TORONTO - No props, no screens, no costume changes, no backup singers and no dancers.

Just two chairs, two guitars and two talented singer-songwriters who let the songs speak for themselves.

Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt were on stage for 150 minutes Wednesday night at the close to sold-out Massey Hall. And while there were moments when the two storytellers recounted quirky anecdotes, the nearly two dozen nuggets proved why both have been able to stick around all this time.

With no opening act, the duo sauntered onstage before the denim-clad Hiatt quickly mentioned watching a great Elvis movie that afternoon. Lovett, resembling a university English professor with his black turtleneck and matching jacket, spent most of the between-song banter playing the role of interviewer, posing odd questions to Hiatt. It was a bit like watching Inside The Singer-Songwriter's Studio with Lovett playing the role of James Lipton.

Regardless, the rotating performances set the tone for the very enjoyable evening, with Hiatt churning out the rockabilly-tinged toe-tapper Tennessee Plates as Lovett looked on. From there Lovett responded with the folksy Skinny Legs from 1994's I Love Everybody that got a strong response, including applause from Hiatt.

Probably the key to the two artists' success is how well the material they've created holds over time. This was quite evident when Hiatt opted to reach back into his catalogue for signatures like the tender Icy Blue Heart or the roots-y Perfectly Good Guitar, a song about sinfully smashing a guitar.

The ensuing conversation between Lovett and Hiatt also evoked stories of Hiatt smashing two guitars, one rather cheap and one rather expensive model. "I think we made a lot of progress," Lovett quipped after a series of probing questions.

Another aspect not lost on anyone was how both musicians have a great respect and admiration for the other's work. Hiatt was occasionally humming and often strumming along to some of Lovett's numbers like The Truck Song or South Texas Girl while Lovett appeared rapt in Hiatt efforts such as the Dylan-ish Let's Give This Love A Try and Same Old Man, the latter the title track from his forthcoming album.

Between songs a fan asked Hiatt for a request which ended up being the wrong title. "I love requests that are just wrong," Lovett said before Hiatt recounted playing a show where he was repeatedly asked to play the '80s hit song Missing You. "The guy thought I was John Waite," Hiatt said as the audience cracked up.

If there was one slight drawback, it might have been how some of the early portion was equally heavy on banter as it was on songs, but the longer the show went on, the more seamless things became. Hiatt's short but sweet What Do We Do Now lead nicely into Lovett's She's No Lady, a slow ambling number that earned a loud cheer.

Other highlights on Hiatt's end included the soulful, Otis Redding-like Have A Little Faith In Me and the groovy Memphis In The Meantime. On the other hand, Lovett shined on the melancholic Don't Cry A Tear, My Baby Don't Tolerate and Keep It In Your Pantry before the duo capped off the stellar night with Jesse Winchester's The Brand New Tennessee Waltz.