Lyle Lovett gives subdued performance in Grand Rapids with smaller Acoustic Group; remains the ever-gracious Texan despite unexpected 27-minute delay.
Lyle Lovett and His Acoustic Group covered the singer-songwriter’s extensive catalog during the 2-hours-plus concert at Meijer Gardens.
Outdoor amphitheater as listening room. Make that, GIGANTIC listening room.
That’s the environment Lyle Lovett fashioned on Wednesday during his seventh sold-out appearance at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park: a more subdued, pristine affair forged by “His Acoustic Group” rather than the much-larger “His Large Band,” which Lovett usually hauls with him to Grand Rapids.
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Until Lovett and his five-piece combo delved into more rollicking, gotta-get-up-and-dance tunes such as “That’s Right (You’re Not From Texas)” late in the show, even the crowd of 1,900-plus concertgoers was subdued – matching the tidy appearance of nattily attired band members with their own clean rows of lawn chairs that seemed more well-ordered than usual.
Unfortunately, that smooth and tranquil ride took an unplanned detour midway through the concert when a fan several rows from the stage collapsed, sending security guards and others rushing to his aid. Lovett and his band left the stage for 27 minutes until the 65-year-old concertgoer “in distress” could be moved by stretcher to a waiting ambulance. Meijer Gardens and security officials said the man was transported to a Spectrum Health System facility for treatment; his condition wasn’t immediately known, although he waved to the crowd as he was wheeled out.
Security guards helped transport a concertgoer to a waiting ambulance.
(It’s the first time in covering more than 110 concerts at Meijer Gardens that I’ve seen a show halted and delayed in midstream for a medical problem affecting a fan, though Elvis Costello’s keyboard player, Steve Nieve, fell ill midway through a 2011 Meijer Gardens concert and had to be transported to the hospital for treatment.)
For his part, Lovett handled the situation in the courteous, professional manner that one might expect from the Texas-born singer and guitarist. He immediately called for an intermission, and later, after the band returned to the stage, he told the audience, “May God bless the gentleman down in front. We’ll keep him in our prayers.”
Indeed, throughout the evening – which covered the gamut of Lovett’s country, Americana and swing catalog, from popular early material such as “If I Had a Boat” to songs (“Brown Eyed Handsome Man,” “The Girl With the Holiday Smile,” “White Freightliner Blues”) from his latest studio album, 2012’s “Release Me” – Lovett displayed his charactistic, affable charm, frequently complimenting the crowd.
“All together, the way you folks do it is a thing of beauty,” he crowed at one point. “You folks are the show for us. After the show, when we get on the bus and get rolling down the road, you are what we talk about.”
Wednesday’s Meijer Gardens show even featured a spectacular sunset.
Like the title of his 2008 tune, “Private Conversation,” the smaller band set-up seemed to spark more personal exchanges with the crowd, and Lovett cleverly managed to squeeze in references to Michigan and even Detroit Tigers’ first baseman Prince Fielder into his song lyrics.
Ever the gracious musician, Lovett frequently turned the spotlight on some of his band members – specifically, fiddler-guitarist Luke Bulla and mandolinist-guitarist Keith Sewell, who took turns at lead vocals on a couple of tunes while Lovett played the role of harmony back-up vocalist.
Of course, the laid-back nature of the acoustic outfit also provided opportunities to showcase even Lovett’s guitar-playing skills, along with those of Bulla, Sewell, longtime Lovett associate and drummer Russ Kunkel, bassist Viktor Krauss and celloist John Hagen, even if the vocals sometimes seemed a bit muffled.
I’m guessing some devotees missed Lovett’s familiar 13-piece Large Band and the zest that ensemble brings to the table. But as listening-room entertainment, the more intimate acoustic presentation allowed the singer to hold a rather compelling “Private Conversation” with his fans.
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