acclaimed strings player Champ Hood. About how Billy Williams first wrote horn charts for “I Know You Know.” The band then proceeded to do jazzy, bluesy version of that song from Lovett's third album, released back in 1989.

The large Band is filled with virtuosos at every turn – strings, horns, piano – and they each get a moment or two to shine. Trombonist Charles Rose has been arranging the Large Band’s horns for thirty years now. Sax player Mace Hibbard is a newer addition. But it doesn’t really matter. Lovett tends to get the very best. His rhythm section of Leland Sklar (bass) and Russ Kunkel (drums) would be the envy of any band, large or small.

When the Large Band comes to town, it usually brings an intriguing opening act. Past shows have included Mavis Staples, the Howard University Gospel Choir, and last year, the National Symphony Orchestra. This year, it was the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, who delivered a healthy dose of New Orleans in their forty-minute set.

Like Lovett, Preservation Hall has been coming to this venue for many decades. Bandleader Ben Jaffe recalled rolling down Wolf Trap’s sloping hills as a kid when his dad Allan Jaffe would bring the band to town. Now he’s carrying on the tradition with a rollicking version of “Tootie Ma Was a Big Fine Thing,” and the traditional closer, “When the Saints Go Marching In,” done in a medley with “You Are My Sunshine.”

The Large Band moves onto a swing through the Southeast late next month before Lovett transitions into shows with his small acoustic group.

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