On an idyllic cool, clear Saturday night in the desert, country legend Merle Haggard briefly held commanding sway over a sold-out audience in the Peppermill Concert Hall.

Despite an overly enthusiastic crowd with a large share of booze-fueled loud-mouths, Haggard engaged in humorous banter, and deftly relied on one of the more commercially successful songbooks in country history to provide a true treat during the 60-minute set.

With the help of his eight-piece band, Haggard rolled through 16 songs, barely pausing between numbers and surprisingly even taking a few solos on fiddle and lead guitar.

The two mid-set fiddle numbers "Working In Tennessee" and "Take Me Back To Tulsa" were arguably the highlights of the night as Haggard obviously enjoyed trading fiddle licks with his bandmates.

Another surprise was the relatively surprising appearance of "Footlights" from 1979's "Serving 190 Proof." If you've only got a few compilations and "best of" records, this cd is a great way to delve deeper into Haggard's vast discography.

The crowd repeatedly shouted requests and was treated to a somber favorite from Haggard's mid-'60s string of hits, "Sing Me Back Home."

Standard Haggard fare such as "Mama Tried," "Okie From Muskogee," and "Lucky Star" were also warmly received.

This is at least Haggard's third appearance in West Wendover, Nev., in the past four years and although he jokingly referred to the town as "Bendover," it seems he enjoyed playing for the enthusiastic, lubricated crowd, which he teasingly called "winners," a la Charlie Sheen.

The mystery remains why Wendover is as close as Haggard can be booked to Salt Lake City, but the 74-year-old troubadour remains worth the trip.

Follow Salt Lake Magazine arts/entertainment writer Scott Murphy on Twitter @murphyinfo.