Lyle Lovett And His Large Band played (and sang and collectively swayed) at the Sandy Amphitheater on Wednesday (July 9, 2025) and it immediately felt like an invitation to have a reverential experience. That’s not even solely because they opened the night with a couple gospel numbers that included a rousing take on “I’m A Soldier In The Army of the Lord” and a powerful “Pass Me Not O’ Gentle Savior” (though it didn’t hurt matters). It felt holy because of the great care and tenderness everyone had about the show they were putting on.
Every time a member of Lovett’s band had a chance to solo was also a chance to stop time. All 15 musicians on stage would turn to become their closest audience. One spotlight would shine while the stage darkened. The audience noticed that kind of attention, too, responding as doubled-down devotees of those they came to see. They’d forget to talk and breathe for long seconds at a time. With a lot of moments like that throughout the two hours and change that Lovett and all the rest spent with us, we couldn’t help but leave feeling lighter than before, more grateful, refreshed, and unburdened than we originally did.
As a musician who’s been at this racket nearly five decades — and with some in his band likely doing it at touch longer — Lovett had a lot of songs to sing, but he had anecdotes to unload as well. As a father of a couple of eight-year-old twins, it seems a lot of his music’s been directly inspired by his experiences with his kiddos (“Pants is Overrated,” for one). Other Lovett favorites made it to the set list, too, including “If I Had A Boat,” “Cowboy Man,” “That’s Right (You’re Not From Texas),” and “Nobody Knows Me” and a string of others.
Perhaps this gets said more and more the further down the road we get, but the kind of show Lovett and his very large band do doesn’t get to exist much anymore (not outside of, say, Branson, MO). It’s a throwback to a generation and time that feels kinder and gentler, and that’s a nice place to be. And while few do what they do anymore, fewer still know how to. May Lovett’s train run long. May he continue crafting tales out of his own life, being the genuinely tenderhearted sort he is. With some luck, it’ll catch on like a bushfire.
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