My friends and I went to see Lyle Lovett at Red Rocks last weekend and it was (as usual) an awesome show. For those of you unfamiliar with Mr. Lovett, I’m not sure I can give a quick explanation – he’s an unusual character, but an amazing musician who typically tours with his 10+ member “It’s not big, it’s Large” band with a musical style that’s probably best described as quirky Texan.
Watching Lyle and his band perform reminded me of how important, valuable, and fun it can be to build a community around something you love to do. Here are seven things I learned:
1. The basics don’t have to be boring
Like athletes before a big game, musicians also have to warm up before their performances. But, instead of limiting those activities to tune ups and sound checks, find a way to bring joy and excitement to them. The “warmup” before Lyle contained several minutes of jamming and improv by various members of his band and a lead-off song by Francine Reed. They gave us a show and managed to warm up, loosen up, tune up, show off, and have fun.
2. Have a plan (but just an outline)
I’ m sure that Lyle and his band have a plan for each show – a set list of songs they’re going to play, when to take breaks, what they’re going to talk to the audience about, etc. And although the plan’s important, if you can find a way to play within these guidelines and personalize the experience, it’s so much better. Which would you prefer as a concert goer - “Hello {insert city name that has been taped to your microphone here.} It’s great to be here!}” or an anecdote about meeting the staff at the venue that night, something that happened to them on the way to the venue, etc.? Don’t forget to make time to connect as a person, not just a musician (artist, business person, etc.)
3. Change up the tempo and style
Wouldn’t it be boring if a musician played all of the same types of songs, over and over again? All power ballad, all the time! Um, I don’t think so. You’ve got to mix it up – to keep you on your toes, as well as to keep your audience engaged.
4. Don’t be afraid to mix the new with the old
I’m not a Lyle superfan, so I only recognized about half of the songs played during the concert, even though those songs weren’t new. But, towards the end of the show, Lyle spent a couple of minutes talking about their new album (coming in October) and how they were going to play one of the new songs for us, but he didn’t stop there – he also gave us some of the backstory on where the song came from and what inspired him to write it. Do you think we were ready to hear the new song? Absolutely. He had managed to shift at least some of the conversation from – “Hey, what’s this song? Play {xyz}, it’s my favorite!” it was, “Oh, cool. That sounds like an interesting song and boy, that was a pretty funny story about how he came up with the idea…” Give a warmup to the new because people are less comfortable with it, but if they like (trust) you, they’ll give the new a chance.
5. Share the stage (and the praise)
Like many jazz bands, Lyle and his band took plenty of time to let each player strut their stuff. Additionally, Lyle continued to remind the audience just who these great musicians were throughout the show – showing us his great respect for these folks – and often praised, teased, or joked with them. Who do you think gives a better performance – someone who’s “just part of the band” or “my friend, John Doe, from Anytown, USA.” Do you have that kind of relationship with your community?
6. But, don’t forget to lead
Just because these folks are talented professionals who obviously have a great chemistry together, don’t be fooled into thinking they don’t have (or need) a strong leader. I’ve seen groups of 4-5 folks who can’t manage to work together and get along because no one will step up and take the leadership role. But night after night, Lyle’s up there on stage leading his 12+ member band. Listening to and guiding these performers from all over the country, many with musical careers of their own; it’s an amazing task. Could you do it?
7. And, of course don’t forget to have a sense of humor!
As part of the quirky Texan routine, humor is always front and center at a Lyle Lovett concert, but you just can’t help but feel like these guys are having a blast. So, take a tip from the Texan – relax and enjoy the ride.
{ 3 comments }
Technology can make some great improvements in our lives – automating or “one-click”-ing tasks, saving time and money, and providing some entertainment along the way. If you’re looking for tools that are somewhere between the casual home user (“too little”) and the enterprise (“too big”), however, you can easily be overwhelmed by all of the “stuff” that’s out there and find your way to the “just right” solution. Here’s how I used my Goldilocks thinking for my most recent challenge: selecting a small business 
