James Taylor and the All-Star Band brought his distinctive voice and cozy lyrics to Acrisure Arena on Wednesday night, taking fans on a journey through decades of storytelling, nostalgia and mellow brilliance.
Taylor, 77, began the 120-minute set with “Wandering,” a cover of Jr. Walker & the All-Stars’ “(I’m a) Road Runner” and “Walking Man.” After asking if it was correct to say Palm Springs or Palm Desert, he chose the latter in response to some screams from the crowd, and said the setlist featured some “traveling songs,” adding that most of the songs were about travel because “you write what you know.”
Standing on a stage that resembled a small theater with attractive arch-positioned lighting, Taylor was backed by an extensive band that included a horn section featuring famed saxophonist Lou Marini, drummer Chad Wackerman and backing vocalist and Palm Springs resident Arnold McCuller, to name a few. The group played many classics such as “Walking Man,” “Mexico” and “Carolina in My Mind.”
Taylor took time between songs to share stories and explain the meaning behind each piece, often injecting some humor with a joke.
Perhaps the most funny moment, however, was when he removed his suit jacket and many in the crowd began to scream, prompting him to remark, “Wow, you’re really starved for entertainment. Maybe later I’ll take out my teeth.” As he prepared to play another song, Taylor adjusted his stool and quipped, “The doctor told me I’d have a hard time moving my stool.”
One of the more interesting stories he shared was about the song “Only Dream in Rio.” He explained that it was inspired by his experience performing at the Rock in Rio festival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1985, which took place just before the return of civilian rule after the 21-year rule of the military junta. The performance of that song was accompanied by an animated video of various scenes of the city.
Taylor also performed covers of Carole King’s songs “Up on the Roof” and “You’ve Got A Friend.” The two singers have collaborated over the years and coheadlined a 2010 reunion tour celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Troubadour in Los Angeles, where both had played in the 1960s. While King’s covers have their signature sound, Taylor is one of many to put his spin on “You’ve Got A Friend,” giving it a welcome calming and emotional aura of its own.
James Taylor ended with an extensive encore
Towards the final stretch of the set, Taylor performed his 1970 hit “Fire and Rain” and many in the crowd began to leave, but Taylor wasn’t done and continued on with “(I’ve Got To) Stop Thinkin’ Bout That,” a powerful and moving performance of “Shed A Little Light,” “Shower The People” and “Your Smiling Face.”
The crowd thinned out more before Taylor returned for a three-song encore featuring “Steamroller,” a cover of Marvin Gaye’s “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)” and “You Can Close Your Eyes,” the latter of which was a duet with his son and backing vocalist Henry Taylor.
Even though the setlist didn’t differ from the opening of the tour on May 5 in Phoenix, it doesn’t need to change on a nightly basis — it’s perfect as is for fans in each city. At one point, he even held up what appeared to be a large sheet of paper, likely the setlist, covered in plastic after joking about forgetting what the next song was.
Considering Taylor has been in the music industry for over 50 years, his impressive performance on Wednesday proved he still can entertain audiences, and that his songs still carry weight.
As someone who has seen many performers from Taylor’s generation in recent years who struggle vocally, Taylor’s voice has been affected by age, but is still better than most, and he can still deliver on classics such as “Fire and Rain” and “Carolina On My Mind.”
That’s what makes him an icon.
Brian Blueskye covers arts and entertainment for the Desert Sun. He can be reached at brian.blueskye@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Review: James Taylor jokes about taking his teeth out at nostalgic Acrisure Arena concert
Reporting by Brian Blueskye, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
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