Lyle Lovett at Round Top Festival Institute
When I learned tickets were available to Lyle Lovett’s upcoming concert at Festival Hill in Round Top, I jumped on the bandwagon! The night of the performance, we queued up to get our tickets, and we couldn’t help but notice the absolutely perfect weather. The air was perfect, the light was perfect and we knew we were in for a magical evening. My husband and I really did not know Lovett’s music well, but we certainly knew he was highly respected and a great talent. Since his debut in 1986, Lyle Lovett has continuously bonded with his audiences as a true Texan, and he was right at home in the Festival Hill concert hall, noted internationally for its superb acoustics. Looking up at the ceiling you can’t miss one star after another artfully layered to move sound around the hall. Lyle graciously acknowledged James Dick for his vision and perseverance in bringing Festival Hill to Round Top. He included Larry Birkelbach, the superb craftsman who helped design and build the hall, and his long time friend, Pat Johnson, who masterminded and helped to steer the evening to its huge success.
The evening was billed as Lyle Lovett and his Acoustic Group. And what a group it was! Lyle graciously took the time to introduce each player with personal stories and we felt the respect each held for each other. And, learning of their experiences performing with extraordinary talent, our appreciation for the skill of each of them grew. John Hagen brought his cello to Round Top from Austin where he is “retired.” Lyle convinced him to join the group just for the Round Top concert and it was an auspicious and most memorable time for Hagen. Paul Olefsky, Professor of cello at the University of Texas brought the first strings to Festival Hill in 1978 and John Hagen was one of his students. Hagen attended the Round Top Festival Institute the same year.
Leland Sklar, a prominent bass player, born in Wisconsin, moved to Los Angeles as a young boy. A musician since 1962, he has played with Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, Reba McEntire and George Strait among many others. Jeff White plays mandolin and guitar and is recognized as a flat picker. With an easy going style, Jeff White is a legend in bluegrass music. Jim Cox, from California has been playing the piano since the age of four. Highly successful, Cox has played with Elton John and James Brown. He has toured with James Taylor, Leslie Uggams and Mark Knopfler among many others. And Luke Bulla, having won the national fiddle contest at age eight and having played with Earl Scruggs, captivated everyone with his fiddle playing!
Lyle opened the show alone with “Are We Dancing?”, remembering holding and dancing with his young children. That set the tone. It was quite an evening, filled with gracious reflections and spirited and embracing music. Lyle Lovett and his Acoustic Group performed 27 numbers and two encores. The concert hall was packed and as we all slowly made our way to the doors, we knew we had been a small part of an extraordinary evening. It seems when you wish for a star, you just might get one.
Sally Reynolds lives in Round Top with her husband. She is a former curator and consultant in fine art. As a writer, she currently serves at the historian of the Town of Round Top.