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Purely by the numbers it was four shows in two weeks, 841 miles on the ground, 966 miles in the air, one emergency landing preparation, 3 hours sleep in one 48 hour period, McDonald’s on Route 84 at 1:48am, an amazing 6 piece band, and 1 singer who made us do it all. Welcome to the “never fear, we’ll find the energy somewhere” tour!
During a two week period this month, my dear friend and ultimate traveling companion, Linda and I traveled to four cities in the northeast to see Taylor Hicks. We’ve both been following Taylor since his American Idol win in 2006, and last year we began traveling together, a musical Thelma and Louise if you will. In our now five years of following Taylor, we’ve both had weeks where we’ve attended multiple shows. But for some reason, none could touch this group of four as far as the absolute joy and exhilaration they provided. Each show had a completely different vibe and each time we came away saying hell yeah, let’s do it again!
While it’s impossible to communicate a show’s feel in writing or by a single video or audio clip, I thought I’d share some “tales from the road” and show moments that will stick with me. I’d like to thank Taylor and the amazing band he’s put together – Leif Bondarenko, Sam Gunderson, David Keith, Brian Less, Jeff Lopez and Brandon Peeples – for the music and the laughter. Keep rocking boys! We can’t wait to see you all again!
Ogunquit, ME – May 8, 2011
Though it was still off-season in this coastal Maine tourist town, the venue was packed. Jonathan’s is a very small, intimate room where you get to experience the music up close and personal. The show was a little low key, which we sort of expected, but still a lot of fun. My weakness is harp, so here are a couple of clips.
Palace Theater, Greensburg, PA – May 14, 2011
Greensburg was the first leg of the “it’s do-able” weekend. We took a very early morning flight from Boston to Pittsburgh and then drove an hour to the western PA town of Greensburg and the Palace Theater where Taylor and the boys rocked the house. A new cover, “My City Was Gone,” debuted in Akron the night before, and had us all dancing in our seats. The song featured great sax by Jeff Lopez and the driving beats of Leif Bondarenko on drums and David Keith on congas/bongos.
The show’s encore was a moment of indescribable joy for those in attendance. Taylor sat down with his guitar, and with accompaniment by Brian Less on piano, Brandon Peeples on upright bass, and Jeff Lopez on sax, sang a love letter to his home state of Alabama, so recently torn apart by killer tornadoes. This version of “Where I’m From” will forever be burned into my memory and my heart.
City Winery, NYC – May 15, 2011
This was the “no, we can’t do it we’re in PA on Saturday and we have to be back in MA for Monday morning” show. We were sticking with this “no we can’t do it” decision until after the Jonathan’s show when it suddenly became “do-able.” We flew from Pittsburgh and were scheduled to land in Boston at 2:19pm. As we were making our approach to Boston, we were informed that we needed to prepare for an emergency landing. Due to a mechanical issue, we would be landing at a much higher rate of speed than was desirable. So, we practiced the brace position and both Linda and I comforted our nervous seat mates. I am not a comfortable flyer, and yet I was perfectly at ease and perfectly at peace with what was going on. Afterward, Linda expressed the same feeling and we decided that the statement, “they died doing what they loved,” would have been uttered among the Taylor Hicks fandom if things had gone horribly wrong. In the end, brace positions were not needed and we had one of the smoothest landings I’ve ever experienced. That drama behind us, we were on the road to SoHo, arriving at the City Winery a little more than a half hour before show time.
The show that Taylor and the boys put on, benefitting the Red Cross tornado disaster relief, was one we were glad we didn’t miss. We knew all along that this would be THE show of the tour as Taylor always seems to kick it up a notch in NYC. To quote him that night, “in New York City you really know you’re alive.”
The entire show was streamed live on PanicStream, and you can still listen there. If you haven’t, you should! http://panicstream.net/streams/taylor_hicks/2011_05_15/player.html
Every song seemed to be THE moment of the night. They all seemed new and fresh even though long time fans have heard them before. This is the mark of a true musician/showman and a great band! But I need to call out the show’s encore. “Naked in the Jungle,” with guest guitarist Jamie McLean joining the band, was alone worth every mile we traveled. This jam blew the roof off and if it doesn’t make you want to get up and dance, well you better check your pulse!
We arrived back in MA just before 4am on Monday and I found my way into my bed at 4:40 with the birds chirping, the sun coming up, and a stupid grin on my face.
Bull Run, Shirley, MA – May 20, 2011
An interesting little venue in the small town of Shirley, MA was the location for the last of our shows. We had no idea what to expect here, but we should have known that the last night of the tour would rock. It did, and then some. Taylor and the boys pulled out all the stops, taking some old standbys to new levels of jam.
There were two songs we had never seen live and were hoping for before the end of this tour. We got them both. First was our favorite new cover, Van Morrison’s “Rough God Goes Riding.” About halfway through the show, we got our wish and the entire place knew how happy we were! And no, we’re not the least bit embarrassed by our enthusiasm!
The second was, “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking,” which got the crowd rocking. Pay attention to hard working percussionist David Keith in the back. Linda and I can’t say enough about what this new addition has added to the band.
The last video from Bull Run was something that happened after the show, but its origins were during the show. There was a soldier who was supposed to be there with his friends/family. When Taylor introduced the song “19″, a song about a fallen soldier he dedicates to the troops, he asked if he was there yet. They said no. He said, “well, if he shows up we’ll just do it again.” The show ended and he got behind the table to meet people, take pictures and sign autographs. The family/friends came up to him and had their picture taken with him. Then I heard him say, “well here’s what we’re gonna do.” He looked around and started yelling for his music director Brian Less. Brian reappeared and Taylor said, “okay, if he shows and my bus is still here you’re gonna bring him on the bus and we’re gonna do the song.” A while later we were downstairs at the pub and some of my friends saw the soldier arrive and head to the bus. A little later when the band came down to the pub, sax player Jeff Lopez said, “that was a real nice thing Taylor did.” Yes Jeff, it was.
This video, posted yesterday, Memorial Day, makes me very proud to be a fan.
Music can be a singular or shared experience. For me, it’s best shared with good friends who not only enjoy the ride with you while you’re there, but can bring you back there at a moment’s notice. There was definitely some sadness as the two weeks ended. But in addition to the audio and video that’s been amassed from these shows, we have our own snippets of joy that we gathered along the way and will continue to share with each other until the next show, and probably well beyond.
