by Karen Lunde for OLY ARTS
Two accomplished musicians, their acoustic guitars, and some front-porch tales—that’s what audiences can expect during An Evening with Lyle Lovett and Robert Earl Keen on The Washington Center Main Stage, Saturday, Jan. 27.
Lovett and Keen, both singer-songwriters with impressive discographies spanning decades, will provide an evening of down-home songs and tales. “There will be no band,” said Jill Barnes, executive director of The Washington Center.
“These two are old friends—they met in college in the ‘70s. On stage, they tell stories about each other and about the songs they sing. They talk about living life as creative people.” Lovett and Keen met when they were both attending Texas A&M and bonded on the front porch of Keen’s college residence.
Lovett — a singer, composer and actor — has been on the music scene since the early ‘80s. His music spans genres from Americana to jazz to gospel and blues. The Texas-based musician has earned four GRAMMY awards, including Best Male Country Vocal Performance and Best Country Album, as well as the Americana Music Association’s inaugural Trailblazer Award. His 2007 album, It’s Not Big It’s Large, debuted and peaked at number two on the Top Country Albums chart.
Singer-songwriter Robert Earl Keen, a Houston native, released his self-produced debut album, No Kinda Dancer, in 1984. Since then, he’s released eighteen albums with both indie and major record labels. His songs have been covered by artists including George Strait, The Highwaymen, Nanci Griffith and the Dixie Chicks. He was inducted into the Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2012 along with Lovett and the late Townes Van Zandt. Keen continues to write and record. He’s performed thousands of shows in theaters, dance halls, roadhouses and festival grounds around the United States over his three-decade career.
The event promises to be a laid-back evening of music and stories. “The special thing about the Washington Center is that, even when we bring in big artists, the venue is really intimate,” said Barnes. “We have just under 1000 seats, and seeing a show here is different from seeing the artist at, say, a casino or fairgrounds. It feels like you’re right there with them, up close and personal.”
WHAT An Evening with Lyle Lovett and Robert Earl Keen
WHERE The Washington Center for the Performing Arts,
512 Washington St. SE, Olympia
WHEN 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 27
HOW MUCH $69-107
LEARN MORE 360-753-8586 | The Washington Center for the Performing Arts