Lyle Lovett and His Acoustic Group Hit The Ford Center Saturday, February 25, 2023

Following an extensive run of United States tour dates, four-time Grammy-winning singer, composer, and actor Lyle Lovett will make a stop in Oxford, Mississippi at The Ford Center for the Performing Arts with his Acoustic Group on Saturday, February 25 at 7:30 pm.

The pared-down version of his Large Band brings together a collection of world-renowned musicians, spotlighting string players such as Leland Sklar (James Taylor, The Section), Jeff White (Alison Krauss, Vince Gill), and Luke Bulla.

Whether touring with his Acoustic Group or his Large Band, Lovett’s live performances not only showcase his talents as a performer but also the diversity of his musical influences, making him one of the most compelling and captivating musicians in popular music.

Austin American-Statesman proclaims, “Playing with Lovett requires a high level of professional ability and versatility, but the way everyone interacts with each other onstage indicates it’s also about a blend of personalities who enjoy performing together.”

Lyle Lovett has broadened the definition of American music in a career that spans 14 albums. Since his self-titled debut in 1986, this Texas native has evolved into one of music’s most vibrant and iconic performers, earning him four Grammy Awards, the Americana Music Association’s inaugural Trailblazer Award, and was named Texas’ State Musician.

Last year, Lovett released his latest album, 12th of June, on Verve Records to widespread critical praise. Produced by Chuck Ainlay and Lovett, 12th of June features a mix of new originals, including previously released singles “12th of June” and “Pants Is Overrated.”

When Lyle Lovett introduces his band—and he always introduces his band, Large or small—he makes a point to cite the place each artist calls home. Home—both a physical space and a metaphorical concept that includes people, space and time—plays formidably into Lovett’s new album 12th of June. His first new recording in a decade tells the stories of specific people in specific places and some operating on a different plane. And while he’s sung about cowboys and creeps, bird snarfing preachers, and the guy who reads a newspaper over your shoulder, a sense of place is as important as the people who populate his songs.

“My songs are rarely fiction,” he says. “That’s how I approach my work. My songs are from my life. I am the character in these songs. I get to spend my life for the most part doing a job where I get to be myself.”

That has been a guiding principle for Lovett even before he announced his arrival with Lyle Lovett more than 35 years ago. Having studied journalism in college, he sharply draws his who and where. A sense of home and place have proven the base of operations for him to imagine a set of characters to operate. Lovett’s discography isn’t like a Robert Altman film. It’s like an Altman filmography, a collection of true fictions, akin to the happenings in the Yoknapatawpha of Faulkner or the Dublin of Joyce.

So it is that the title track of Lovett’s new album is informed by parenthood and place. It is also about death. Because life is so uncertain. Coupled with his gift for storytelling, the new album continues to highlight Lovett’s ability to fuse elements of jazz, country, western swing, folk, gospel, and blues in a convention-defying manner that breaks down barriers.

For his Acoustic Group performance, expect a mix of newer songs along with a few classic favorites such as “Give Back My Heart,” “This Old Porch,” and “I’ve Been to Memphis.”

Tickets are available via the Ole Miss box office online at olemissboxoffice.universitytickets.com/.