Lyle Lovett & His Large Band played the Paolo Soleri Amphitheater on Thursday night in what could be the last concert there for a while — possibly forever.

"It's a real honor to be here at the Paolo Soleri, especially on this night with everything going on," the musician with a Woody Woodpecker haircut said after playing his first number from the cave-like stage.

Jamie Lenfestey, a music promoter who has booked concerts at Paolo Soleri for about two decades, introduced Lovett after telling the crowd that he hoped the evening would be "just the end of an era for the old Paolo" and the start of a "reborn" amphitheater.

"Save Paolo Soleri," chanted the crowd. "Save Paolo Soleri."

Santa Fe Indian School officials, who have razed most of the Cerrillos Road campus' older buildings and trees in recent years, earlier this summer confirmed that they planned to close the amphitheater next month and demolish it because, they said, it costs too much to maintain and doesn't fit their educational mission. But July 18, they said they might preserve it if the federal government provided $4.5 million for rehabilitation. Their announcement followed a joint offer of help from New Mexico's U.S. senators.

Italian architect Paolo Soleri designed the amphitheater in 1955 while living in Santa Fe and supervised its construction in the early 1960s.

Lovett said he met Soleri on Wednesday when he played in Phoenix where Soleri, 91, now lives. Lovett said when he asked Soleri what he thought about what was going on in Santa Fe, Soleri just shrugged. Then Lovett launched into a song he said reminded him of Soleri: "That's Right (You're Not From Texas)."

A few seats were vacant in the 2,900-seat amphitheater. The crowd of more than 2,500 included many people in their 50s and 60s with fond memories of attending concerts there decades ago.

Sloan Cunningham of Santa Fe said she loves Lovett's music but couldn't help but feel nostalgic about the amphitheater. "I've been to some great concerts here," she said, recalling one with k.d. lang.Kyle Harwood, a former assistant city attorney, said he was glad to see the Santa Fe Indian School is "leaving themselves open to the community" and trying to work toward saving the theater.

Contact Tom Sharpe at 986-3080 or tsharpe@sfnewmexican.com.