The Traveling Circus Visits the Music Circus

It’s was a great day for flying from Elmira to Boston via Philadelphia! I was still jazzed from the concert the night before and ready to get to my next fix. Once I was on the ground in Boston, I collected my luggage and picked up the rental car and traveling companion. My plans were to drive to Cohasset for Saturday and then on to Hyannis on Sunday for the third show of the week-end.

Now if you are from the south, you are probably quite used to street markings and directional signs that make sense. I don’t know who planned the highway and street marking in Massachusetts, but they would do well to take a few lessons! As to getting lost and taking forever to find my way out of Boston, I’m placing the blame there. Can I also blame the Yahoo! maps I had? A notation said something like .5 miles when it should have said 5 miles! That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!

When I was making hotel reservations for the Cohasset show, many of the local hotels were full! Where might I find a room was becoming the general response to ‘No Vacancy’. Finally, an inn in Scituate was found, and I would be staying at ‘The Inn in Scituate Harbor’. Now on the map I had, I questioned the harbor part when it appeared that there was no water anywhere close by. I was wrong! From my room I had the view of the harbor with the boats anchored in the harbor! It was really a beautiful sight. The inn was quaint, as was the town center which was just around the bend in the road.

After the Yahoo! maps fiasco, we decided to get directions from the desk. That was the best thing! She wrote down very concise directions (and much easier than what Yahoo! had) and left them on the counter when she took a quick break. In just a few minutes we pulled into the parking lot of the Music Circus. The venue consists of a circus tent structure with seats around a round revolving stage. The tent had flaps that could be up or down, depending on the weather and temperature. For tonight, the tent flaps were down. There are building for concessions, souvenirs, and restrooms. Lots of ladies’ room facilities!

The gates opened at 7:00 but you couldn’t go to your seat until 7:30, so we walked around a little and then found a bench to sit on to people watch. It’s always nice to see familiar faces when I travel, especially when I’m by myself. I had picked up a traveling companion when I came through Boston (which was planned) so I wasn’t completely alone this trip. But our seats were not together for the show. When we finally got to sit down, my friend was only a few rows behind me!

The opening act was a comedian by the name of Dan whose last name escapes me. He referred to himself as the ‘kid with the Jew fro’ or ‘cauliflower hair’. His jokes were a bit flat at times, and at other times evoked a few laughs. Most of his material was about life in general and ‘getting laid’. Not too appropriate for the array of ages in the audience! Ok, my grandmother instinct is coming out. The audience was all ages and gender! A nice mix for a Taylor Hicks show though!

Show time! The band made their way down the aisle to my right and took the stage. Kind of reminiscent of Taylor’s entrance during last summer’s American Idol Tour! After the usual musical intro, Taylor ran down the same aisle and up on the stage! A few waves and “Rockin’ Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu” started off the show. What a way to start the night. Taylor Hicks was at high energy level and was going to get even higher! To keep the momentum going, “Hey Pokey Way” with “Mardi Gras Mambo” followed.

Now keep in mind that this stage rotates – first one direction and then turns and goes the other direction. Imagine the entire time that Taylor is moving and grooving, running around the stage, behind the musicians and back. I would have been dizzy, but not this man! He was a fever pitch and enjoying the moment! Every last one of them, all maybe 70 to 90 of them! And so were we! The audience forms a circle around the stages, and the theatre boasts that no seat is more than 50 feet away from the stage! I believe it! My seat was great! (The pictures will prove it!)

I really enjoy hearing Taylor do some of his original music, and I think the summer tour will showcase that more. Even by the end of the spring tour, Taylor was doing more of his pre-Idol music. It’s much more soulful and gives one the feeling that Taylor is a natural writer, singer, musician, performer and entertainer all in one package.

“Heart and Soul” was next. I love the way “Brown-Eyed Handsome Man” seems to make it into his music – and how Taylor acts out the “high fly into the stands” and waits for to see if Loren will add the ballpark riffs. Will he or will he not – and the playful repeat of the lines just to tease us!

“Hell of Day” followed and was tagged with “Another Brick in the Wall”. Now I’m noticing that the audience stands some and sits some (I’m a sitter, myself) depending on the section. The fans are grooving right along with the music. And for those who need a cure, “Medicated Goo” is sure to provide that. I must confess, until I started traveling to see Taylor perform, I’d never really heard some of the tags he uses, like “Another Brick” or “Medicated Goo”, but I have to admit that these are great songs. I love hearing them and can’t help but have a silly grin on my face when Taylor performs them!

Thank goodness for the Boogie Board set list because I have a terrible memory (remember the white hair!) so I have to refer to them to help me write my blog. Thanks to you ladies who do this! It’s about time I give you a shout out for your dedication and wonderful cellcerts!

Back to Taylor’s debut CD and first major single for “Just to Feel That Way”. Just thinking about how Taylor performs this song, and I visualize him scrunching up with his arms close to his chest as he wails into the mike and his knee is almost under the microphone. I don’t remember if that’s the way he did it in Cohasset, but that’s how I picture it, anyway!

Some more Taylor Hicks originals are next. “Hold on to Your Love” gets “Can’t Trust Your Neighbor” tagged into it. Rather appropriate tags and some genius as well! Then a song written for a crazy friend, “My Friend”. Taylor tags into “My Friend” some “When the Saints Go Marching In” and “What a Wonderful World”. The last tags was just a few bars, but what I’d have given to hear a little bit more!

Somewhere during the last few songs, one brave fan yelled out “I love you, Taylor” to which Taylor responded with “I love you too” without missing a beat in the song! Lucky lady! Someone else did it later and was rewarded with “Soul Patrol” for her efforts.

Before the show was over, “The Runaround” was performed with Taylor’s encouragement to get up and dance. This really is a hard song to sit through so I’m up and taking pictures as I do my own style of dancing in place (called standing still!). When the song ended, Taylor thanked us for coming, waved and got down off the stage. He went around to what would have been the backside from me, shook a few hands in the front row, and then went back up on the stage for the finale. The band didn’t leave (the rotation of the stage probably was the reason!).

The finale was “Take Me to the Pilot”. When it was over, Taylor ran back up the aisle he came down and was gone. The show was now officially over. Or was it!?! The band left the same way and then the lights came on. We gathered our belongings and made our way outside.

By the time I got out of the tent, a large crowd had gathered near the souvenir stand. I stood around to watch. Good thing I did! In just a few minutes Taylor along with security (Bill to be specific) appeared and Taylor was out signing autographs and giving photo opportunities to those with cameras. Now I was excited to see Taylor – he was wearing a red STAX tee shirt! I love red, and seeing Taylor in red was great – I just wish he’d wear it more often! I took a few pictures, but the lighting caused the red to turn into a bright pink! Even that looks good on Taylor! So please, when you see the pictures, know that the shirt is red, red, not pink!

After Taylor left the area, we headed for our car and drove back to the inn in Scituate. Since we were thirsty, we drove around the town area to see what was open (not much) and found a service station. With bottles of water and a few snacks, we headed back to the inn to look at our pictures and talk about the concert. What a great night this was! We finally wound down enough to get some sleep because Sunday morning we had to get up early to drive back to Boston to put my companion on the train for home and for me to drive to Hyannis. Catch up with you there as the traveling circus heads on over for the third show of the summer tour!

Pictures from Cohasset

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

The Pied Piper of Soul

I’ve thought about the Robert Browning story, “The Pied Piper of Hamelin” lately. You remember the children’s story about the town of Hamelin that was being over taken by rats. The town council offered money to a piper to take the rats away, but when they refused to pay up, he took the children away as well.

Consider for a moment that Taylor Hicks is the pied piper and the children are the Soul Patrol. How many of us have heard the call? That sweet, whiskey-tenor voice that calls us dance wildly and let out shouts of “WHOOO” and “We love you Taylor” at random intervals. The guitar-strumming that leaves us puzzled as to how anyone can play open-handled and pick-less. That clinking of the tambourine as it pounds against the chest. Or those harmonica riffs that melt us to putty and cause us to scream out for more.

And what about the children of the Soul Patrol, those middle-aged, overweight, housewives as we’ve been called, whether the description is justified or not. We have attended his shows in packs, groups, cliques, or solo. We have attended multiple shows. We spend hours planning our next escape to watch this young man dance and dazzle us with his voice and instrumental ability. We have gathered in strange cities, far away from the safety of our homes. We’ve made friends with total strangers who share a common love.

It’s not really such a far stretch to see Taylor Hicks as the pied piper of soul or the Soul Patrol as those children. I’m guilty as charged. After a spring of multiple shows (check out the Traveling Circus), I’ve already packed my bags for the summer tour (yes, the Traveling Circus will be back). When I hear that harmonica, just like the children of Hamelin, I am beckoned to follow.

Will you be joining me on the summer journey? After all, it really is all about the music! And spending time with our fellow children! Do you hear it? That harmonica melody, the one that goes with “Long Train Running”? Are you ready to follow? I’ll meet you in Big Flats on Friday as we follow the sweet melody of our pied piper!

SOUL PATROL! Play on, Taylor Hicks! We’re right behind you!

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

The Traveling Circus Goes Broke at The Borgata

Saturday was another one of those early rising week-end mornings! As I jumped out of bed, I realized I don’t get up that fast on a work day! I quickly got ready and finished packing, said bye to the cats, and off I drove to the airport. My flight out was going to be delayed so I knew had time to get there without flying low or having my angels fly harder to keep up with me!

I decided that it would be best to fly into Philadelphia and rent a car to drive to Atlantic City. I was about to go an adventure in two cities I had never been before. As the plane was descending for the landing in Philly, I looked out the window to view the skyline. It was really quite amazing to me. I tried to picture what everything was and looked for some of the historic buildings. I don’t know if I saw any, but I definitely enjoyed the view!

Now I know I have established that I get lost easily. I can now add to that list that I can’t read the signs and get on the right bus! I went to Stop 2 as instructed but the parking lot bus stopped right in front of me and I got on. After 40 minutes of touring the parking lot, I was back at the terminal. The bus driver was quite helpful – he flagged down the car rental van for me. I was now off to rent my car!

I should have realized I was having “one of those days” kind of day. When I arrived to get my car, the reservation was for March 14, not April 14. What? Fortunately, they were able to accommodate me. With directions in hand, I was off to Atlantic City! After about an hour, I took the exit to the hotel where I was meeting other friends and staying overnight.

As I was driving down the road to the hotel, my friends were waiting on the corner at the hotel for me. Between them and me was a concrete barrier and no left turns! I saw them from the back and blew my horn. They were expecting me to come from the opposite direction! I drove down the road about a mile or so before I could find a place to turn left and turn around. We laughed about them standing on the corner watching and waving at me and how they must have looked to other passing cars!

For the show, we decided to take a cab to the Borgata. By the time we left, there were five of us in our little party. We climbed into the van and off we went. I don’t recall his name, but he was great – almost like one of the gang, you know what I mean! He was joking with us and we were all telling stories and stuff! When he dropped us at the Borgata, we made sure to get his card so we could call him to come pick us up after the show! We had our plan in motion for after the show. Little did we know we would all poop out afterwards!

The Borgata is a beautiful casino with ornate fixtures and columned arches! We walked back to The Music Box where the show was to be held. We stopped in front of the red lacquered doors and speckled floor to check out the location. Talk about glamour and glitz!

Since everyone was getting hungry, we decided to walk around to see what was available and decided to give Wolfgang Puck a try. Now if I had been gambling before dinner, I wouldn’t have been able to afford dinner! My salad was $13 and the calzone was $14! The iced tea had a nice peach flavor. The food was tasty and I know we had to pay for the name. I’d go again with friends if the opportunity arose in spite of the prices! I’d like another one of those salads, please!

We hurried back to the bright red doors just as Toby Lightman was signing her second or third song. We found our seats and sat down. I was on the right side of the stage on the third row and my pictures were going to be awesome. If you don’t believe me, just click on the link below to see them!

Not that Taylor needs much introduction, he doesn’t! But I do enjoy hearing Brian Less shout out “Mr. Taylor Hicks”! Taylor came out waving wearing a gray jacket and black shirt with his jeans and sneakers. His opening number was an original of his from his “Under the Radar” CD called “Soul Thing”. It’s always a nice rendition. He followed with “Give Me Tonight” and “Wherever I Lay My Hat”. I don’t recall if he chatted with the audience before or after “Hell of Day”, but it was cute!

He told us that “Borgata meant broke!” He’d been having some fun before the show, or maybe the night before since he was off Friday! Later he’d ask the audience if we were winning, and to be honest! Everyone laughed right along with him! Good thing we had already bought our tickets, because after a few rounds at the tables, wheels, and slots, we may not have been able to pay for them!

I believe Taylor had performed “My Friend”, a song he wrote for a friend, at another show, but this was the first time I’d heard him do it live. I really enjoy hearing Taylor perform his own original music. It’s very soothing to the ear. We got another Taylor original, “The Deal” and a romping cover, “Medicated Goo”. No show is complete without “Heaven Knows”, “The Right Place” or “The Runaround”.

As the stage cleared and lights stayed down, the stage hand brought out a stool and then took it back. I was hoping for “The Fall” which Taylor did once before as an acoustical encore. But not tonight. Instead the whole band came back and gave us “Take the Long Way Home”. Lots of good harmonica in that one! With final waves and bows, Taylor was gone and the show was over.

Since it was still a wee bit early, we decided to try our luck at the slot machines. They don’t call them “one-armed bandits” for nothing! I’d be up and then I’d be down. Up and down. Then down, down, down, up, down, gone! But you can play a lot of rounds on a $20 at the nickel machines! After that several us decided to go back to the hotel to rest and talk.

We grabbed a taxi and where told the fare to the hotel would be $40! Highway robbery, we thought! We jumped out of the taxi and called our friend from earlier! At least we asked for him! What a pleasant surprise when he arrived just a little bit later to pick us up! You’d think we were old friends out for the night!

It was late, and we wanted some drinks and water to take back to the hotel with us. Now not being familiar with the area, when the driver suggested “WAWA”, I thought it was his Bohemian accent I was hearing. Sure enough, we pulled up into the parking area of WAWA’s and unloaded for the quick pickup of refreshments. Soda, bottled water, and a ‘pit stop’! Back in the van and we were off to the hotel.

Several of us went to my room to view my pictures. We chatted for awhile and then decided it was bed time. One of my friends was staying with me and the other went to her room. Soon there was a knock at the door and here came the friend, pillow in hand, because her roommates were hogging the beds! We were going to have a pajama party! We talked until almost 4:00 AM! I think I was the last to fall asleep!

Daylight, or wake up, was around 8:30. We chatted some more, and then we had to get ready to leave. I was driving back to Philly, so I headed out around noon. I just forgot how I got to the hotel! Lost again! I stopped at a gas station for directions while talking to a friend on the phone who was trying to do a MapQuest for me. Directions in hand, I made my way back to Philly. Of course, the area was having a nor’ easterner and it was raining. That didn’t deter me!

I made it back in plenty of time. Because it was raining and I didn’t find a gas station before I turned in the rental, I wound up paying a premium for gas – nearly $7 per gallon, or about $72! They wouldn’t budge or agree it was unreasonable! I won’t be dealing with them again! I don’t care if it is in the contract! That’s gouging! I was robbed, I tell you!

At the airport I had to reschedule my flight because it was cancelled due to the weather. The best they could do was put me on the first flight out the next morning, give me a hotel voucher, and dinner. That was fine. I would go rest. Somehow it didn’t seem too bad. Until I realized I would have to get up at 3:00 AM to catch the shuttle to the airport! Morning came and I went to get on the shuttle. What!?!?! It's mid-April and the ground was covered with snow!

The shuttle driver drove a bit too fast for us. After all, he was outnumbered by four women! We got him to slow down a little. He was in a hurry because he had another run to make before his shift was up. We got off the bus and went into our terminal. I went to my gate since I had my boarding passes. I boarded the plane on time and then sat in line to be de-iced for an hour or so! As we landed in Detroit, my plane to Memphis was leaving the gate. Oh well, another reschedule and lunch on Northwest and I was good to go.

When I finally landed in Memphis, I knew I’d been on an adventure. It was time to get to work since I was already several hours late! Maybe next week-end won’t hold the same luck! Good thing I didn’t gamble too much on my plans!

Pictures from The Borgata

Tags: Taylor Hicks, American Idol, Birmingham, Alabama

The Traveling Circus Goes Round at North Fork Theatre

The trip to Westbury was definitely much like being in a traveling circus! Try putting two women in a car, head them south, one is definitely directionally challenged and the other is potentially directionally challenged! Yep, that was the way the trip was going to be. We managed to find I-95. Ok, my traveling companion knew her way there. But as we passed around New York City, all bets were off, and we would have to figure out how to get to Westbury.

Never mind that I had printed out Yahoo maps before I ever left home. They’re like MasterCard, you never leave home without it! I missed an exit that was more like a Y in the road. Went down a couple of exits, turned around, only to find out I was on the right road! Two wrongs sometimes really do make a right!

As we neared Westbury, we found ourselves taking exits and circling the towns. We’d take a right that should have been a left, a left that should have been a right. Forget going north or south. Heaven forbid I try to compute east or west! I’d wind up in Alaska if I wasn’t careful!

We started calling everyone we could think of. My daughter wasn’t home so she was of no help. Now get this. I’m on the phone with a friend in Memphis who is checking out the online maps and Anywho.com to try to figure out where we were and how to get to where we needed to go! After a bit of searching and more mindless driving and turning, we made it to Westbury. At least the signs outside the cemetery said we were in Westbury! It was one of those places everyone is dying to get into! (OK, bad joke, I know!)

We made a couple of stops and then we to the theatre. The North Fork Theatre is a very contemporary building with a huge parking area. It seems that the earlier you arrived, the further away you had to park! We were directed to our parking space, parked the car and locked it, and took off for the front door of the theatre.

Once inside we could see the various vending areas. A bar, a hot dog stand, counters for selling tour merchandise and a car dealership display. The facilities were quite nice. And there were plenty of stalls in the ladies’ rooms; yes, they had two ladies’ rooms! That’s something rare in theatre land.

Again, Toby Lightman was opening for Taylor Hicks. There were flat screens outside in the lobby, and I watched most of her performance there. After the driving adventure earlier in the afternoon, I needed to just stand around and chill out. Finally the intermission came, one last trip before the show, and I was ready to sit down.

I found my seat. Fourth row behind the sax and keyboard. Great seat. Nice view around the keyboards and through the microphone stands. This was going to be interesting! The stage is round and can rotate if the artist wants it to. However, the seats behind the stage weren’t being sold and the stage was not going to revolve. So you can imagine what my view for the night was going to be! Check out my pictures linked below to find out!

As Taylor came out on stage, he was waving his arms in the air to get the audience to do the “wave”. People were either too excited to see Taylor or didn’t understand the signal because very few were doing the “wave”. But the audience was certainly cheering Taylor on. After the opening walk, Taylor quickly moved into singing “Gonna Move” from his “Taylor Hicks” CD. This was also an old cover song Taylor was used to doing during his pre-Idol days. We were about to be moved!

Taylor performed other songs from his debut album. “Give Me Tonight”, “The Deal”, “The Right Place” and “Dream Myself Awake”. Now North Fork Theatre apparently has a ‘no standing up’ policy because most people were sitting. That was fine with me because I could see and sit! Trying to take pictures from the side of the stage was not easy because Taylor was facing the front of the stage most of the time. He did come toward the sides from time to time, but his show is not designed for this type of stage. That’s not his fault. The theatre opened up additional seats to sell more tickets on the fringes of the stage.

Taylor moved into some covers, “Rockin’ Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu” and “Compared to What”. There were lots of tagging other songs within these. It’s like a mini concert within a concert! Taylor was finding his groove and feeling the music, and the energy from him was energizing the crowd. After the show at the Foxwoods the night before, I was glad to see an audience that was into Taylor.

The audience was much more mixed tonight. There were lots of men and quite a few children. Everyone was seeming to enjoy the music, whether they stood, danced or just sat. From my vantage point, I could see the sparkling eyes of enjoyment. I may have been sitting, but my heart was certainly dancing with the music!

A few more songs, and then a couple of songs from Taylor Hicks’ independent CD, “Under the Radar”. “Somehow” and “Hell of a Day” are terrific songs that Taylor wrote and recorded before he decided to audition for American Idol. These are beautiful ballads, and perfect for Taylor’s voice. The ability to write a beautiful song is just another of Taylor’s musical talents.

As I’ve said, I was sitting to the side, really more to the back. I was soon about to learn a show secret! Now I’ve watched Felix the drummer do his thing at every show. He’s quite a drummer. I knew there was another person who helped him when he needed to swap out snares or sticks. I was about to find out just what else this guy did! Pretty soon it was time to do the funky “The Runaround”.

Now I love the drum introduction in “The Runaround”. I was always astonished at how Felix could make the drums sound like a marching band. What I discovered was that there are two drummers drumming to get that sound! I was awe struck just watching! Both drummers were in perfect unison! No misses of a beat! I completely forgot that Taylor was on stage because I was so mesmerized by the drummers! What a show!

As the song ended, Taylor waved to the crowd, bowed to the band and left the stage. The band followed. The house lights stayed dark. The crowd was cheering for an encore. The stage guy came out and set up the microphone and stool.

Taylor came out with his guitar in hand and sat down on the stool. No other band members joined him. We were about to be given a real treat – acoustical Taylor. Taylor plucked a few bars and then sang “Long Distant Love”. This was a song you had to hear to believe. The audience was silent. More like speechless! The song was beautiful! When he finished, Taylor waved, left the stage and the show was over.

I went back to the merchandise table to check on the Proud of Our Troops CD drive. The collection box was a success! Quite a few CDs were donated. Thank you to all who made a donation! I walked around to the buses to see if Taylor had been out. He had already been out and signed autographs and gone back inside the venue. Finally he came out with his toboggan and got on the bus without the crowd realizing it. Security asked us to move because the buses were ready to leave. With that, we found our car – all alone in the vast parking lot – and left.

Now if our adventure of getting to Westbury was exciting, our drive home was even more so! I was able to get out of Westbury without getting too lost, but getting back on the highway was something else. I wound up going in a circle before I realized I needed to take a different exit. We found the exit and were on our way. At least until we hit New York City! Again a wrong exit and I was driving around the Bronx and the outskirts of Manhattan. We made our way back to La Guardia airport and tried it again.

We started out from the airport, only to get lost again. Back to the airport we went. This time we decided to stop and ask a cab driver how to get to I-95. Turn right at the stop sign, go left, etc. Never mind. Would he lead us to the interstate and for how much? After paying what he asked, which was very reasonable, he led us to through the toll booth and pointed us on our way. Thank you sir for helping us! We were now headed back home.

Again we got lost. But that was fine, because we needed to get gas. Sticker shock for me – almost $3 a gallon. We filled up, got more directions and took off. We finally got on the right interstate and were off. No more wrong turns. We made it home safely. Another fun night with friends and Taylor!

The next collection box for the Proud of Our Troops CD drive will be at The Beacon in New York City. Please buy an extra CD and donate it to show your support for the troops. The CDs can be purchased right there at the merchandise table. Your support of this worthwhile group is greatly appreciated.

Westbury Pictures

Tags: Taylor Hicks, American Idol, Birmingham, Alabama

The Traveling Circus Gambles on the Foxwoods

An early morning flight, a shuttle bus ride and a car rental later, I was in New Haven, CT, ready to go to the Foxwoods Casino to see none other than Taylor Hicks, live, in concert. You might think from that remark, this was my first time to see Taylor on his current tour. Wrong! But each show, each venue, each city brings newness to seeing one Mr. Hicks in person!

I’ve seen a number of shows, my blog posts will attest to that fact! This show was going to be a first for me. Now, I’m no prude (ok, maybe a little, but just a little!), and I’ve been to a casino before. As a matter of fact, I’ve been to several just over the Mississippi border from my Tennessee home. Yes, I’ve played a little black jack (thanks, Mom and the dealer for the lessons) and some slots. And had lots of seafood buffets! But the Foxwoods was going to be different!

First, getting there. Let’s see. Is it Exit 90, Route 27 or Exit 92, Route 2. Off Exit 90, Route 27 you will find Mystic Pizza II, an offshoot from the Julia Roberts and Kathy Baker movie. Interesting place. Too bad I didn’t take a picture; being behind the wheel has its drawbacks. After turning around, and hitting the interstate again, Exit 92, Route 2 led to the casino. Advertising says this is the largest casino in the US. I’ll buy that! It was huge!

We get parked and then hike to Fox Theatre. When I say hike, it was a quite a hike! We parked on the opposite side of the casino from the theatre, so we basically had to walk across the place. We meet up with a number of other Soul Patroller and introduce ourselves. I’ll protect the guilty and the innocent (me, of course!). I must say, though, I was happy to meet the fans I hadn’t met before. You know who you are!

Toby Lightman, a petite young lady, opened the show. I was too busy watching the concert goers at the merchandise table to go in to see her. I could hear her, and it was my loss.

Time to go sit down. I had a row J seat, but I wasn’t prepared for where the row was! I’d forgotten that the theatre has double-letter rows in front and that the single-letter rows were behind them. I was way up high! Way up – I’ve been spoiled by all those great seats I’ve been getting! I shouldn’t complain – I was there to see Taylor Hicks!

The need to explain the situation is scary. First, this is a theatre. Second, it’s inside a casino. Third, the best seats have been given to the “high rollers”. Fourth, there is a “no standing” rule, which means the audience will be seated during the show. Fifth, there were people asking “who is Taylor Hicks”, and these were the people with the better seats! BUT, ALAS, all is not lost! Being just a wee bit over five feet, it meant I was going to be able to see AND enjoy the show! And sit down!

Not that Taylor Hicks needs an introduction, but Brian Less called his name, and out he came to kick the show off with “Soul Thing”! Now the Soul Patrol, being respectful, sat and cheered! I was busy using my camera as binoculars! That 18X lens works wonders in such a place!

Now if Taylor wants to get an audience of women going, just tag “Let’s Get it On” with any song. But Taylor likes to tag it with “The Maze”. And tag it, he did! That set us up for “Run, Baby, Run”. OOOO! That’s one of my favorites. The melody is haunting, and the harmony just sends the chills up my spine. OOOO! OOOO!

Several standards from Taylor’s current CD, “Taylor Hicks” were played. I even heard a few new tags, at least new for me. “Me and Mrs. Jones” was a surprise tag with “Wherever I Lay My Hat”. Something called “Medicated Goo” showed up, and if it wasn’t for the published set list, I wouldn’t know what it was called. I wasn’t familiar with it. But I can tell you this, it’s make it’s way to my favorites list!

But what I do remember was “Hell of a Night”, a Taylor Hicks original from his independent album, “Under the Radar”. But for me the highlight of the show was “Somehow”, another of Taylor Hicks’ original songs. That was one heck of a ballad. No, it was mesmerizing! If I was a fainter, I would have fainted! It was wonderful!

Taylor ended the set with “The Runaround”, a funky little dance tune. It’s hard to stay seated during that song. But I restrained myself. OK, you got me. I sat there and moved with the music. And then Taylor left the stage. Taylor and the band came back for an encore of “Takin’ It to the Streets” with a bit of “Saint’s Go Marching In” harp-teaser.

What a show Taylor put on tonight! Forget about all the high-rollers. They just wanted to get back to the tables and slot machines. Many of the older gamblers (as in age) left early – the cards must have been calling. But the Soul Patrol stayed to the end to enjoy every last drop of Taylor.

The sad part of the evening was that Taylor’s music fell on deaf ears. The deaf ears of the high rollers. Many were there because they had tickets to a free show. Others came out of curiosity. Others came for whatever reason. It showed in their participation in the music. Applause was the most I saw many attempt to do. Before the end of the main set, there were a lot of empty seats in the front section. Such a waste! And many of the Soul Patrol would have given our first born for those seats! Again, it was their loss!

After the show, I watched the merchandise table and the people close by. It thinned out fairly quickly. With some ‘see ya laters’ we decided to try our luck at the slot machines. These machines aren’t called “one armed-bandits” for nothing! We found some nickel slots and I gave up a five dollar bill. All was not lost. I got some change! A couple of dimes to rub together!

Before leaving Foxwoods, we checked out the casinos to see what all was there. We found the tables and walked around like we were looking for our lost father. Entry was supposed to be for players only, so we had a plan ready just in case. We continued to look around a bit more before deciding we needed to get the car and head home. I was forgetting I was in unfamiliar territory and had a ninety minute drive back to reality.

After putting our ticket in the electronic valet, we waited for our car to be delivered. We piled in and made the drive back. As we drove, we relived the night. An evening with Taylor is always memorable, and tonight was no exception!

And now a word for a very special project. Foxwoods was a trial run for the Proud of Our Troops CD Drive. Fliers were passed out and the drive was explained. Buy a CD from the merchandise table and drop one in for the troops. It’s a great way to say thank you to the men and women who defend our freedoms on a daily basis. A CD is a small price to pay for that service. Do yourself, the troops and Taylor a service and favor – buy a CD and donate it to the troops. I thank you, and I’m sure the troops will thank you as well! Support our troop with a Taylor Hicks CD!

Photos: http://s95.photobucket.com/albums/l154/RagsQueen/4-6-07%20Fox%20Theatre%20Ledyard%20CT/

Tags: Taylor Hicks, American Idol, Birmingham, Alabama

Charlie Had His Angels, Taylor Has His

I’m sure you remember the hit TV show, “Charlie’s Angels”, the trio of crime-fighting ladies with the mysterious employer named Charlie. Their job was to help those not otherwise able to help themselves.

But did you know that Taylor also has his Angels, a group of supporters known as Taylor’s Angels, ladies who Tay-it Forward when the need arises. Let me introduce you to what this group is all about and who these Angels really are.

What started as a random act of kindness to help a fan obtain membership to the Taylor Hicks HQ fan site has turned into the selfless act of helping others join the fan site and in some cases to see Taylor Hicks, live, on stage, in concert. Formed several months ago by this group of Soul Patrollers, over 40 memberships have been gifted and 15 fans have been presented concert tickets to see Taylor Hicks live.

The mission statement is simple: To reach out and touch the hearts and souls of Taylor Hicks fans all over the world by exposing them to Taylor’s music and giving nature.

To accomplish those goals, Taylor’s Angels are Taying It Forward One Soul at a Time. All that is needed to receive a membership or concert tickets is to have financial need. No proving of the need is required. Your word is your bond. This group accepts your request on trust.

Taylor Hicks has been an inspiration to many of us. It is in that same spirit that these Angels want to continue to help other Soul Patrol friends in need. Each of these Angels has already experienced a live Taylor Hicks show, and each knows how special those performances are. They want other fans to have a similar experience which is why they arrange concert tickets gifts.

While this group of Angels provides memberships and concert tickets, there is a limit to what they can do. They don’t arrange meet and greets and they can’t work miracles. These Angels will do everything they can to make sure fans get memberships and concert tickets.

So how is their mission accomplished? Taylor’s Angels does not accept donations. What they do accept is willing volunteers who wish to donate memberships and concert tickets. These Angels also accept recipients whose financial hardship does not afford them these memberships and tickets. The Angels then match a donor with a recipient. Such matching can be known or kept confidential at the choice of parties involved.

Additionally, donors and recipients are not publicly identified unless they want to be. Good manners are expected to be exercised through acknowledgements from each recipient which can be sent directly to the donor or handled anonymously through the Angels.

Who makes up the core group of Taylor’s Angels, you might ask. These Angels have met each other at various concerts over the past few months either during the American Idol summer tour or Taylor Hicks’ 2007 Tour. The Angels are Lmo4taylor1, Webchic00, Cydter, PurpleButterfies, RagsQueen, maryann1, and DidNotExpectThat.

If you wish to be a donor or have the financial need that would qualify you as a recipient, please send your name and information to Taylors_Angels@yahoo.com. While this group works very hard to accomplish its goals, these Angels are full-time employees, mothers, wives, retirees, grandmothers, friends, and out on the tour trail. Regardless of other commitments, they will respond as quickly as possible.

There is also a blog where you will find inspirational stories, links to Taylor web site, and other information. Please check it out. And don't forget to leave comments. The blog: http://taylorsangels.blogspot.com/
The Angels want to remind everyone that they are not affiliated with Taylor Hicks, Taylor Hicks Headquarters, the Taylor Hicks name, or American Idol. They are merely devoted fans who want to make a positive difference in people’s lives. They do not accept cash, checks, or money orders. All transactions are made between the donor and recipient once they match them and are kept confidential. Any publishing of a gift can be made only by the recipient.

Tags: Taylor Hicks, American Idol, Birmingham, Alabama

The Traveling Circus Has a Jolly Time in Sioux City

As the plane landed at the Sioux City airport, I quickly realized I was about to embark on a different kind of adventure. The airport has two gates with a small area for the ticket agents. And the baggage claim shares space with the car rental counters. It reminds me of the airport in the old TV show “Wings” except this airport was probably twice the size. And it’s run very well! TSA can be very proud!

On the ride to the hotel, I chatted with the driver, a young lady from the area. I wanted to know what the city was known for. Its history includes being on the Lewis and Clark expedition trails, a single casino on the river, skywalks between the downtown buildings, a meat processing plant, and a Jolly Time Popcorn plant. Sioux City is very spread out for a city with a population of 85 thousand. I was expecting bigger!

Tonight’s show was held in the Orpheum Theatre, one of several theatres in a chain. The front of the theatre, except for the marquee, looked like a regular building. The inside had been remodeled in the past few years, and was beautiful. The interior was simple yet elegant. Even the fixtures in the ladies room were gorgeous gold-gilded swan neck spout with swan head hot and cold knobs. There’s a picture in the album which is linked below!

Michael Warren opened the show. This two-man group consists of Michael W. on the guitar and vocals and Michael P. on the bongos and singing harmony or backup. The interaction between the two is chemistry! You can see it in their faces. The smiles and simple nods of the heads quickly let you know these two men have a special musical bond. Michael W. writes most of his own music, and gave us a sample of what he’s capable of doing. You have to hear him to appreciate him. After the entire concert was over, I went by the merchandise tables to have Michael sign my CDs that I’d bought earlier in the evening.

As you are aware, I generally only listen to Taylor, and sometimes a bit of LiMBO. Now I’m adding Michael W. to the mix! While we chatted about the show, I let him quickly know that I enjoyed him over the Greyhounds! I made a joke about thinking I needed to let the rabbits out so they would go away. Michael got the joke immediately and laughed! (OK, for those not familiar with greyhound racing, a fake rabbit is sent around the track for the dogs to chase!)

Michael has great stage presence and can get an audience laughing at his jokes. Perhaps it’s because he is African-American or from the South. You can’t help but enjoy his show! Let’s see….he mentioned that being from Birmingham, he did own shoes, and that you could now get boots there! There were other similar remarks but they escape me right now.

After the set change, the current Taylor Hicks Band took the stage during the “Goldfinger” intro. They played their own opening number, and Taylor Hicks took the stage! Black jacket, black shirt, light blue jeans and trademark sneakers. Taylor was hot tonight! Hotter than I’d seen him since the second Birmingham show!

I don’t know if it was the Iowa air or what. Maybe Taylor’s allergies were in check because there was no pollen as had been the case the past several weeks. Whatever it was, Taylor looked great and performed as if he’d never been sick a day in his life! His performance could be summed as ‘the roadrunner meets the energizer bunny’ – Taylor was constantly moving, energetically, effortlessly.

The speakers were right in front of me so I was expecting to have distorted sound. Not tonight. Taylor’s voice was very clear and strong. If he’d been on recent voice rest, you’d never have known it! This was going to be a memorable performance!

I need to tell you about the audience. The audience covered all demographics – young, middle-aged, older, male and female. In front of me sat two men that appeared to be father and son. No mother or sisters were present. The seats beside me were empty and a couple of young women who had balcony seats came down and took them! They danced the entire time and one kept yelling that she loved Taylor! I thought I saw wedding rings on the hand of both ladies! What am I talking about! I’m a middle-aged, white-haired grandmother! I just wasn’t yelling out anything more than a few “whoo’s!”

Now one of the young women had turned to me and made a comment about Taylor slinging sweat. I tapped the older gentleman in front of me and said that should it ‘start raining inside the theatre, I’d be happy to change seats with him!’ His response was quite simple, “Thanks, but I’ll just put on a raincoat!” So much for my getting his front seat!

I must confess, my second row seat was great! It was probably only 6 feet from the stage! When you check out my pictures (link below), you’ll be able to see how close I was because the pictures are great! Lots of really good close-ups!

Going back to the show. Taylor opened with “Soul Thing”, one of his own original songs. The energy was high and he was dancing all over the place! The lights were just right. Next we got “Give Me Tonight” and “Gonna Move”. Taylor had not stopped except to take a few sips of his bottled water. Got to keep those beautiful pipes wet, you know!

Moving between his own original music and his current album, Taylor maintained his high energy level, never slowing down or faltering. He generally played guitar for his original music and sans guitar with the current album. It’s become kind of a sign for me as to what may be coming up next.

Taylor bantered with the audience, thanking us for voting. He told us he had voted as well! And occasionally for other contestants, just not too many times! Now I don’t what the real truth is, and I don’t really care! It’s just fun to imagine Taylor speed dialing after each show, voting for himself, and maybe one or two others! I wonder if he phoned or text-messaged?!?!?!?!

After “Compared to What” and “Heart and Soul”, Taylor really blew it all out. The lights went pink and purple which distorts his features on film. But the song was incredible! It was Hall and Oates, “She’s Gone”! Oh, my gosh! What a fantastic song for Taylor to do! “She’s gone…..” I was definitely gone afterwards!

“The Right Place”, and yes I was there, “Heaven Knows”, and it sure does, and “The Maze”, which I wouldn’t want to find my way out of at the moment, rounded out the show. Taylor thanked us for coming and left the stage. So did the rest of the band.

But they returned to the stage the quickest I’d ever seen! The finale would be “The Runaround” which Taylor certainly had not been giving us all evening! Some harp at the end and as Taylor was walking off the stage, tapped his imaginary watch to tell the band it was time to go and gave us a peak as the black band he wears as a reminder to himself. Heads nodded, and Taylor continued to tap his wrist. After a few more seconds of this, Taylor was officially gone. The show was over.

As I mentioned earlier, I stopped by the merchandise tables and spoke with Michael W. I finished my conversation, got my picture taken, and then decided to check out the bus scene. Several of us tried to stand near the door to Taylor’s bus, but security moved us back behind the ‘blue’ bus. Our wait was soon rewarded. A number of ladies (well most were ladies there) got autographs. I stood back just taking pictures. It was magical and then it was over. Only pictures for me tonight which was just fine!

For a Saturday night show, the performance started at 7:30. That’s because the skywalks close about 30 minutes after a show ends. No one wants to get trapped in the skywalks, which I can best describe as a maze. I got lost and had to go back to the hotel lobby to call a cab. Also, the city streets close up early in Sioux City so the city folk can sleep. Perhaps it’s because the area is rural. I don’t know. I do know that this show for me, was incredible, and is now second only to the Sunday night Birmingham show!

Yes, Taylor Hicks, you gave the Soul Patrol one heck of a Saturday night! You ride into town on your shiny rented bus, you thrill us with meet and greets, planned and spontaneous, and your energy level rivals only the energizer bunny! Tonight you were in true Taylor Hicks form and you gave it everything you had. I was so glad I made those arrangements last week to be there! Great show! And thanks for memories! I’ll need them to get me through the next two weeks until I see you at The Foxwoods!

Until then, check back often, gentle readers. I have a few special surprises in store that you don’t want to miss. A couple of interviews and a chance to meet a very special group of Taylor fans. See you then!

Pictures: http://s95.photobucket.com/albums/l154/RagsQueen/3-24-07%20Orpheum%20Theatre%20Sioux%20City%20IA/

Tags: Taylor Hicks, American Idol, Birmingham, Alabama