I knew we would be treated to an intimate experience with Vince Gill and Lyle Lovett at the Capitol Center for the Arts when I saw the stage was set with two chairs, two mics, and a guitar rack. And, oh yes, a small table between the chairs. It was as if they were in their living room.

Lyle Lovett and Vince Gill

Lyle has toured as a duo, trio, and quartet with the likes of Guy Clark, John Hiatt, and Joe Ely, but I believe this is the first time he has toured with Vince in this format. They did only a small handful of dates (either three or four as I recall the tour schedule), and judging by the show I saw, it was a resounding success.

They casually entered the auditorium to thunderous applause, thanked us for coming to the show, and immediately started their witty banter.

Lyle Lovett and Vince Gill

Even though Lyle sported a suit jacket, they let us know this would be a casual affair. They conversed with each other almost as if nobody was in the room with them instead of the 1,300 of us who could not believe how lucky we were to be there.

Vince Gill

Lyle Lovett

This is the first of the song circle shows I have attended, so I do not know if the format is identical in the others. Here, they alternated performing their own songs. Vince often played guitar on Lyle’s songs and even had a few solos, but I do not recall seeing Lyle do the same on Vince’s songs.

Lyle Lovett and Vince Gill

I am not as familiar with Vince’s songs as I am with Lyle’s, but both played songs that drew applause as they plucked the first few notes. Each told stories about how the songs came into being. One of the funniest was when Vince spoke of writing a song for his father after his father died, and recalled that he always knew his dad was calling because he’d pick up the phone and hear a big inhale of cigarette smoke. This was accompanied by a demonstration, replete with a raspy smoker’s voice!

Vince Gill (demonstrating his father’s smoking)

They grew up not far from each other, Vince in Oklahoma and Lyle in Texas, and spoke fondly of Route 66. They spoke of women in their past and their families of origin. Another interesting story told by Vince was of meeting a woman in a bar and pretending he was not someone she should recognize. He went so far as to purposely sing poorly in karaoke. He finally told her the truth, and she has been attending his shows for the past twenty-five years.

Vince Gill

Unfortunately, I do not remember any specifics of Lyle’s stories, possibly because I have seen Lyle perform several times whereas I have seen Vince only once (and that was with The Time Jumpers). They even took requests!

Lyle Lovett

The audience was justifiably spellbound by this performance. Vince and Lyle clearly have tremendous respect for each other, both as people and as musicians, and their chemistry was unmistakable. Each is a master songwriter, singer and guitarist on his own, but together they are majestic.

Lyle Lovett and Vince Gill

I feel their joy emanating from the above photo, and most especially from Lyle. I do not think I have seen him happier.

Lyle Lovett and Vince Gill

It was a privilege to be in the audience for this show, and well worth the very late night and long drive. I hope they do a longer tour together so more people have the opportunity to experience their genius. Because they truly are geniuses.