Having been on the road for over six decades, James Taylor is almost the perfect example of a singer/songwriter who just won’t retire from touring. Judging by his crowds, there’s a good reason he won’t quit the road – they won’t let him. At 78 years old, Taylor kicked off this leg of his summer tour to a nearly sold out crowd at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts in Bethel, New York on June 18.
Billed simply as a night with James Taylor, the evening featured Taylor and his All Star band doing two sets without any support act. Not like he needs a support act as Taylor has an enormous catalogue of material, but ironically, his set lists really haven’t changed all that much over the last decade. Very early on in Bethel, Taylor took to the mic to let his adoring fans know that a decent amount of the set would be songs associated with recovery. For decades, Taylor has sung about his recovery from issues ranging from drug addiction to mental health and more. “whenever You’re Ready” – an ode to the sometimes difficult task of maintaining sobriety – was an early showcase of Taylor’s unique voice barely losing any ground at this stage of the game. His physical appearance may look like that of a 78 year old man, but his voice is still as rich as it was in the 70’s and 80’s.
While his songs tell great stories on their own, Taylor is also a candid storyteller when interacting between cuts. Using his own slightly distorted sense of humor, Taylor recalled how he wrote the song “Rainy Day Man” as a love letter to his drug dealer at the time, with the song now having a different effect on him after getting sober. Easily one of his most optimistic songs, “That’s Why I’m Here,” from his 1985 comeback album, was another early highlight with Taylor proudly singing the lyrics he wrote about overcoming his heroin addiction. Being able to take one’s own troubles, overcome them, and take that experience and turn it into an art form to share with the world is one of the truest qualities of a strong songwriter.
Not all the songs were about recovery. In fact, he would use humor to introduce several songs including “Line ‘Em Up,” a song that Taylor feels most people view as political because it references former President Richard Nixon. “I never thought I’d hear myself saying I miss Richard Nixon,” Taylor deadpanned before breaking into the well-received number. A fun, sing-along section followed with the two-shot of “Shower the People,” – which featured a nice showcase on background singer Dorian Holley – and his version of Jimmy Jones’ “Handy Man,” again with Taylor’s voice in top form.
A bluesy “Steamroller” was a highlight, showcasing Taylor’s top tier band including guitarist Michael Landau, pianist Larry Goldings, drumming powerhouse Chad Wackerman, and saxophonist Lou Marini from the original Blues Brothers movie. There were three background singers as well including the previously mentioned Holley and Taylor’s own son, Henry. It’s a band that helps give the songs life instead of letting them come off as dark and sometimes depressing.
The night also featured several cover songs that have come to be associated with Taylor, including a beautiful version of Carole King’s “Up on the Roof.” Two of his most well known songs were used to bring the main set to a close – a poignant “Carolina In My Mind,” and his ode to watching addiction destroy a friend, “Fire and Rain.” After nearly 60 years, Taylor sings “Fire and Rain” more like a tribute to getting out of that dark world rather than just singing it for the crowd without any real emotion behind it. Once again showing how Taylor’s songs can take on new life decades after being first recorded.
The encore section was three songs which included his famous cover of Marvin Gaye’s “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You),” which along with “Mexico” from the first set were two of the evening’s most upbeat numbers. Ending the night with the age-appropriate “Secret of Life,” Taylor exited the Bethel Woods stage knowing that his life experiences have become songs that are embedded in people’s hearts and have become part of American music that will never go away. For someone who by all accounts is lucky to be here today, how sweet that feeling must truly be.
SETLIST:
That’s Why I’m Here
T-Bone
Mexico
Line ‘Em Up
Millworker
Never Die Young
Shower the People
Steamroller
Copperline
Carolina in My Mind
Fire and Rain
Up on the Roof (Carole King cover)
Country Road
Encore:
Shed a Little Light
How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You) (Marvin Gaye cover)
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