Long tall Texan

Reno is a little bit more country than rock ’n’ roll this week in celebration of the 86th annual Reno Rodeo. Several live music venues feature country artists this week including John Ascuaga’s Nugget, which is bringing Lyle Lovett back to the Reno-Sparks area. The curly-haired troubadour has been entertaining music fans for nearly 20 years with his cross-genre music and clever, offbeat lyrics. Lovett released his first album in 1986 and had a Top 10 country hit with “Cowboy Man.” Over the years, the singer-songwriter’s music evolved from traditional country to include elements of big band jazz and gospel, as demonstrated by his albums Lyle Lovett and His Large Band and Joshua Judges Ruth. His latest album is My Baby Don’t Tolerate. Lyle Lovett and His Large Band perform 8 p.m. June 17-18 at the Nugget’s Rose Ballroom, 1100 Nugget Ave., Sparks. Tickets are $35-$39. Call 356-3300.

—Kelley Lang