Lyle Lovett [ tickets ] knows how to make an entrance. On Wednesday (6/29), the singer-songwriter moseyed up to the microphone and introduced himself to the crowd in suitably oddball fashion with the song "Here I Am."

"I'm the guy who sits next to you and reads the newspaper over your shoulder," he recited with his signature deadpan delivery. "Wait, don't turn the page, I'm not finished. Life is so uncertain."

Life may be uncertain, but a Lyle Lovett concert is just about the safest bet in the touring industry. Fans basically can count on the 47-year-old Texan to deliver a solid performance every time he takes the stage.

That was certainly the story at the gorgeous Mountain Winery in Saratoga. Working with His Large Band, an appropriately named group of 17 sensational singers and musicians, Lovett came across as a consummate performer as he wowed the packed house with a potent combination of Western swing numbers and country-folk tunes. The breaks between songs were nearly as enjoyable as the tunes themselves, as Lovett had ample opportunity to showcase his eccentric sense of humor.

"We have different hand signals for different things up here," he explained as to why he was waving to someone toward the back of the crowd. "I just asked our monitor person to steal third."

The singer was certainly fleet of foot, figuratively speaking, as he managed to tag as many musical bases as possible during the show. He moved easily from country hoedowns like "Cowboy Man," the lead track from his self-titled debut of 1986, to such peaceful, easy-feeling tunes as "In My Own Mind," from his most recent release, 2003's "My Baby Don't Tolerate." By the time the evening was over, the vocalist had touched upon harmony-rich gospel, Southern country-rock, singer-songwriter folk, big-band jazz and barroom blues.

Few songwriters are able to balance humor and heartache as convincingly as Lovett. John Prine comes to mind immediately; Ben Folds also makes the cut. But, really, the pickings grow rather slim rather fast. Lovett showcased that rare ability with great success on the tender "In My Mind," a tune that had fans tapping their toes and drying their eyes at the same time.

Of course, Lovett doesn't always straddle the sentimental divide; he can be just as good when he concentrates on one emotion. In Saratoga, the singer was equally effective whether he was crooning through such endearingly clever ditties as "Cute as a Bug" and "Penguins" or playing the heartstrings on romantic numbers like "You Were Always There."

As the evening drew to a close, Lovett marveled at what a fine experience his trip to Saratoga had been thus far. And then, true to form, the singer fretted about what that meant for the near future.

"It's been one of those wonderful days where everything has gone so right that you can't help but worry about what is going to go wrong," he said.

The answer, at least in terms of this show, was: nothing at all.