7 years after opening Kettlehouse, this singer still loves Missou

He had the privilege of being there that night when Missoula’s finest music venue hosted its first show.

And 7 years later, Lyle Lovett still praises the venue, its operators and the Montana fans who made his shows in Garden City one of the highlights of the year.

For a man who loves variety, this is a unique touchstone at this stage of Lovett’s career: a chance to play not only for his fans, but for his friends as well.

Lovett had the honor of being the first to perform at the Kettlehouse

Seven years ago last week, on July 13, 2017, Lovett and his “large band” of musician friends started their first show at the Kettlehouse, crowning a year full of anticipation.

He remembers riding the bus to the venue and seeing Logjam owner Nick Checotta standing on a ladder with a paintbrush, applying the finishing touches. Lovett told me last week that he will never forget that scene and that it shows his appreciation for the event organizer and his team.

“He and his company, Logjam, do such a great job for us, whether it’s the Wilma that he renovated or the Wilma and the sound system that he put in. The Wilma is just state of the art,” Lovett notes. “He and everyone else at Logjam just do things right. They do their best and are a joy to work with. I love coming back and working for Nick whenever I get the chance.”

And that’s led to a string of memorable shows over the past decade, starting in March 2016 at Wilma and two more shows there in 2018 and 2019. He came back in the summer of that year and played at the Kettlehouse in June 2019, and even managed one more show the following February, on Leap Day, right before the COVID-related concert closures.

Since then, Lovett returned to Wilma with John Hiatt in 2022 and performed another summer show at the Kettlehouse last July.

More than a “country star”

““I grew up in Houston listening to the major radio stations and pop stations, the Beatles on KILT AM and FM. And I listened to country music on KIKK,” Lyle recalls. “And my parents’ record collection. They were part of the old Columbia record club and their record collection included Ray Price and Ray Charles records.”

Lovett’s musical journey reflects his Texas roots, from country to folk to jazz. His performances reflect this diversity of interests. So much so that he turned down early gigs when told what NOT to play, with choices ranging from folk clubs to dance halls.

“I was lucky enough to be able to take advantage of that. I started playing in the summer of 1976 when I was 18. And I enjoyed it so much that I just kept trying, looking for gigs, booking myself and playing somewhere two, three or four nights a week.”

The “blessing” of the Large Band

At the Missoula show this year, his legendary “large band” is up to five people, including some real musical talent. He says that helps to be part of the journey every night.

“I think live performance is about being in the moment and improvising freely, and that’s what the musicians and the band are doing,” Lovett explains. “So I’m standing in the middle and hearing, you know, the musical conversation, walking from one side of the stage to the other and back again. And that’s what I enjoy every night.”

Tickets for Tuesday night’s show are still available on the Logjam Presents website. Lovett takes the stage at 8 p.m.

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