Hiatt, Lovett are LOL funny & musically rewarding at State Theatre

Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt played a festival together / Associated Press

John Hiatt and Lyle Lovett made my words accurate. Since I'd interviewed both of them for a preview of their joint concert, they asked me to introduce them Wednesday at the State Theatre. "Two of the funniest guitarists you'll ever experience" was what I said. And they delivered.

The beginning of the 140-minute song swap was heavy on the repartee. Hitting the road for the first night of their fourth-annual winter tour as an acoustic duo, Hiatt explained that he'd been home for three months instead of the usual one or two. "I didn't get out much," he deadpanned. "I spent most of my time wandering around home looking for the bathroom. And we have two."

Somehow Lovett spun the conversation into a discussion of bathrobes, not bathrooms. The details devolved from there. The Lovett kicker: "There's nothing wrong with a bathrobe that has a a well-placed hole in it."

Much of the improvised comedy was LOL stuff, but it doesn't necessarily translate effectively into print. So let's discuss the music.

* After opening with "Perfectly Good Guitar," Hiatt seemed to opt for more high-profile songs (read radio faves) than he has in past shows of this ilk in the Twin Cities. Some of that could be attributed to his willingness to answer requests ("requests are stacked up like plans waiting to land at O'Hare") for the likes for "Slow Turning," "Have a Little Faith in Me" and the marvelous "Memphis in the Meantime," on which the singer sounded positively possessed. He also honored a shout-out for "Georgia Rae," dedicated to a man whose wife just had a baby girl.

* Lovett also answered requests, including "North Dakota," "Step Inside This House" and "If I Had a Boat."

* Without mentioning his new album from 2011, "Drity Jeans and Mudslide Hymns," Hiatt offered a taste of its material, including the requested "Train to Birmingham" and the rocking "Detroit Made."

* As they have done in the past, Hiatt and Lovett alternated verses on the former's hit-for-Bonnie-Raitt "Thing Called Love." This time, though, the tune arrived in mid-set, not in its traditional encore slot. Another memorable collaboration found Hiatt joining in on Lovett's "Church," a rousing close to the main set.