Happy 4th of July!

Enjoy your 4th of July! Remember what the day really means and what it has taken to get where we are today.

"Nineteen" from "The Distance" by Taylor Hicks - Video by godhand06

If you have a few extra dollars and want to do something meaningful, why not send a soldier "The Distance", the latest CD from Taylor Hicks. Click here for more information.

Tags: Taylor Hicks, American Idol, Soul Patrol, Grease, RagsQueen, Traveling Circus, Taylor Hicks Community

The Traveling Circus Gets Magic at the Bag

For the Taylor Hicks’ purest, Ferndale, MI was the place to be at a club called the Magic Bag. We were promised an acoustic Taylor and that’s just what we got. Not only that, but this show in my opinion, was the BEST ever – live Taylor Hicks – what he must have been like pre-Idol.

The band was small – Brian Less on the keyboard, John Kulinich on guitar, Jason Parker on bass, and Taylor Hicks on guitar and harmonica. These were ‘his boys’ and Taylor had ‘hand picked them’ for this show. The Magic Bag, a small theater with tables and chairs, seats around 300 patrons with standing room for maybe another 100 in the pit in front of the stage. With a funky cat and big round fabric lanterns, the place was intimately cozy and perfect for this acoustic show. THE show of shows!

The show opened with glad applause and cheers as Taylor entered from the back of the stage and took a seat at the front. Tonight, Taylor Hicks sat while the audience stood near the stage or sat in the seats. With his guitar resting across him, his harmonica case ready on his left, Taylor shouted out “I love Ferndale” and then started the concert off with “The Distance” from his latest CD by the same title.

Per Taylor Hicks, “the next song was off “The Distance” which can be found in any record store!” Not that he was hawking his new CD! “I Live on a Battlefield” followed. With just three guitars and the keyboard, the song had a different sound, and one that I really liked, and actually liked better than when I’ve heard it with the full band. The musical interlude with just the musicians was fantastic and the various guitars could be distinguished from each other which really intensified the sound. Hopefully, we hear this version again – and real soon!

From the first post-Idol CD, “The Runaround”, a song with a drum corps beat, performed acoustically, was a special treat. With Brian on the keys, and Taylor, John and Jason on guitars, no other instruments were necessary. The music was just as funky and Taylor’s voice was better showcased!

The first single from “The Distance”, “What’s Right is Right” is perfect for an acoustic show. Taylor told us that he’d been told us he’d heard it was a great song for weddings, and that “Do I Make You Pride” was a good mother of the bride song! And I have to agree!

Taking from his Beatles collection, Taylor Hicks performed “Don’t Let Me Down”, a song he did frequently during the Season 5 American Idol Tour. The guitars and keyboard kept the song from overpowering Taylor’s voice and Brian’s vocal accompaniment. It was a good choice to add to the acoustic set because of its lyrical simplicity. The musical interlude was a good way to feature Taylor and John on the acoustic guitars.

An early original, “The Deal” is perfect for an acoustic set. Tonight was probably much like hearing the original Taylor, before he became a household name and celebrity. Close your eyes and you can probably hear the song, the guitars playing in harmonic duel without overshadowing each other, but rather in accompaniment and compliment.

Written by a friend, and given to Taylor Hicks when he was about 20, the song is about what happens to many a young man when a former lover gets married. Except this time, the ex-lover gets the bride! The first time performed live, “Wedding Day Blues” thrilled the audience! When he got to the part of the song about “tossing the groom out of the limo and making love to the bride”, he gave us a sly but mischievous look. Amid screams and applause, laughter and fun, one can image how the story might play out if it really did happen to Taylor or one of his friends!

“Once Upon a Lover”, according to Taylor Hicks, was written while in France while he was working on the material for his latest CD. Several times throughout the song did a ‘trrrrrlll’ with his voice. I don’t know how else to describe it! The guitars had a Spanish twang that complimented the theme of the song. And with a Spanish flair, at the very end, Taylor stood up and did a ‘mock fandango’ move. Not just once, but twice! And too quick for me to capture for posterity!

Taylor thanked us for coming, not just to the Magic Bag, but for supporting “Grease” and Detroit! Having a bit of fun with the audience, he asked us what was next. With shouts of various songs, he said we sounded like we were heckling the Penguins, and then Brian said it sounded like the audience shouting out prices of prizes on “The Price is Right”!

The song that brought tears to my eyes, “Nineteen” was next. This wasn’t the first time Taylor Hicks performed it, but this was the best performance. Brian’s keyboard was the most prominent instrument during the song, but I’m sure the guitars were strummed as well. Taylor’s voice was strong, and at the end, he signaled to John to finish the number with a solo guitar.

Paul Pena’s “Gonna Move”, a frequent song on Taylor’s set list, and admittedly his mantra because he’s ‘always on the move’, featured Brian on the keyboard and Jason “the Kid” on bass. Some dueling guitars between Taylor and John would also thrill us. Taylor’s comfort level and guitar skills shined through his ability to hold his own with another equally accomplished guitar player while Brian’s fingers flew across the keyboard at a speed that would rival the fastest race car driver’s! Before it was over, some “Soul Serenade” and “Sugaree” found their way into “Gonna Move”.

Something we should all practice, “Indiscriminate Act(s) of Kindness”, is the perfect song for an encore. But instead, we were treated to this song as part of the main concert. And we heard it first here, at the Magic Bag! Performed predominately with just guitars and Brian singing harmony along with quiet keystrokes, the crowd was remained quiet and mesmerized – as least I was – by Taylor’s voice.

Another new song, “Maybe You Should” was performed before a hushed crowd. Taylor admitted that this song made ‘the hairs on his arms stand up’ the first time he heard the song. And for those of us there, we could understand that statement. With eyes closed and arms resting on his guitar, Taylor sang the song softly and with feeling and emotion. This was a song we’ve waited for since the first shadow tour in January, and it was worth the wait. I hope we will hear it more often. It’s a great song!

The song most recently associated with Taylor Hicks show encores, “My Sweet Lord” was great acoustically as well as giving Taylor a chance to play some harmonica, assuming he had the right harp, that is! Grabbing harmonica after harmonica and testing, Taylor quickly realized he didn’t have the one he needed. Finally making the “A” gesture to Clay Connor, tour manager, and shouting to get him an “A”, Clay ran back stage and came back with the right harp. Taylor poked fun at himself about being the band leader and yet never missed a beat in the song!

“Seven Mile Breakdown”, Taylor’s most recent single for the country stations, was the last song of the main show. At times the guitars were able to give it a country twang like a banjo might have been added to the mix of instruments. Again Brian was singing backgrounds, and for a moment there, I thought the woman who actually did it was singing along as well! Before the song was over Taylor was ‘sucking and blowing’ on his trusty harmonica. Once more Taylor thanked us for coming and bid us good night before leaving the stage.

After a very brief intermission, Taylor came back to give us “Feeling Alright” as the Magic Bag encore. Brian was giving the ivories quite a workout as he played the keyboard. That man can play those keys with such speed that I wonder if the keyboard will catch on fire!

And speaking of fire, during the first couple of songs, I would swear I saw smoke coming out from behind Taylor! I’m sure it was just the lighting but for a couple of moments….

Almost as quickly as Taylor took the stage, security was scouring the crowd making sure NO video was being taken. For that, I’m very sorry, because this was THE show to video tape. Pictures without flash were fine, so you will have to enjoy those shots included throughout the recap and at the link below.

Tonight, it was all about the music. Pure. Unadulterated. Raw. Gritty. Emotional. Intimate. Taylor was in his element. His comfort zone. Into his music. If you were there, you know what I mean. If you missed it, well….I’m truly sorry.

Pictures from The Magic Bag

Tags: Taylor Hicks, American Idol, Soul Patrol, Grease, Magic Bag, RagsQueen, Traveling Circus, Taylor Hicks Community

Taylor Hicks as Teen Angel - Happy Anniversary!

Courtesy of TMO & Soul Connection

One year ago, Taylor Hicks surprised by taking the role of Teen Angel in the Broadway production of "Grease"! Many of us traveled to New York City to enjoy this one-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Or so we thought!

Then last fall, Taylor Hicks announced he would be reprising his role as Teen Angel in the touring cast of "Grease" with many stops across the country and a stop in Canada. And recently Taylor Hicks let us know his contract extends to June 2010. That's a lot of time spent in a blue sequined suit with angel wings, gray pompadour in an ice cream come above the stage floor!

Taylor Hicks says he is enjoying the role, and that the "Grease" tour is allowing him the opportunity to add his style to Teen Angel as well as sing one of his singles from his latest CD, "The Distance". For the first part of the tour, he sang "What's Right is Right" after the "Grease" encore, and now he sings "Seven Mile Breakdown".

So enjoy a clip of the touring "Grease", courtesy of the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle, Washington!

5th Avenue Theatre - Taylor Hicks Grease Montage

Tags: Taylor Hicks, American Idol, Soul Patrol, Grease, RagsQueen, Traveling Circus, Taylor Hicks Community

The Traveling Circus Keeps the Triple Door Open

The Emerald City, the Rain City, the Gateway to Alaska, the home of the Mariners and Seahawks, the birthplace of Starbucks and UPS, and the location of the Triple Door – Seattle was the place to be to see Taylor Hicks. From around the country, the Traveling Circus flew into town to catch the show, and what a show it was!

The Triple Door was a fantastic venue for an intimate club show. Dinner and drinks before the show, plenty of time to chat with friends and neighbors. The food was what I’d call Asian, served with rice and vegetables cooked with garlic and ginger. My pea pods were exquisite! And those princess prawns – I recommend them! Excellent service from friendly staff as well. But enough about the food!

The place was quite interesting. There are four rows of four half-moon booths that seat four persons each. Behind each row of booths are long tables that seat parties of varying numbers, as well as a row of single-seat tables at the foot of the stage! Tables line the sides so that there is no bad seat anywhere because everyone faces the stage! There’s also seating in the bar area if all you want to do is listen. There was an upper level that could look down on the stage, but appeared to have limited seating.

Since my reservation was for one, the hostess asked if it would be fine to seat me with other guests. Sure, no problem. I was led to my seat at table 6, front row, at the foot of the stage just a little left of center. What a treat because I was seated with other fans I have met during my travels. You might say, there were a lot of members of the Traveling Circus there for Taylor Hicks!

The opening act was Keri Noble, a very talented singer-songwriter from Minneapolis. With just her voice and a keyboard, she entertained the crowd and warmed us up for Taylor. Her music was pleasing to listen to, and I’m sorry to say, I didn’t get one of her albums. She’s the kind of entertainer one would enjoy while curled up in front of a fire with a glass of a nice mellow wine, just listening to her music without the desire to move. Keri was one of the best opening acts I’ve seen Taylor use in quite a while – actually her style and music reminded me of Michael Warren, another Birmingham musician that had the opportunity to open for Taylor during his 2007 Spring Tour.

Following a brief intermission, the house lights grew dimmer and Taylor’s band took the stage before a full house – the show was sold out! After a few warm-up bars, Taylor Hicks took the stage and “The Distance” was the opening song. Wearing the usual gray shirt now covered with a gray vest, black jeans and boots, silver hair glistening, Taylor Hicks owned the stage and would continue to do for the next hour and a half! “The Distance” was a great song to open with, a way to bridge the gap between all people whether at the show or just in the world in general. With a shout out to “Seattle” and grinning ear to ear, Taylor knew he had an audience that was ready to be entertained, to hear him sing and enjoy an evening of good music!

Continuing with his latest album and the first single, “What’s Right is Right” was next. A wonderful song about love in its purest form, performed live, transforms into the memory of the music video that accompanied the single’s release. Taylor sings with heart-felt emotion and passion, leaving the listener knowing that this is the type of love that Taylor is looking for and desires.

From his first album, “Taylor Hicks”, tonight would feature “Heaven Knows” and “The Maze” with lots of other songs tagged within them. “Ain’t it Funky” and “Inner City Blues” found their way into “Heaven Knows” while “That’s Where it’s At” and “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoe” were included with “The Maze”. For over ten minutes Taylor continued without stopping to even gulp a drink of water! Two funky songs with lots of dancing and pure energy!

What Taylor could easily call his own mantra, “Gonna Move” was dedicated to the memory of its writer, Paul Pena. Taylor cracked his own joke about moving, ‘gonna move to where...’! A standard of Taylor’s from his early bar days, is still just as fresh today as it was then. “Old Weakness” was also incorporated into the song before it was over. Also, one of the musicians from “Grease” joined the band for the song, Josh was all I caught. Taylor was going to play his guitar but the guest was using Taylor’s amp, so he had to put his guitar back down and shouted out ‘guitar players’ to get the crowd to laugh!

From the recent album, Bobby Womack’s “Woman’s Gotta Have It” was next. From the first time I heard it live including the recorded version, I find this song is perfect for Taylor’s voice and style. Hopefully, one day we will get to see Elliot Yamin join Taylor on stage to perform it as a duet!

It’s always nice when Taylor performs one of his earlier works, such as “The Deal”. With a big standard guitar, one that almost looks like it might overtake him, Taylor plays his own simple accompaniment to the song.

The bonus track from the Wal-Mart release “Hide Nor Hair” was a crowd pleaser! The young woman sitting with her husband on my left remarked afterwards that “Hide Nor Hair” was her new favorite! It’s been one of mine since the first time I heard Taylor perform it before “The Distance” was officially released! Taylor definitely does Ray Charles proud with his version – I’m sure Ray smiles down on him every time he performs it!

For those who’ve found love and lost it, “I Live on a Battlefield” might bring back those less happy memories. But as Taylor Hicks sings, those memories quickly fade as watching Taylor brings smiles to the faces and hearts of the listeners.

Almost an hour later, the show end with “Seven Mile Breakdown”, almost eight minutes of pure country rock pleasure! Watching Taylor play the guitar during this song made me wonder if his fingers might bleed from the sheer speed with which he played! While this version wasn’t as ‘country’ as the latest single mix is, it’s still a great song performed live, and one that serves Taylor well in his set list.

After a few minutes to catch his breath, Taylor came back for one more song, George Harrison’s, “My Sweet Lord”. I love Taylor’s version which seems faster and maybe a bit jazzier than the original, but definitely a great listen! That is definitely one song I would love to know why it was chosen for the encore (not that it really matters) and one that I look forward to hearing again real soon!

Leaving the stage one last time, the house lights came up and everyone was ushered out the door because the parking lot next door was closing at midnight – not because we would all be turning into pumpkins! Several of us stayed behind to compare notes on the performance, chat with other guests who found Taylor’s performance to be amazing, or just try to figure out where to find some of the many pictures that were taken during the show! For now, the Traveling Circus just needs a little rest before the next adventure, so until then, enjoy the pictures and video that can be found below!

Triple Door Photos

ETA: More fantastic Triple Door pictures courtesy of 4tay

Tags: Taylor Hicks, American Idol, Soul Patrol, Grease, RagsQueen, Traveling Circus, Taylor Hicks Community

Remembering Our Military

On this Memorial Day, remember to take time to thank our military for their unfailing sacrifice for our freedom and say a silent prayer for those who have given their all.

While you celebrate the holiday with picnics, bar-be-ques, family and friends, enjoy the following version of "Nineteen", performed by Taylor Hicks at the Roxy on Sunset which was written by Tom Hambridge, Gary Nicholson, Gary and Jeffrey Steele after the September 11 attack on the World Trade Towers.

The story of a young man, only 19, with the opportunity to play football for Tennessee, who chose instead to enlist in our armed forces to fright for our freedom. Whether he saves another soldier and loses his own life or survives to return home to a hero's welcome is open to interpretation. No matter how you think it ends, it's a wonderful story and tribute to the men and women of our Armed Forces.

To them, I say "Thank You". May you be safe this day and every day that you selflessly serve our great nation.

Tags: Taylor Hicks, American Idol, Soul Patrol, Grease, RagsQueen, Traveling Circus, Taylor Hicks Community

Happy Mother's Day

Wishing all you ladies a Happy Mother's Day!

Myspace Graphics, Mother's Day Graphics at WishAFriend.com

Tags: Taylor Hicks, American Idol, Soul Patrol, Grease, RagsQueen, Traveling Circus, Taylor Hicks Community

Seven Mile Breakdown - The Video

While Taylor Hicks is making his debut on the Country stations, he's also giving us another great video! Here Taylor is with his latest single, "Seven Mile Breakdown", which was filmed just a few short weeks ago.



Tags: Taylor Hicks, American Idol, Soul Patrol, Grease, RagsQueen, Traveling Circus, Taylor Hicks Community