#2223 miscellaneous Monday: Lyle Lovett

As you know, I volunteer at Red Butte Garden. I do a few different things there, and one of my favorite things is working at the concerts. There are several positions available on the concert crew. Some of them require you to be there very early to set up seating in the donor terrace or to walk along the line where people are queued up waiting to get in to the amphitheater. Since I work full time, I try to get shifts that start after 5:00 so I don't have to take time from my paying job to go to my volunteer gig. That means I am usually working at the recycling station or cleaning up the grounds after the show is over. I don't mind either one because I get to see the show, which is the biggest, bestest perk of all. 

The amphitheater holds about 3,000 people so it is an intimate venue. RBG typically brings in an eclectic lineup of performers. There are bands that come in that are well known and there are other performers that I have never heard of. Last year many of my favorite shows were by artists I had never heard of. I enjoy hearing all kinds of music You never know when you might find a new favorite. Sometimes there is an artist that comes in that I have heard of, but who I have not seen perform live in concert or whose music I am unfamiliar with. That is what happened to me last night.

Lyle Lovett and His Large Band were the performers last night. I think Lyle comes by every year and I've always heard good things about his show, so I was excited to be on the roster for the show. It is a bit unusual for RBG to have a show on Sunday night, and I confess that I got to the show in plenty of time for my shift, but a bit later than I 'd planned because I fell asleep on the couch. 

The amphitheater was pretty full, just short of sold out, I think. I was able to get a nice seat on the terrace at the very back of the venue. I couldn't see any facial expressions of the people on the stage, but I could hear perfectly well and I had a beautiful view of the mountains behind the stage and when it got dark, a nearly full moon was bright over the venue. What a gorgeous night! 

The music was excellent. The Large Band is, in fact, large. There were eleven band members: a piano player, a man playing the stand-up bass, keyboard/slide guitar player, a drummer, four men in the horn section, a mandolin player, a fiddler and a guy with an electric guitar. There was a woman who often came out to sing with Lyle (she was great!) and Lyle himself. It was wonderful when they were all out there together and I also really liked it when it was just Lyle, the fiddler and the mandolin player. The crowd was mellow but seemed to be having fun. A bonus: it was a clean crowd - I didn't have to pick up very much garbage. :)

If you are so inclined, google Lyle Lovett's music and take a listen to "She's No Lady" and "That's Right". I liked both of those performances very much.

Here is a photo I took last night. Notice the fullish moon up a little left of center:

 

If you are in the Salt Lake area, by all means try to catch a show at the garden. Click here to see the 2019 concert lineup. You can bring in your own food and beverages of choice and it is a dang pleasant way to spend an evening. Who knows? Maybe I'll see you there!