Do you like your musical experiences with a dash of sugar and spice, a bit of naughty and nice? Then plan to treat yourself to one of the most eclectic country mashups ever – mellow Vince Gill and tart Lyle Lovett!
But this unique collaboration is for a limited time only, so you’ll have to act fast to catch this exceptional and captivating country odd couple!
Nashville resident Vince Gill and Texas native Lyle Lovett are taking their act on the road in March 2017, playing a handful of dates in California, Arizona, and Nevada. Their shows are completely unscripted, so concertgoers can expect the unexpected!
For a night like this, there is no plan,” says Gill. “I know Lyle won’t have a plan, and I won’t either. What he plays will inspire me, and probably vice-versa. It’ll be like playing ping-pong. Whatever song he chooses to sing will inspire the next song that comes out of me.”
It’s not the first time the two singer-songwriters have collaborated. They did similar shows in 2015 and 2016 and this this time around they’ve signed up to perform at nine venues.
Gill and Lovett plan to deliver individual performances as well as team up for duets; each will act as his own instrumentalist. In addition to the musical stylings, you can be sure that the garrulous duo will offer up pungent observations on life, music and everything in between!
I enjoy shows that are not planned out,” explained Lovett. “This will be two songwriters in the round. It’s informal, so there will be lots of ad-libbing. It will be like little snapshots of our experiences.”
Just two guys sitting on stools, telling stories and singing songs,” added Gill. Gill is expected to play songs from his latest album, “Down to My Last Bad Habit,” released in February.
Although musical polar opposites, Gill and Lovett have more in common than first meets the eye. Each has won multiple Grammy Awards, survived decades in an ever-changing musical scene, and enjoy the respect of their peers.
Gill, who’s married to country, pop and gospel phenom Amy Grant, entered the music scene in the 70’s, playing in the country-rock band Pure Prairie League.
He struck out on his own in 1983, and since then has won 20 Grammy Awards, 18 CMA Awards and sold over 25 million albums.
Gill currently plays over two dozen gigs a year with the Grammy-nominated group, The Time Jumpers.
And what can one say about the uber-talented but category-defying artist Lyle Lovett? Certainly that he’s an acquired taste!
No one performing today (or ever!) compares to the four time Grammy Award winner. With his sinewy voice, gangly build, acerbic glibness, and penchant for Hollywood drama, Lovett is a one-off.
His music is way too complicated and intricate to be confined to single genre. Lovett’s taste is all over the musical map, with a typical composition incorporating big band, blues, folk, swing, gospel, and jazz influences.
Outside the music scene, Lovett has enjoyed a prolific acting career in television and movies for over 20 years. It was on the set of Robert Altman’s film, The Player, where he met Julia Roberts in 1992. Sadly, their union didn’t last; they married in 1993 and divorced two years later.
Do you think that Lovett, a la Taylor Swift, penned a song or two about his high-profile Hollywood romance and break-up? There’s one way to find out: check out his March concerts and ask him!
The dates and locales for this one of a kind tour are as follows:
March 22 — Thousand Oaks, CA — Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza
March 23 — Mesa, AZ — Mesa Arts Center – Ikeda Theatre
March 24 — Las Vegas, NV — The Smith Center for the Performing Arts – Reynolds Hall
March 25 — Reno, NV — Reno Ballroom
March 26 — San Francisco, CA — Nourse Theatre
March 27 — San Rafael, CA — Marin Center
March 28 — San Jose, CA — City National Civic
March 29 — Visalia, CA — Visalia Fox Theatre
March 30 — Santa Ynez, CA — Chumash Casino
You can learn more about the country duo’s tour by checking out their websites at www.lylelovett.com and www.vincegill.com.
Written by Tanya Clark
