| Concert Rating for this Show | | 4.0000 out of 5.0000 | | User Comments and Reviews for this Show | Taylor Hicks brought his outstanding concert tour to the House of Blues in Dallas and what a show it was.
Taylor was excellent -- playing the harmonica, guitar and singing. He is an unbelieveable entertainer. It has been said many times over this tour but this was the best show ever.
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OH. MY. GOSH.
Taylor, you were my first. I waited through six seasons of American Idol for someone like you - someone who could make me say, “WHOA! I LOVE this voice!” - someone who could make me just not WAIT to see them in their own concert… and you were the one and last Friday night was the night.
THE VENUE:
House of Blues, Dallas, Texas. What a terrific place for concerts; it’s new, it’s not too big, not too small, and the accoustics are outstanding. We (hubby and I invited another couple) arrived shortly before 7, and after a quick search of our purses, and the whole-body wand treatment that we all got, they trapped this lovely paper bracelet around our wrists and waved us through to stand in line or wait in the bar or restaurant. (care to guess which we chose?) Yep! Taylor wasn’t supposed to start until 8 and there was no opening act, so we had plenty of time to have a drink and eat a bite in the HOB Restaurant before finding our seats.
ALL of the reserved seating is in the balcony; the floor is General Admission, Standing Room Only, and since we entered the venue from the HOB restaurant instead of the outside doors, I didn’t get a chance to see how crowded the floor was, but looking around after we were seated in the balcony, I saw almost no empty seats anywhere.
There are three sections in the balcony - Left Side, Center, and Right Side.
There are only two “Box Seat” areas - on the Left Side, and on the Right Side.
The Center Section has no box seats; instead the first row is aligned with the
first row of the Box Seats. THAT is the part that I find weird! I see NO advantage to paying $30 more per seat for Box Seats, other than the fact that
those seats swivel, and the rest do not. (makes me glad now that there were none available when we purchased ours) The cocktail waiters and waitresses served everyone in the balcony - in their seats. I had already been told there are no bad seats at the HOB”, and found it to be true, as we were in the third row of the Center section and could see everything and everyone on stage, as well as their expressions, perfectly.
TAYLOR, THE BAND, AND THE MUSIC:
OH. MY. GOSH. I cannot tell you how absolutely, utterly awesome every song was! I thought I loved almost every song on the album, but that was before seeing Taylor and his band live and hearing those same songs ramped up several notches. I didn’t recognize his opening song (something about wanting to “kiss you, but you’re too tall”), but it set the stage for a really lively and fun show, and the audience didn’t need much to get into Taylor Hicks - he had us with the first note.
Of course there were lots of mentions of Da’lis, Texas, which in turn prompted the overhead lights to come on every time, with much applause
from the audience.
Couple of notes: At no time throughout the entire concert did
Taylor or anyone EVER hawk his album! (Is this normal?) At one time, in appreciation of the sax player, someone threw a huge pair of white granny panties on the stage. (the sax player never came forward when he was in the spotlight again!) Taylor carefully stepped over the panties, and then kicked them off the side of the stage.
Every single one of the band was outstanding, absolutely OUTSTANDING! And they ALL had the spotlight several times. I think most of them have been touring with Taylor all along? I don’t remember the base player, but he must have been taking dancing lessons from Taylor. He did a LOT of hopping up and down and just a lot of Taylor Moves!
They performed every song on the album EXCEPT for “Dream Myself
Awake”, “Places I’ve Been”, and “Hell of a Day” (the bonus track from WalMart). “Give Me Tonight” was a big shocker to me - it was their second song of the night, and SOOOOOO much better than on the album I almost didn’t recognize it! I don’t know how they can segue in and out of so many songs so seamlessly, but “The Maze” seemed to be the one that meshed with several of the others. Taylor played the guitar on almost every song and of course blew us away with the harmonica on many of them.
Once again he encouraged the audience to participate in the beginning of “The Right Place”, even laying the mike down on the floor facing those standing at the front. “Young Turks was a crowd pleaser, and “Medicated Goo” seemed endless - the sheer energy of that song is
exhausting! Taylor sang several of his originals: “Heart and Soul”, “Soul Thing”, “The Deal”, and another one he wrote that I’ve never heard before: “My Friend”. It was so pretty. I hope we hear it again, maybe on his next album?
All in all, it was the single best concert I’ve ever attended, and though
our friends were never huge Taylor fans, they came away with a new appreciation of his many talents, not the least of which was his voice. I understand his concerts keep getting better, and as we were“taking the long way home” Sunday night, I couldn’t help thinking that Taylor Hicks was so worth the wait.
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Dallas has been Taylorized.
I have been to see Taylor several times- each time I leave trying to figure out how I can next see him. Never in my life has a performer made me even want to see them more than once certainly not numerous times But I can tell so far not only have I not tired of him he has become addictive- you just want MORE |
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| I was so excited about Dallas. Not only were we going to see Taylor and the guys again, I was looking forward to meeting a lot of people that I only knew by screen names online. We had decided together to put together some gift baskets for Taylor and the band so they would know how much Texas loved their music. Arrangements were made online and kaystepp promised to bring the baskets, I had bows made and shopped for goodies, music, DVDs and Dr. Pepper for the gift. We loaded everything up and headed to Dallas around 10 o’clock full of excitement. The trip was uneventful, thank goodness. I don’t think I would have been as calm as miknerak if our tire had blown out on the way. We got checked into the Hyatt, which was quite entertaining because of all the kids dressed up in their Japanese Anime’ costumes. The hotel had called me to warn us that there was a convention that weekend, but it didn’t bother me at all. They were all having lots of harmless fun, and hey I have one Japanese animation film myself which I love.
After a short rest, we headed to the HOB restaurant to meet up with kaystepp and start putting together the Texas Soul Patrol baskets. I had met Kay in San Marcos, TX earlier in July at Taylor’s book signing so I recognized her right away. Soon we met hooverhasit and miknerak. Hooverhasit’s painted cowbells were absolutely gorgeous! Everyone soon started showing up and you’ve all seen how full the baskets were. Anchovy had made a wonderful card which she had mailed to me and I tried to make sure everyone got to sign it. Then havingfun came out and said lots of people were in the “pass the line” line already. She went back and told everyone, so lots of people came out and added goodies to the baskets. Then pictures were taken and sideways took them with her so they could be given to Taylor at the meet and greet. Of course we found out later that the security people wouldn’t let her take them in to the meet and greet. But Taylor’s stage hand did get the basket to him, thank goodness.
After a nice dinner with kaystepp, hooverhasit, miknerak, tayfan1, and my hubby, we headed into the “pass the line” line and began the marathon standing until the concert started. It wasn’t really bad because we got a chance to meet everyone and visit. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that we were going to get to stand just behind the first 2 standing rows of people at the front of the stage. Kaystepp actually had a seat upstairs but decided to stay there with us. She offered the seat to hooverhasit, but none of us wanted to leave our primo places for a seat, no matter how much our feet hurt.
Everyone has described what a great concert Taylor and the guys gave us so I’ll only add the things that stood out for me. I get so caught up in the music and the experience that I never remember the order of the songs or all the extras that Taylor packs into a concert. I do remember him starting off with Rockin’ Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu. He must have known there were lots of the Boogie Board people there ready to dance. The most precious moment of the beginning of the show was hooverhasit’s reaction. Sorry darling, but I’ve got to tell what you said. Now remember everyone, this was hooverhasit’s very first time to see Taylor live. She had seen him on TV and on numerous videos, but never in the flesh. Well, when he took the stage and started belting out Rockin’ Pneumonia, she turned to me and said, “Why he’s just a baby!” Now how precious is that? I didn’t know if I should laugh or just hug her. I think I smiled and said yes, but I might have laughed a little.
I know Give Me Tonight was next. I still think this song should have been released to radio. I actually voted for it way back when GC had his song poll. It’s a great radio song. I don’t remember what was next, but I do remember swaying to Just To Feel That Way and thoroughly enjoying The Deal, Taylor’s original with the prettiest melody to me. He always does such a good job with that song. The crazy dance in the middle of Taylor’s and Josh’s guitar/harp duel was hilarious. The whole band was having fun as well as the crowd. One thing I’ve really noticed as a big difference between the spring concerts and the summer concert is how the band can be loose but tight at the same time. The songs that are perfect for extended jam sessions are being fully taken advantage of by this kick-ass band now. Watching Taylor and the guys get totally into the music is mesmerizing to watch. Sometimes when Josh hits those high-pitched screaming notes and holds them out longer than I think is humanly possible I find myself holding my breath waiting for the crash of the wave. And then suddenly the music stops and I’m left in delightful anticipation for what Taylor has planned next. Those wonderful tags and medleys keep me on the edge, like a kid waiting to see what’s in the next box at a never-ending party. I know he sang Wherever I Lay My Hat. It was good to hear that one again, and the Heaven Knows then Maze combo with all those delicious tags never fails to disappoint.
I don’t remember exactly when I noticed the cowbells that hooverhasit had painted sitting on Felix’s drum platform. When I did see them I grabbed her by the shoulders and positioned her so that she could see through a gap of people as I pointed them out. Hooverhasit is quite short; she barely came up to my shoulder, but when she finally spotted the bells, she could have been 10 feet tall. I thought for a moment she was going to sink to the floor, but she caught herself and stayed upright. She kept saying that Taylor liked them, he really liked them. I don’t think she ever realized what a great job she did painting the cowbells. Next Taylor started the song Young Turks and picked up his regular bell for the beginning of the song. He played it a little and then picked up one of the painted bells and tapped it a little while holding it up to his ear and listening to the tone. Then he set it down and used his regular bell. Hooverhasit was holding her breath for a bit, but then said that they probably didn’t sound right because she had to put Styrofoam in the bells to keep the clappers from ringing. She was still very pleased that the bells had been brought out to the stage and I was pleased because it meant that the baskets we had put together for the band had made it to the bus.
The one song that I would have traveled 500 miles and paid $500 to hear was The Right Place. Taylor was standing near Loren and indicated for him to play the beginning chords. He sang the first word and stopped, waiting for the crowd to sing the rest, which we did. Then he sang the beginning word of the second line and we finished. He said “one more time” and sang the beginning again, letting us sing the rest of the line before taking over and really getting into the song. Taylor didn’t just sing this song. It was much more. After Brian’s saxophone solo, Taylor walked up to the mic stand and put the microphone in the stand, finishing the song right there. He didn’t sing it. He belted it out. He wailed it! I was in total awe. Taylor was so into the song and the music that I felt like he was completely in his own world at that time; we were on the outside looking in. At every concert I have been to there has been a magic moment when Taylor has blocked out everything else for me until there is only his music or his voice. Sometimes it was with the harp. At Dallas at the House of Blues that moment was during The Right Place and it was the voice. Once he stepped up to the mic there was nothing else in the room for me but the music and his voice. It was wonderful; it was just wonderful. It was very reminiscent of his performance of You Are So Beautiful on AI for me. What a wonderful gift for my last concert of the tour.
I hadn’t really recovered from The Right Place before Taylor slammed into The Runaround and had the crowd on their feet and dancing. Then they all came back for 2 encore songs, Take The Long Way Home, with that wonderful harp solo and then directly into Soul Thing with some wonderful tags. And I really think he was rapping the words to Soul Thing or Eastbound and Down toward the end, but I really couldn’t understand what he was saying into the mic. Needless to say it was all over too soon for us, but Taylor and the guys had put in more than a night’s work. His shirt had been soaked since half-way through the concert, but he didn’t hurry to leave. He also gave a harp to a little boy at one end of the stage.
After the concert, everyone seemed to disappear quite rapidly. Hubby and I looked around for people we knew for a while then headed out to the merchandise table where my old buddy Steve convinced me to plop down more moola. Hey, it’s for a good cause, the continuation of Taylor’s career. It was nice that Steve recognized me, I guess. Either he enjoyed my conversation at previous concerts, or he remembered me being loose with the purse strings, LOL. Hubby and I then headed out back to the buses. We wanted to see what all our new friends were doing after the show and we figured that’s where most of them would be. Sure enough, there were lots of faces we recognized waiting for the band and Taylor. I didn’t really want anything else autographed, I have plenty, but I did want to tell Taylor thank you for a wonderful spring and summer tour. However, it wasn’t my night to get to talk to him, the crowd was too large and I just didn’t feel like pushing to the front that night. I was content to just stand back and watch Taylor interact with all the fans. I have had my turn and pushing forward and demanding attention would have only been for my benefit, not his. So after Taylor got on the bus, hubby and I headed back to the HOB. To my pleasant surprise, there at the end of the block, just standing casually on the sidewalk were Josh and Brian. I stopped and told them what a great concert it had been and then I told them that this was our sixth and last concert of the tour. I thanked them for a great spring and summer. They were both very appreciative and thanked me. What a great group of musicians and people Taylor has chosen for this tour. I really hope they can reassemble for future tours.
As we were walking back to the front of the HOB we met up with hooverhasit and miknerak again. Hooverhasit, I’m going to tell on you again, sweetie. What she said was priceless. We were discussing the night and she was telling me about meeting Taylor at the buses when she said (paraphrased) “I just realized that Taylor is just a regular person.” I love hooverhasit! She makes me smile. In fact I smiled and agreed, “yes, he is.”
The rest of the night was just as much fun as the concert. We ended up back at the HOB for a midnight snack and got to enjoy a wonderful blues guitarist/singer and his bass player and drummer. I don’t remember his name, but he was really good. The best part was when he played the guitar with his tongue and SoulKaren (I think it was her) took his picture. It was hilarious! What a night, what a concert, what a summer!!! | |
Dallas was great and Taylor Hicks was on fire !
It was my first time to HOB. I found the restaurant to be lovely, the wait and bar staff friendly, the music hall gorgeous, the sound absolutely PERFECT, and the security team dreadful, mean and nasty. Oh well, the girl in the brown frizzy ponytail obviously hates her job, and that’s not going to ruin my experience.
The Meet and Greet – ahhhhhhhh. Taylor was happy, relaxed, and seemed to be genuinely enjoying himself. There was a very attractive girl a few people ahead of me that I could tell had Taylor’s full attention when it was her turn. He was intensely looking at her while she talked and then I heard him ask her name. He reached out to shake her hand and I heard him say, “Thanks for coming. I enjoyed meeting you.” I couldn’t hear what she was saying, but I could see that he was very interested in it. She didn't give him anything, ask for an autograph or get a picture. After the meet and greet, I saw her in the Cambridge room and struck up a conversation with her. I learned that her father played bass guitar (long ago) for Willie Nelson and she said she wanted to tell Taylor that she got her first kiss from Ray Charles. She said he kissed her on the cheek when she was 8 years old. No wonder Taylor was so interested in what she was saying. I’m sure he loved that story.
I gave Taylor two books. One was a book of prose written by a Texas musician, Joe Ely, about life on the road as a musician. I had never heard of him before I bought the book, but Taylor knew who he was right away and said he was from Austin. And he’s right. Then I gave him a book that I really enjoyed reading, “The Show I’ll Never Forget – 50 Writers Relive Their Most Memorable Concertgoing Experience” (I think you all would enjoy it too.) He seemed to like them. Of course, he always makes people feel that way, he’s such a sweetie. Then I looked right at him and said, “I will ALWAYS come see your shows anytime you are EVER in the Dallas area.” And he TOUCHED ME ON THE ARM and said, “Thank you. Thanks for having me here.” :-)
We got in line very early at HOB, so we had a place right in front of the stage toward the right side. Excellent. I won’t recap the concert, because I know that it has already been done, but I can’t even put into words how perfect it was. The thing I may not have seen said was that Loren laughed all the way through the show. Really. All the way through the entire show. Every time Taylor looked at him, he started laughing. And Taylor was in on the joke too. Taylor really looked like he was having so much fun performing that night. The crowd was having a blast too. They were loud and dancing and totally into it from my vantage point.
After we left the music hall, we were out in the lobby and we saw Al Carty standing there by himself waiting for an elevator. I asked him if I could have a picture, and he smiled and VERY quietly said sure. I took a picture with him and then several other SPers joined in for another. We talked to him for just a minute. He was very soft-spoken and had the sweetest smile.
Some of us went out to the busses. Taylor was going down the line of people and right next to me, a very pretty, very young blonde with an Australian accent, said, “I wanted to let you know that I flew all the way from (Somewhere), Australia JUST to see you.” Taylor stopped his quick movement down the line and looked at her and said, Really? “Yes,” she said, “I flew from ?? to Sydney to New York to Dallas. It took me ?? hours and I did it just to see you.” She was really beautiful and you could see that Taylor was very interested in her story. He said thank you, and asked her name and shook her hand. And then she turned around and left. How awesome was that?
On the way back into the HOB, we saw Josh and Brian standing on the sidewalk. We asked them for a picture and they said “of course.”
We got back into the HOB and got a table near the bar. Noticed Bill Will at the bar, and didn’t bother him, but as he was leaving, I asked him if we could get a picture.
Loren was down further at the bar with another guy I didn’t recognize. He had on a baseball cap. No one was talking to them or paying any attention to them at all. They were just chatting with each other. We didn’t bother them.
In closing, I have to say that it was so much fun to meet so many Soul Patrolers and to see again the ones that I have met at previous shows. The TX Soul Patrol is a fun group. I look forward to seeing all of you again.
When we were leaving HOB, we saw the busses pull out and I got that sad day-after-Christmas feeling. And I miss Taylor already. I wish I could do this every Friday night. It was just way too much fun. :-) | |
Well, I have had many highlights in my life but for the moment, that was the be all and end all.
During American Idol , California Soul Patrol had put out the word to submit slogans for signs to go to rehearsals. I submitted "Taylor is Soul Personified!". nothing brilliant but they chose it. I got an email from them that Taylor kept pointing to it and really liked it. another thrill but nothing like this, no way no how.
there they were the "T for Taylor, T for Texas" and the "Now That's a F***ing Cowbell.(did not see the smallest, horse with Soul Patrol banner) right up next to ray. I had not really intended for them to be played as i had stuffed styrofoam in them to keep the gigantic clappers quiet in the basket. guess no one noticed that for when Taylor tried to play them there was hardly a sound due to being dulled by the foam. he seemed mystified. i cracked up at his perplexed expression. should have put a note on them but they were really meant for stage decor or bus decor.lol. | |
When Taylor Hicks gives a concert, you can be sure he gives you his all -- emotion, energy, passion and connection. That's what makes him a cut above the others... he's just into the music and it shows in his performance and the audience reaction.
Dallas has rarely seen an artist like him. To the person who wrote just two words in review - -boring and expensive ( see above ), were you even there ? Or are you simply going from Taylor thread to Taylor thread to sow discord ? If so, what's the point ? | |
| WHAT A SHOW! Hicks hit Dallas running and hasn't slowed up yet. He is the very best all around - musician, performer, singer, entertainer.... Taylor has it all. | |
Good times on the tour this weekend.
Here's a set list account of the DALLAS HOB Concert :
1. Rockin’ Pneumonia>Hey Pocky Way – I have the usual blackout and there is nothing written in my notes except for the song title. Everything always seems overwhelming when the show opens. There’s so much intensity coming from audience and stage that nothing registers.
2. Give Me Tonight – Obviously not yet orientated, I have no comments down on this one, either. A friend points out that Loren Gold (keys) and Taylor seemed to be having a lot of humorous interaction on this, particularly around the lines “it’s Friday night” (it was) and “got my good shoes on” (they looked like new shoes…don’t know about good shoes, says friend). She says of all the shows she’s seen there was more of this kind of fun between Loren and Taylor than at other shows. (Note she was not in hazy Seattle…which featured same.)
Another friend notes that it seems that when Taylor is interacting with the players to his left, it’s all about music. And when he’s interacting with the players to his right, it’s personal.
3. Heart and Soul – Taylor repeats the words “jelly roll” a couple of times. I really don’t see the point of this, other than to make a gratuitous connection to a standard blues euphemism while playing in a HOB. But never mind this. During this song, the band lifts off officially with a jumpin’ solo from Josh Smith (guitar). That is for me when the concert really starts. Loren’s grinning from ear to ear, and Al “Boogie” Carty (bass) is totally funked. It strikes me that everyone on stage is smiling. You get the feeling that there is a lot of affection flowing…that these guys are going to miss each other, and they are starting to know it. There’s a perfunctory “Brown Eyed Handsome Man” tag, but at this point, the important stuff was happening on stage between the players. The audience is just observing.
4. A highlight for me…Call Me The Breeze. A friend and I discuss this right now. We are agreeing that while we love the song, the way these guys do it does not compare to the way Taylor did it with his pre-Idol band. With them, it started out very bare - no fullness of instrumentation…building, building into the first verse. This version is flatter all the way through, and perfectly fine. It’s good to hear it, despite this. For the first time, I really fully appreciate a piano solo by Loren. It has some intensity that’s usually missing (or I usually miss). Or maybe I’m just a Brian Less fan since the first time I heard the pre-idol WorkPlay sets. Yeah. Maybe. Piano solo is followed by guitar solo, then Taylor breaks out into a real roadhouse harp solo. (The word “roadhouse” is scribbled on the paper here - that’s all.) We don’t remember him doing harp solo in Breeze before. Anyone?
Now, here I see on my paper the words: “smiled knowingly/smugly”. I’m grinning now as I think of this. Taylor is standing right next to Josh during Josh’s solo. Taylor faces the audience straight on, but his head is turned to the side as he looks down at Josh playing. Several times, T looks up at his audience, back down at J’s guitar, up at the audience, etc… a smug smile on his face, like…”I have this hot band. This is MY guitar player. It doesn’t get any better than this.”
5. Taylor begins the song he calls “Clive Davis’ song”, Just to Feel That Way. The young girls just down from me extend their arms longingly, desperately, toward Taylor. Their wriggling fingers reach toward him, follow him around the stage like radar, and they silently beg him to come to them, react to them, SEE them. He seems oblivious. He is singing about being broken and wounded, and he doesn’t care that he can’t seem to stop grinning. My attention wanders to Josh Smith. It is not the first time I have seem him sing these lyrics with real emotion. As I jot that observation down, my ears are pierced by an explosion of squeals and screams. Taylor has seen the wee girls. He has touched their hands. They gasp and giggle and hug and swoon. All around them, women and men smile.
6. Now Taylor intro’s the next song. “How many people here have a crazy friend? Here’s Medicated Goo!” That little joke pops everyone out of their groove, and Taylor laughs, the band laughs, we all laugh together. My friend and I are both glad to learn that My Friend will be left out of the set list in favor of some better-loved-Hicks-composition-holdontoyourloveihope. For now, we are in the Goo, and it is good. Taylor lets it go completely, and his players respond instantly to his every move, glance, nuance, as though they all share the same nervous system. This is slick. And there is so much joyous energy pulsing through them and us, it feels as if the building may rise up off the ground a little. There are some unexpected tags here…”Tell us about the boy from New York City” and “lucky old Sun has nothing to do but just roll around heaven all day.”
7. Looks like My Friend makes it into the set list after all. Loren, smiling and nodding, watches Taylor move on the stage. Taylor is taking great pleasure in his musicians. Taylor Hicks is a band guy. This is a close bunch of people. During the harp solo, Al “Boogie” Carty bops over to face sax man Brian Gallagher (sax, flute), and they have a little enthusiastic dance-off moment before Boogie, grinning, gyrates his way back to his spot. It amazes me that after all this time on the road together, living in that bus together, playing all this music together, this can all still be so fresh and fun for them - and for us, for that matter.
8. Wherever I Lay My Hat – I note a little one-handed bass playing by Boogie. Again, Taylor and Loren seem to be sharing a joke. I’m sorry, but I’ve grown accustomed to seeing jaded, bored-looking players on tour. I’ve just never seen anything like the energy and openness that this group brings. It’s the kind of expression you always wish you could see on stage. It’s deeply satisfying for a fan to see. Hard to articulate.
9. Young Turks – I have a little bit of a problem as he does this song. The young turk he’s singing about is the one I want him to be free to be. It’s the raw, uncensored, rough, road-worn musician who will show up finally on the Florabama stage the next night, in a “shadow-tour” version of his own tour. But the one that shows up for the official show each night is letting them “push him around and change his point of view” to some extent. It’s still beyond great, but it’s not young turk/Florabama great for me. That said, there is no shortage of outstanding playing, and the electricity continues to pulse through the room.
10. The Deal – The momentum comes to a halt. For the first time, each player is in his own head. There is no interaction. I don’t know what it means, but there it is. Maybe you just can’t put out like this all night without some kind of personal time to recover.
11. Gonna Move…but first, Taylor grabs his bottle of water, spins off the cap, pauses, and looks at his audience. “Don’t we all know deep down that it’s tap water?” It is, as hoped, the blues arrangement of Gonna Move, as opposed to the Matt Serletic version. And It Is Good - so good that my notes have become illegible. I can make out the word “bump” (Taylor, standing by Boogie), swings a hip out to bump Boogie’s). And there is something that looks like “Wonder if guitar more comf JOSH! Opens juices on Corona business as jazz for Susanoff!” So, that there is the effect of this performance upon this writer: something between loss of fine motor control, and plain incoherence. By this time, Taylor is drenched. His shirt isn’t just wet; it’s saturated, and dripping, so that sweat flies from his elbows when he moves.
12. Heaven Knows, and I get to participate personally in the “What’d I Say” call/response moment. That was nice. The person to my left (no names, please) becomes overwhelmed by Boogie’s masterful bass playing. He’s on fire, and she is shaking her ass, alternately pointing at him with both hands, and wailing on some wicked air bass. This performance (Boogie’s, that is) does not escape Taylor, either. He calls out “BASS!”, and Boogie steps forward into a KILLER bass solo. The person to my left is….pleased. Or gyrating along with Boogie. Take your pick. This is followed by the man who, with Boogie, lays down the foundation for the whole thing every night. “DRUMS!” shouts Taylor, and Felix Pollard delivers a fine, fine drum solo.
13.The Maze – Boogie is irresistible, and Josh sings along. The set list will reveal the musical tour Taylor took us on here, so I won’t repeat it here. What the set list won’t show is that at one point Loren Gold lifted one hand from the keyboard and reached it out to Taylor. Taylor shook Loren’s hand warmly. He then moved on to each player in the band and shook hands with each of them in turn. Nice moment.
14. Now, The Right Place. Finally, this is done The Right Way. Don’t get me wrong – the man delivers this song well with great consistency. What I mean to say is he finally applies the one performance lesson American Idol had to teach him: place the mic stand front and center, place the mic in its cradle, stand still, and just deliver that vocal with some impressive vocal horsepower. He even very briefly had one hand on the mic, and one on the stand a la “You Are So Beautiful”, which I know made several people very, very happy. Standing still, the feeling of the song is not dissipated by movement around the stage. Instead, it all goes into his body language and gestures, and a whole supplementary visual communication of it is now available to us. He seems to physically push the music from himself with real power, and pin us with it. The fans have waited a very, very long time for this moment. I hope we see more of this standing still stuff, because it does something wonderful to his vocals.
15.Runaround – and now Taylor’s all over the stage again, and the happiness flows between the players. Smiles all around the stage. They are having fun with this one. He segues into Willie Brown Blues, and he’s blowing that harp like he wants to hurt us with it. He’s trying to throw us to the back wall with it.
16. He prepared to exit the stage. Puts the mic down. Starts repeatedly bending and wooing like he’s on American Idol again. Instant buzz-kill.
17. Encore – Take the Long Way Home – Ahhhhh yes. I’ve wanted to hear that harp intro since the Spring tour. Glad I was in the house for this. Felix is brilliant on the drums in this. Taylor really extends himself toward his audience throughout this one. The house lights come up, and the jammed balcony gets special attention here. It’s really unusual and refreshing to see this unabashed gratitude, appreciation, and feeling coming from a performer. The guy really reaches out.
So, overall, a fine, fine show, worth traveling for, though I’m disappointed this was a House of Blues that allowed children. If not, we might have got something a little closer to the show at the Florabama. Personnel aside, I would choose the adult Florabama show over the tour show 10 times out of 10, and twice on Sundays. And from the uproar in the online community today over the Florabama show, that seems to be the consensus amongst the fans. Some day, some day….
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| he is the best!!!!! | |
| | It was just ok for me DAWG. | |
| He puts Elvis, Beatles, Rolling Stones, Police, Sinatra, and Rush to shame. He is a legend in the making. | |
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