Lyle Lovett Acoustic Trio to Perform in CFA

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Center for the Arts at the University at Buffalo will present an evening with Lyle Lovett Acoustic Trio at 8 p.m. on Jan. 29 in the Mainstage Theatre in the Center for the Arts on the UB North (Amherst) Campus.

It has been more than 20 years since Lyle Lovett arrived in Nashville with a demo tape hinting of the brilliantly eccentric career to come -- a resume that now includes nine albums, acclaim from the pickiest of critics, a fiercely loyal fan base, sales upwards of 4 million and even a second calling as a successful Hollywood actor.

Lovett is one of the few artists who emerged out of Nashville's whirlwind of experimentation in the mid-1980s to have an enduring, significant and boldly original career. Born on Nov.1, 1957, Lovett was raised north of Houston, Texas. He got his first guitar when he was seven years old and his first public performance came in the second grade when he sang "Long Tall Texan" at a school talent show.

Music took a back seat until Lovett arrived at Texas A&M University in 1975. The outlaw Texas music scene was in full throttle, fueled by renegade roots artists such as Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt and others. Lovett was fascinated by the innovative blend of country, rock and blues, and often joined artists in informal, front-porch guitar pulls where he honed his musicianship. As a journalism student, he wrote about the local music scene for the college paper. He also was indoctrinated in the local music scene by serving as a booking agent for the student coffeehouse, and as a student he traveled to Europe where he toured and performed in small clubs.

After releasing three critically acclaimed albums under the direction of Curb/MCA Nashville – "Lyle Lovett" (1986), "Pontiac" (1987) and "And His Large Band" (1989), Lovett moved away from country to explore broader styles. Gold-certified "Joshua Judges Ruth" (1992), his most successful album to date, is steeped in gospel and R&B. "I Love Everybody" (1994) featured songs he had written as early as the 1970's, while 1996's gold-certified and Grammy-winning "The Road to Ensenada" returned him to a mix of Western swing, honky-tonk, country and folk. The 1998, two-disc CD "Step Inside This House" was a tribute to Lovett's early Texas songwriting influences. That was followed with Lovett's first live album, Live in Texas in 1999. In 2000, Lovett released the film soundtrack to Robert Altman's "Dr. T. & The Women."

By the millennium, Lovett had become known for acting as well. It began in 1991 when director Robert Altman cast the singer as detective DeLongpre in the film "The Player." With his distinctive looks and deadpan delivery style, Lovett was perfect for Altman's stable of eccentric and recurring actors. He has teamed with the director four more times in: "Short Cuts" (1993), "Ready to Wear" (1995), "Cookie's Fortune" (1999) and as music composer for "Dr. T. & The Women" (2000). Outside the Altman camp, Lovett was cast as a protective uncle in the Anjelica Huston-directed "Bastard out of Carolina" (1996). In 1998, Lovett played the romantic interest to Lisa Kudrow in the witty, controversial comedy "The Opposite of Sex." Lovett made a cameo appearance in 1998's "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" and appeared in 2001's "The New Guy."

Tickets for Lyle Lovett Acoustic Trio are $45, $40, $35 and $20 for students. Tickets are available from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday in the Center for the Arts Box Office and all Ticketmaster locations, including Kaufmann's. To charge tickets, call 852-5000; in Canada, call 1-416-870-8000. For group sales, call 645-6771. For more information, call 645-ARTS. The Center for the Arts is a Ticketfast location.