Next week, ahead of His Small Large Band Fall 2026 tour, four-time GRAMMY winner, recipient of the Americana Music Association’s inaugural Trailblazer Award, and Texas music legend Lyle Lovett will be wrapping up his An Evening with Lyle Lovett: Songs & Stories tour with a three-night stand at our very own City Winery on August 4th, 5th, and 6th. The singer/songwriter — whose self-titled debut turned 40 this year — will be playing a stripped down and extended set spanning his 14 albums and telling the stories behind the songs. And, somehow, there are still limited tickets remaining for all three performances. Here are Three Reasons why you should get yours if you don’t already have them…
1. IT’S NOT OFTEN YOU CAN SEE LYLE LOVETT LIKE THIS
While Lyle Lovett and His Large Band did play a four-night stand at City Winery Philadelphia in the summer of 2022, it’s actually quite rare that Lovett plays in or around the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection these days. And even those who do travel to theatres in the likes of Wilmington, Bensalem, and Glenside wouldn’t be able to see a show with this kind of intimacy, which Americana Highways said, “reaffirmed why he remains one of America’s most distinctive musical storytellers… Lovett delivered a performance that felt like a conversation—warm, witty, and rich with the genre‑blending sophistication that has defined his four‑decade career.”
2. YOU CAN EXPECT TO HEAR A LOT OF MUSIC
Not only are these shows running more than two hours apiece, but each night in every given city has boasted a radically different setlist; his first two nights at City Winery New York City featured only four repeats. And while you can expect a few all-time classics from his first three albums (1986’s Lyle Lovett, 1987’s Pontiac, and 1989’s Lyle Lovett and His Large Band), you can also expect some deep cuts, for instance possibly ‘90s standouts like Joshua Judges Ruth’s “Family Reserve” or I Love Everybody’s “Record Lady” or “Old Friend.” There’s also a reasonable chance you’ll get a cover or two of someone like Nanci Griffith, Tammy Wynette, or Alison Krauss.
3. HE HAS AMAZING FANS
I’m sure that those who come out to Mr. Lovett’s shows next week at City Winery Philadelphia are totally lovely people, but I was actually referring to his most musically amazing fans… According to his followers on Twitter, fans of Lyle include PHILTHY phriends like fellow GRAMMY-winner and Broadway star Allison Russell, who’s currently opening for Sarah McLachlan while touring her recently released third solo LP, In The Hour of Chaos; ATO Records indie rocker Margaret Glaspy, who you may have seen premiering songs from her upcoming LP, I Am Both (out August 7th), last year at MilkBoy or this April opening The Church for Glen Hansard (R.I.P.); and Grand Ole Opry regular and relatively new mom Maggie Rose, whose latest full-length, Half Moon, drops August 14th.
*Get your tickets here.
