Review: James Taylor Delivers Fresh, Satisfying Show

James Taylor walked to the Pinnacle Bank Arena stage Saturday night, picked up an acoustic guitar, sat on a stool and began to pick up the opening riff of "Something in the Way She Moves".

"That's not the oldest song I wrote, but it's the oldest song I'm willing to play in public," said ending the melody and the beginning of a story, one of many he spoke of songs during both set, 2 hours, 15 minutes concert.



"Something in the Way She Moves", he said, was the song audition for Apple Records in London played by Paul McCartney, who will be on the stage next month, and George Harrison.

Then continued the story - while he was there, he came to be a "fly on the wall" during the recording of "The Beatles" aka "The White Album", but he got homesick. That led him to write "Carolina in My Mind", which was one of the highlights of the first series as Taylor was mainly accompanied by her four backup singers arranged beautifully in one of his early hits version.

"Sweet Baby James", he said, was written for a newborn nephew before he and his crack six bands piece of pros - including "Blue" Lou Marini of Blues Brothers fame on sax - closed the first set with Carole King "You've Got a Friend".

Returning 20 minutes later, Taylor signed autographs in front of the stage and spoke to the fans for a few minutes while the band vamped on the opening riff of "stretch of road."

Taylor did not speak much in the second half of the show. But when he did, --- introduction of "Up on the Roof" was moving, as a tribute to his late lyricist.

"We lost Gerry (Goffin) yesterday," Taylor said. "I'll think on it a bit as I sing Carole and Gerry melody."

Taylor, 66, was in good voice throughout, the band was excellent and arrangements for old cool songs - becoming the best example, "Steamroller" serious Chicago blues delivered with enthusiasm, the highlight of the set of number two.

Taylor also had good things to say about the sand, calling it a "beautiful place" near the end of the series and comment before, "This place was not here last time I was here, last 10 to 12 years. It's a nice spot. Spacious. "

I guess Taylor was referring to the size of the building, allowing more than 10,000 people saw Sunday - 3,500 more than he saw in his 2002 Pershing Center sold-out show.

But he turned impressively sand in a listening room.

There was talk in the audience around me on Saturday, and the crowd singalong resisted the temptation that often affects Entertainment - I really do not want to hear the person next to me singing hits from an artist, thanks.

In fact, Taylor had to encourage people to come to the front of the stage and sing the chorus of "How Sweet It Is," the first song of the encore thre-tune.

The show ended with "Wild Mountain Thyme", an old Scottish folk song that welcomes the summer, a perfect seal on a midsummer night completely meet with Taylor and his band well.