A Year Ago Today – July 2007

This is a new feature that will highlight fan videos of a Taylor Hicks performance during his Summer Concert in 2007 – one year ago today.  Be sure to view the videos full screen by clicking on the little box of arrows on the bottom right of the video.

Goshen,IN – July 23, 2007

Indiana has the blues – by Diane

By the time the concert started, there were 4,000 people in the stands and seats at Elkhart County Fair.  Here is another wonderful version of “HOTYL – Part II”, as LindaT has dubbed the tagging that Taylor does on this song.  I loved the juxtaposition of Taylor and Josh on the “Lonely Avenue” tag as Taylor’s voice mimics Josh’s outstanding guitar solo.

Marksville, LA – July 21, 2007

“Louisiana, 1927″ by Taylorbug

“Louisiana 1927″ was Taylor’s encore. I didn’t have a good seat for the concert but when I knew it was time for the encore, I was able to scoot right up to the foot of the stage. People were being noisy around me but they still couldn’t spoil the magic of that song. I enjoyed seeing the emotion in his face as he played the guitar and the harp. My memory card got full so I didn’t get the whole song. I loved the fact that since he was in Louisiana, he treated us to a special song.

NYC “Heart Full of Soul” Book Signing – July 15, 2007

 

  

St. Louis, MO – July 13, 2007

Here Comes the Sun – by Twitter

I’ll always remember my Triangular Taylor trip….from Indianapolis to Waukegan to St Louis and home again; highlighted on a road map, it makes almost a perfect triangle.  I drove by myself from Waukegan to St Louis, just to experience sitting on the front row for once.  I must say, I do love front row seats.  Taylor was amazing, as usual.    
 

After the concert, I made the fateful decision to drive on home that night, which led me around to the back of the building…and there was Taylor signing autographs! I asked him to sign my Triangular Taylor journey map, and he started talking!  
 

I do remember telling Taylor that now I had to drive all the way home…because he wouldn’t come to Indianapolis! He said he would see what he could do about coming to Indy. Then he said, “Be careful going home.”  Taylor Hicks told me to be careful going home!  I think I floated all the way back to Indiana.

Waukegan, IL – July 12, 2007

The Fall – by Samz

When the Waukegan concert was announced, I got my ticket and amazingly won a meet and greet. My kids wanted me to take them to my meet and greet, and since they all have disabilities, I thought there was a slight chance I could get them in. But, it didn’t happen. I was ready with Plan B, and had taken a photo of my kids along. I had Bill take a photo, of Taylor holding my kids picture. Taylor probably thought I was insane! He and Bill were both surprised that they didn’t let the kids in with me. Maybe next time.

The concert was amazing!  I had 2 memory cards and thought that would be more than enough. Imagine my panic, when the first one ran out after the third song! I had to capture Hold On To Your Love because I love that song, especially with the Day-O tags. This was the first night he did Here Comes The Sun, and I loved it, even though he just repeated the first verse over and over. The highlight for me was Take Me To The Pilot. I had never seen him do that song live and it is my favorite Elton John song! (OK, after Levon…) My memory card ran out just before the end of Pilot, but I was happy to get as much as I did. Next time, I will be prepared with bigger memory cards!

 

Loudoun County, VA – July 8, 2007

Getting Wet with the Jet Set – by Diane

 

This concert was intense musically, with very high energy.  I think perhaps we were able to see something of the way Taylor’s mind works when he tags.  About halfway though the show, which was close to Dulles Airport near Washington DC, Taylor spotted a jet taking off, sang “big ole jet airliner” and pointed to the plane in the sky.  Later, during “The Maze” he tagged the “jet set” stanza from Van’s “St. Dominic’s Preview.”  Still later, he chose “Take Me To The Pilot” as the encore, which was not on the planned setlist. Maybe these choices were all coincidences, I don’t know.

 

At the encore, suddenly Taylor stopped singing TI2TS and said, not singing, about 4 times – “Take Me to the Pilot, Take Me to the Pilot”. I think the band is thinking okay it’s TI2TS and they are done and not paying any attention to what Taylor is saying. All of a sudden, Loren’s eyes flew wide open and you could see the realization on his face that Taylor is trying to sing “Take Me to the Pilot.” So in about 3 notes, the entire band turns 360 degrees and goes directly into TMTTP without a blink. Taylor didn’t come to the ropes after the concert, but the whole band did.  I said to Loren, ”Nice catch on TMTTP” and he cracked up and said “We never know what’s going to happen – that came out of no where!” Josh started laughing and said the same thing. I think they love him as much as we do.            

 

Glen Allen, VA – July 7, 2007

Hot and Hawt! – by Diane           

 

 Glen Allen is near Richmond VA and the day of this show, the temperature reached 100 degrees!  The heat was nothing compared to what happened on stage.  This was my first outdoor Taylor Hicks concert and it was great to see him relaxed and so comfortably happy.  He chatted a little, not too much, but he was in a great mood, flinging towels, drumsticks and harmonicas into the audience, throwing the tambourine over his shoulder to the back of the stage and dropping the microphone down like it was too hot to handle. “TI2TS”, the encore, started innocently enough, but then Taylor grabbed a harp he hadn’t thrown in the audience yet, shushed the band twice, began to blow some incredible train notes and then did something with his tongue on that harmonica that reduced the entire female contingent of the audience to puddles. 

Hagerstown, MD – July 6, 2007

“Happier With Him” by Bernie

 The Maryland Theatre was a very beautiful venue. Taylor was presented with the key to the city before the show in a small ceremony. It was televised on the local news. He also signed autographs for the crowd while he was out. I was lucky enough to have 5th row seats due to a great friend, Tricia. The show was longer than most, probably close to two hours. Taylor was energetic and talkative the entire time. There were so many great songs and great tags that night. Taylor did this very moving version of “Happier With Him” as one of the encores.

A Year Ago Today – June 2007

Spartansburg, SC – June 29, 2007

Red, White and Boom by Taylorbug

The concert was wonderful and Taylor wanted to play right up until time for the fireworks. He was very skinny because it was late in the summer and those soul aerobics had done their job. He was so chatty and sweet and accessible after the show, more so than I have ever experienced before or since. He had no security and he came out drinking sweet tea and eating a barbeque sandwich. He just visited, talking about food and where to eat breakfast. I had brought my 6 year old grandson and 3 year old granddaughter. Taylor squatted down and listened to them with his arm around them. He autographed a Hello Kitty doll for Aly, my granddaughter. He saw me wearing the Modern Whomp hat and he said, “You want me to sign that for you?” Duh, Sure. So he signed it while I was wearing it. We talked some about Whomp . I got a hug and a handshake. It was just so informal and it was an up close encounter with a sweet, caring guy. Those really are his true colors.

 
      

Six Flags over Georgia, Atlanta – June 28, 2008

“See, I’m with you!”  by Robin4T

You might think the thunderstorm that brought an abrupt end to this concert after only 8 ½ songs surely ruined the evening for the fans. But as someone who survived that soaking, I don’t think so. Looking back, I actually treasure the whole crazy memory and can’t really think about it without laughing out loud.

 

Of course I do realize that being present for this playful, unexpected rendition of Somehow has a great deal to do with my happy memory of the evening. Somehow had long been my favorite of Taylor’s early originals, but I had not seen him perform it live before. It was the 8th song of the set and the rain had just begun to fall. Although the stage had a covering that kept the band relatively dry (until things got brutal), the audience was completely unprotected. And nobody was prepared for rain, as we were in the midst of the worst draught in decades and there was no rain in the forecast. But rain it did. And Taylor’s spontaneous and light-hearted response to that whole circumstance was among the most genuinely charming displays I’ve ever witnessed.

 

So it was worth having a wet camera. And it was worth being soaked to the skin in a white linen blouse and fearing lightning would strike me and having everything in my purse soaked and having my watch stop from being wet. It was even worth having people look at me like I was a freak when I stopped for gas a few miles down the road (where there had been NO rain) and got out to pump gas, dripping all over the pavement and looking as if I had just gone swimming in my clothes. Yep. It was worth all of that.

 

Atlantic City, NJ – June 24, 2007

Taylor appeared on stage in his faded Ray LaM T-shirt and torn jeans.  He said the band had traveled all over the country and they were exhausted, but they were going to try and give us a good show.  And did they ever!  The entire band must have dug deep and found energy that blew the roof off the House of Blues! The most remarkable thing about this concert came at the end of the Runaround, when Taylor pulled a fan, Chelena, out of the audience to sing with him on stage.  What resulted that evening has to be the greatest gift Taylor Hicks ever gave a fan.

Council Bluffs, IA – June 21, 2007

Don’t Let Me Down – by Denv

For the second show at this casino, Taylor sang “Don’t Let Me Down” with the red guitar adding a terrific sax solo by Brian Gallagher.

Council Bluffs, IA – June 20, 2007

“Long Distance Love” by Denv

The two shows in Council Bluffs were among my favorites. They were in a very intimate setting. The crowd was receptive and enthusiastic and Taylor was unusually chatty.  At the encore, Taylor brought out the stool and mesmerized the audience with Long Distance Love and The Fall. During LDL, the audience listened quietly and intently. Taylor’s rendition was amazing, beautiful and touching and grabbed the audience’s attention immediately.

Hyannis, MA – June 17, 2007

The next day, Taylor sang HOTYL again.  At the Hyannis concert, we saw the band members showcased prominently.  Josh Smith and Felix Pollard get an opportunity to positively shine in this performance!  Notice how Taylor sings “Lonely Avenue” to Josh’s guitar!  I love the band dynamics in this video.

Hearing the sound check earlier that day, we were treated to “Levon.” The set list included “Levon” as the encore.  Unfortunately, at the end of the concert, Taylor announced that his bass player was becoming sick from the rotating stage and they needed to cut the concert a little short.  We still have the treat of hearing “Levon” in concert someday!

 

Cohasset, MA – June 16, 2007

Hold On To Your Love, Cohasset — “Does Massachusetts Have the Blues?” by LindaT

Hold On to Your Love in Cohasset is quite simply one of the most brilliant performances of the summer tour. Taylor has a unique gift as a live performer of opening himself, crossing fearlessly over an unseen line of vulnerability in order to be moved by something larger than he. Van Morrison, one of Taylor’s musical heroes, also disappears into the music during a live performance, but in doing so, often disappears into himself as well, leaving the audience to fend for themselves. Taylor allows himself to be moved but with an open quality that invites us along for the journey.

Hold On to Your Love in Cohasset, then, is the epitome of Taylor being possessed, owned, shaken to the core by the music, and then passing that gift along to us. Listen especially for scatting, and for tags of “The Banana Boat Song”, “The Tide is High”, “Graceland”, “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes”, “You Can’t Trust Your Neighbor”, and “Lonely Avenue”. Humor, radiance, joy, intensity – it’s all there. Let yourself go and enjoy the ride!