Urbane Country: Lovett & Lang

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LYLE LOVETT AND KATHRYN DAWN ("K.D.") LANG are cut from similar cloth. Both made waves in the late '80s as singers of country music, but their stylistic restlessness ensured that they'd never sit too comfortably in the CMT firmament. Rather, both deserve spots in the pantheon of hyper-hyphenated talents.

Lovett recently recalled that the pair's unconventional inclinations were discerned by Nashville record execs back in '88, so the industry honchos sent the mavericks on tour together as an alternative country package deal. While on the road, the East Texas journalism major and the Canadian cowpunk ingenue cemented a friendship that continues to bear fruit: On Wednesday, K.D. Lang will open for Lyle Lovett and His Large Band at Wolf Trap.

The high-haired Lovett is one of cowboy nation's most authentic. He grew up on a family farm in Texas founded by his great-great grandfather and continues to reside there, riding horses expertly and losing wrestling matches with his bulls.

If the man would stop loading up his records with jazz influences, straight-ahead gospel tracks, country-rock, bluesy rock and austere balladry, he could be bigger than Toby Keith. However, it is Lovett's ability to expertly explore and meld disparate currents of American music — coupled with his wry, deceptively simple lyricism — that endears him so deeply to his NPR-listening audience ("Starbucks Nation").

At Wolf Trap, Lovett's career-spanning set will likely offer spaces for all the members of His Large Band to shine. At recent shows, the group's sets have included Lovett's hits, fan favorites and a number of songs that are expected to appear on a new LL disc this fall. Lovett, a comfortable and self-effacing (if somewhat reserved) performer, generally tells stories and jokes between his songs and performs for well over an hour.

Lang, the opener, has been taking the stage for just under an hour, according to reports from the first few dates of t tour. While Lovett is arguably one of the best songwriters of his generation, the notion that Lang is one of the best singers of her era seems unimpeachable. This is, after all, the woman who Roy Orbison hand-picked to shoot to fame by allowing her to duet with him on his "Crying."

Lang has been backed by a four-piece band and — as befits an artist primarily renowned as a singer, not a songwriter — is filling her sets with a substantial number of covers, including Neil Young's "Helpless" and Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah." And the power of her voice remains undiminished.

Interestingly, while Lang spent the '90s singing adult contemporary pop songs and standards, and Lovett spent the period performing whatever genre he felt like at the time, both tipped their hats toward their roots on their most recent releases. Lang's "Reintarnation" is a compilation of her country songs, while Lovett's misstep-free "My Baby Don't Tolerate" has more straightforward country tracks than anything he has offered in years.

Wednesday night's show will be the rare evening that offers something for almost anyone. Fans of big bands and nuanced instrumental interplay will find a lot to enjoy, as will fans of rock, contemporary pop, torch songs, vocal fireworks, smart lyrics, Western swing, blues and, yes, country.

» Wolf Trap, Filene Center, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna; 8:30 p.m., $30-$48; 703-255-1868.

Written by Express contributor Tim Follos

Lovett photo by Michael Wilson; Lang photo courtesy kdlang.com