Lyle Lovett has teamed up with fellow Texans Joe Ely and Guy Clark, plus the legendary John Hiatt for a show that’s been compared to a ‘back-porch hootenanny’ and called ‘a welcome change from the usual concert pyrotechnics.’ Indeed the show is, as advertised, a songwriters event, in which the four men will play and sing together with no backing band. For country and Americana buffs, this is an obvious must-see; the rest of you would do right to drop in on this one as well.

Lyle Lovett has been hailed as one of the most distinctive singer/songwriters to emerge from the 1980s alt-country music world. Initially pegged as a country singer, Lovett’s career has expanded far beyond Nashville, attracting fans from a wide spectrum of musical genres, including rock and American roots. A key player in helping advance Lovett’s career in the early eighties was Guy Clark, a leading force behind the folk- and blues-influenced country music movement since the 1960s. His first album, Old No. 1, was released in 1975 and he has never looked back. Throughout his career, Clark has created music to reflect his Texas roots and told stories the only way he knows how – through music.

John Hiatt has used his brand of vintage American music to communicate sentiments that people either fear or refuse to acknowledge at all. Emerging as a major force in the American music scene in the late seventies, Hiatt’s songs have been covered by an impressive roster of fans: the Neville Brothers, Ronnie Milsap, Bonnie Raitt, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson and Bruce Springsteen. His most recent album, Master of Disaster, was released in 2005.

Joe Ely’s musical roots and career path have strayed in a myriad of directions. He has been called everything from a “gypsy cowboy” to a “visionary song poet.” Tagged as a singer/songwriter who was too experimental for Nashville, Ely’s series of ensemble bands, thirteen albums and countless miles traveled along the highways have all contributed to his position as one of America’s great singing storytellers.