Lyle Lovett Turns 69 on Stage at Campbell Hall with Small Large Band

Lyle Lovett celebrated his 69th birthday on November 1 by playing Campbell Hall in a UCSB Arts & Lectures production, backed by his Small Large Band and fresh from induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame earlier that week.

The native Texan has a long history with Santa Barbara. The reviewer's first sighting came in 1993, when Lovett performed at the Santa Barbara Bowl — then called the County Bowl — with his new bride, a barefoot Julia Roberts, onstage promoting his fourth album, Joshua Judges Ruth. That marriage did not last. The warmth has.

Now a first-time father of 9-year-old twins with his wife April, Lovett told the audience that he had no idea how much parenthood would change his life. "But it didn't change in a single way I didn't want it to," he said.

What did the set list offer?

The show drew heavily on Lovett originals, including "I Will Rise Up" and "Here I Am" — the latter featuring spoken-word segments that highlighted his strength as a lyricist. He also played "It's a Naked Party," a song written with his children. "They take their songwriting seriously," he said of the twins.

His humor ran tongue in cheek throughout, particularly on a cover of Tammy Wynette's "Stand By Your Man."

Lovett is currently doing a fellowship with students at his alma mater, Texas A&M. "It's always inspiring to be on campus," he said. "Art classes can only make the world better."

Who is in the Small Large Band?

Lovett introduced the musicians with the pride of a man presenting family:

• Jeff White — guitar, mandolin, vocals
• Jim Cox — piano, keyboards
• James Harrah — guitar
• Amy Keys — vocals
• Russ Kunkel — drums
• Leland Sklar — bass
• Lamont Van Hook — guest vocalist

"Every one of these musicians onstage, they are like family," Lovett said. "It's important to like the people you work with because it's a lot of your life. It's a privilege to be with them every day."

The band earned repeated chances to shine, and Lovett stepped back to let them. "Improvisation is such a big part of the way we work," he explained. "Just to listen to them have a dialogue with each other is the best."

How did the night end?

The audience joined together to sing "Happy Birthday" to the bandleader. Lovett's reply: "I could not be happier to be here with you all."

Three decades after the County Bowl show with Julia Roberts watching from the wings, Lovett's quirky charm and Southern hospitality have outlasted the tabloid era that once surrounded him. With the Hall of Fame induction, a Texas A&M fellowship and songs co-written with his children now in the set list, the question of what comes next answers itself: more of the same, and audiences the better for it.