Promising Lyle Lovett Bucks the Trend in Country

Lyle Lovett is the least country-like country music hit-maker around today, pal Rosanne Cash not withstanding. His was a decidedly urban presence Thursday at the sold-out Roxy--the conservative black suit with dull red tie, the funky Tom Waits-meets-Eraserhead haircut, the deadpan cerebral one-liners, the very rhythm-and-bluesy big backing band (with three-man horn section and genuine female soul singer included).

Bucking the Country Establishment and the by-now old-hat New Traditionalists, Lovett is a real miracle. This up-and-coming Texan trotted out his recent country hits--like the upbeat “Give Back My Heart”--and he also has a number of wry, sensitive, quasi-Springsteenian ballads in his repertoire.

Quantitatively, though, the biggest portion of Lovett’s set was taken up by relaxed ‘40s- and ‘50s-style R&B--and; it was full-tilt, uptown stuff--not just a little tinge here and there. It’s hard not to speculate that if Lovett had become a star three or four decades ago, “roots” music and “race” music might never have been forced to take such divergent courses.

Not that the quiet-voiced Lovett--whose stiff presence is part of his low-key charm--is about to give Sam Cooke any runs for his money; he’s vocally obviously better suited to the country stuff. But he’s smart enough to afford quality vocal time to backup singer Francine Reed (who sang thrilling lead on “Wild Women Don’t Get the Blues”) and give his sax players room to move when the music takes a drive to the city.

Moreover, these citified tendencies and his rather Dadaist sense of humor seem not to have gotten in the way of his becoming successful in the sticks. More than Dwight Yoakam or Steve Earle even, right now he is country’s brightest hope.

The crowd gave an unusually warm welcome to the opening act, Melissa Etheridge, whose solo acoustic set previewed a debut album and full-band tour due in May. Her electrifying Joplinesque voice seems destined for a lot of attention, given the current dearth of electrifying Joplinesque voices.