Goldenvoice and Stanford University Live present an evening with James Taylor and his All-Star Band
Frost Amphitheatre
Stanford University, 351 Lasuen St, Stanford, CA 94305 USA
7:00 PM, Tuesday, May 30, 2023

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[7:20 PM] {lights down; band out without introduction; video montage of Something in the Way She Moves with JT aging through the years}

1. [7:24 PM] Something in the Way She Moves
   [7:25 PM] {JT story about auditioning at Apple Records for Paul McCartney & George Harrison}
2. [7:27 PM] Rainy Day Man
   [7:30 PM] {drop three harmony vox performers; JT introduces the next tune}
3. [7:31 PM] Copperline
   [7:36 PM] {singers return; JT intro about singing the blues}
4. [7:37 PM] Everybody Has the Blues
   [7:39 PM] {drop LC; LG swaps to accordion; JT tells his pig story}
5. [7:45 PM] Mona
   [7:47 PM] {add LC; LG back to piano; JT Dixie Chicks story}
6. [7:48 PM] Some Days You Gotta Dance
   [7:51 PM] {drop 3 backup singers, horns, LC; LG swaps back to accordion}
7. [7:51 PM] (unidentified instrumental) »
8. [7:52 PM] Sweet Baby James
   [7:56 PM] {add LC; LG back to piano; JT swaps from one acoustic guitar to another; back announce about writing Sweet Baby James; aborted introduction for Country Road}
9. [7:57 PM] Country Road
   [8:02 PM] {add horns; JT swaps to powder blue Telecaster; JT joking about pre-electric guitars}
10. [8:04 PM] Steamroller
    [8:10 PM] {add LC, missing singers; JT back to acoustic guitar; JM swap to soprano saxophone; partial band introduction}
11. [8:12 PM] Mexico
    [8:16 PM] {drop 3 backup singers, horns, LC; LG swaps back to accordion; JT talk about Carole King}
12. [8:18 PM] Up on the Roof
    [8:22 PM] {applause at set break}

[8:42 PM] {band back without introduction while the lights are still up; no JM, no HT}

1. [8:42 PM] Jump Up Behind Me
   [8:47 PM] {add JM on tenor saxophone; add HT; JT joking about infidelity}
2. [8:48 PM] You Make It Easy
   [8:53 PM] {add CKS (1st time tonight?); JT tells another Carole King story}
3. [8:55 PM] You've Got a Friend
   [9:00 PM] {JT introduces the back-up singers}
4. [9:02 PM] Carolina in My Mind
   [9:07 PM] {drop CKS}
5. [9:07 PM] Raised Up Family
   [9:12 PM] {JT introduces JJ; JT introduces the next tune}
6. [9:13 PM] Handy Man
   [9:16 PM] {drop LC, backup singers, horns}
7. [9:17 PM] Fire and Rain
   [9:21 PM] {long bit of applause; no banter; band back out}
8. [9:23 PM] Shower the People
   [9:27 PM] {JT lauds DH}
9. [9:28 PM] Your Smiling Face
   [9:31 PM] {applause at encore break}
   [9:34 PM] {group bow; all off for encore break}
   
   Encores
   [9:34 PM] {band back out; JT introduces the next tune}
10. [9:34 PM] Summertime Blues
    [9:37 PM] {JT takes off his guitar; long bit of applause; no banter}
11. [9:38 PM] Shed a Little Light
    [9:42 PM] {another long stretch of applause; JT mimes asking the stage manager for permission to play one more tune, then jokes about it with the aud}
12. [9:44 PM] Secret o' Life
    [9:47 PM] {all off; JT & HT return after a moment; JT on acoustic guitar; HT on electric; more thanks again from JT}
13. [9:49 PM] You Can Close Your Eyes
    [9:52 PM] {final applause; JT says goodnight}
    [9:53 PM] {show ends}

• Luis Conte: percussion;
• Walt Fowler: trumpet, keyboards;
• Steve Gadd: drums;
• Larry Goldings: piano, keyboards, accordion;
• Dorian Holley: lead & harmony vox;
• Jimmy Johnson: bass.
• Michael Landau: guitar;
• Blue Lou Marini: tenor saxophone, flute;
• Kate Markowitz: harmony vox;
• Caroline Kim Smedvig: harmony vox;
• Henry Taylor: guitar, harmony vox;
• James Taylor: acoustic guitar, vox;
• Andrea Zonn: violin, harmony vox.

Traffic was kind of a hassle today heading from Oakland to Palo Alto, but we left early enough to avoid stressing much about it, and arrived at Gott's just in time to miss the dinner rush, whew! Rats & Scott were already there, so supper proceeded quite casually: yum! We packed up about ten minutes after 6 PM, then drove over to Stanford, parking near the Art Museum. I was a little eager to get out of the car – we probably could have gotten a pair of spots about two or three blocks closer – but it was busy enough that I opted for the first pair instead of nosing further in. Because it was still quite early, the line to enter the venue was rather short, with only a minimal wait to pass security and ticket-scan. Perfect!

Given past curfew experiences, I expected that the show would start promptly at 7 PM, but they must have delayed things a bit to make time for the slackers to pass security, as the show didn't begin until twenty past, beginning with a video montage of Jame's first hit, Something in the Way She Moves, starting with him as a youngster and then slowly cross-fading through the years as the song progressed. While this was happening, the band came onstage, and once James arrived, they proceeded to play the conclusion of the tune for us. Nice!

The next two hours raced by: James would tell jokes, or introduce band members (who seemed to come and go or change instruments on nearly every tune), or tell stories or announce the tunes, then they'd play, the crowd would holler in appreciations, fans would yell out their love for JT, he'd answer “I love you too,” and we just kept cycling through like a 45-rpm phonograph set on repeat.

I was a little disappointed that some of my favorites were omitted (How Sweet It Is!, Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight, Teach Me Tonight, …), but given the depth of his catalogue (over two dozen albums since 1968), that's pretty understandable: you can't please all the people all of the time, and you gotta balance your desire to play random choices (?Mona_?) vs. pleasing the bulk of your fanbase.

It was especially funny that James had the world's biggest setlist onstage to wave as a prop for a few of his jokes: hopefully Ting will get her pictures processed soon so we can share that visual with you!

Given that it got dark during set break, my notes for set two are especially sparse (and significantly less legible!) – you can take it as given that I probably messed up a bit on the comings-and-goings of the performers or the who-played-what list. If the video played on the giant screen behind the band leaks out, that would probably be worth studying to see what I got wrong!

Big thanks to Ting for the photo gallery!

Whoa! This section is incomplete for now, sorry!

Back to the previous event! ☸ Up to the 2023 yearbox! ☸ Up to the 2023 event list! ☸ On to the next event!