News Archives: 2021
James Taylor Announces Rescheduled Canadian Tour With Honored Guest, Jackson Browne
October 20, 2021
For the first time ever, James Taylor & His All-Star Band, with special guest Jackson Browne, will perform together across Canada. Jackson will replace the previously announced Bonnie Raitt who unfortunately is no longer available to join these rescheduled concert dates due to her prior touring commitments.
“Last year was a time of great disruption and general upheaval for all of us. My plans for a coast-to-coast concert tour of Canada with my dear friend, Bonnie Raitt, were seriously sidetracked. Our rescheduled dates for this September were likewise denied. But we’ve been determined to follow through; to make the tour happen and, come hell or high water, we’re setting our sights on this coming Spring of ‘22. The one wrinkle is that Bonnie will be unable to join us for the newly rescheduled dates. Happily, Jackson Browne and I have been touring together this Summer and Fall and he has agreed to come to Canada with me. We’ve been delighted with the response from our audiences on this current tour of the States and I’m hoping that those of you who have been holding onto tickets for the Canadian concerts will be pleased with the surprise change in the bill. Of course some of you may have had your hearts set on seeing Bonnie and would like to receive a refund due to the change. This we will cheerfully and expeditiously accommodate. But I dare say that the rest of you will not be disappointed. See you all this Spring.” James Taylor
The highly acclaimed tour will kick off in Canada on April 21, 2022 at the Mile One Centre in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Pollstar recently commented of the legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Famers during their current US tour that “these songs not only endure but expanded to include the life-worn truths of coming of age in the 21st century by two American treasures.”
Previously purchased tickets will be honored for all of the rescheduled dates and fans are encouraged to hold onto their tickets. Should you be unable to attend the rescheduled date, please reach out to your point of purchase for information on refunds.
Tour Dates:
21-Apr-22 St. John’s, NFLD Mile One Centre
24-Apr-22 Halifax, NS Scotiabank Centre
25-Apr-22 Moncton, NB Avenir Centre
27-Apr-22 Ottawa, ON Canadian Tire Centre
28-Apr-22 Montreal, QC Centre Bell
30-Apr-22 London, ON Budweiser Gardens
1-May-22 Toronto, ON Scotiabank Arena
5-May-22 Winnipeg, MB Canada Life Centre
7-May-22 Calgary, AB Scotiabank Saddledome
9-May-22 Edmonton, AB Rogers Place
11-May-22 Victoria, BC Save On Foods Memorial Centre
12-May-22 Vancouver, BC Rogers Arena
Please check with your local venue for specific COVID-19 entry requirements, and please also double-check your concert start time to allow ample time for entrance. To purchase tickets or get additional information, please visit, www.jamestaylor.com and www.jacksonbrowne.com
Read MoreJAMES TAYLOR & HIS ALL-STAR BAND WITH SPECIAL GUEST JACKSON BROWNE KICK OFF SECOND LEG OF U.S. TOUR OCT. 16 IN NEW ORLEANS
October 14, 2021
PROCEEDS FROM THE NOLA SHOW TO BENEFIT SOUTH LOUISIANA’S SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK
James Taylor & His All-Star Band, with special guest Jackson Browne, will kick off the second leg of their US tour on October 16 at The Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, LA. Taylor and Browne’s highly acclaimed tour earned rave reviews on the road this summer. Pollstar commented of the legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Famers that “these songs not only endure but expanded to include the life-worn truths of coming of age in the 21st century by two American treasures.”
Proceeds from both Taylor and Browne’s first show of the tour in New Orleans, LA will benefit Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans & Acadiana to lend support to those effected by the devastation of Hurricane Ida. Hurricane Ida recently caused widespread destruction across Southeast Louisiana. Second Harvest is delivering food, water, and supplies to the hardest-hit areas and will be providing assistance for many more months as neighbors rebuild their homes and communities.
Second Harvest Food Bank helps feed people year-round across South Louisiana, providing the equivalent of more than 50 million meals annually across 23 parishes (counties.) As a first-line emergency responder, Second Harvest staff and volunteers have fed hundreds of thousands of people since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis in March 2020, as well as responding to Hurricanes Ida, Laura, Delta and Zeta at the same time.
President and CEO Natalie Jayroe expressed her thanks on behalf of everyone served by this 40-year organization. “This is such a generous gift of love, and means even more with music being such an integral part of the soul of South Louisiana. We are honored that these two world-renowned artists and their fans are transforming the joy of a live performance into something even larger for our community.”
As a recording and touring artist, James Taylor has touched people with his warm baritone voice and distinctive style of guitar-playing for more than 40 years, while setting a precedent to which countless young musicians have aspired. Over the course of his celebrated songwriting and performing career, Taylor has sold more than 100 million albums, earning gold, platinum, and multi-platinum awards for classics ranging from Sweet Baby James in 1970 to October Road in 2002. In addition to multiple Grammy awards, Taylor has been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the prestigious Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 2012, Taylor was awarded the distinguished Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government and the National Medal of Arts by President Barack Obama in a White House ceremony. In November 2015, Taylor was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. In December 2016 Taylor received the Kennedy Center Honors, which are presented annually to individuals who have enriched American culture by distinguished achievement in the performing arts.
In 2015, Taylor released Before This World, his first new studio album in thirteen years, which earned him his first ever #1 album. Taylor’s latest release American Standard earned him his sixth overall Grammy award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. American Standard infuses new sounds and fresh meaning into these timeless works of art, reimagining some of the most beloved songs of the 20th century and making them completely his own. In 2020, Taylor also released Break Shot, the first-ever Audible Original performance by James Taylor, and a deeply personal and authentic audio-only memoir.
Hailed as one the Greatest Songwriters of All Time by Rolling Stone, Jackson Browne has written and performed some of the most literate and moving songs in popular music. A defining Americana artist, who’s songwriting is often charged with honesty, emotion and personal politics, Browne is known for his hits, like “Running On Empty,” “The Pretender,” “Doctor My Eyes,” and “Take It Easy,” as well as deeply personal ballads such as “These Days” and “In the Shape of a Heart.” He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2007.
Nearly five decades since his 1972 debut LP, the songs on Jackson Browne’s new album Downhill From Everywhere sustain the soulful intimacy of his first release, combined with a power and wisdom gained from a life pursuing positive change. Like much of Browne’s illustrious catalog, Downhill From Everywhere is fueled by a search—for connection, for purpose, for self—but there’s a heightened sense of urgency written between the lines, a recognition of the sand slipping through the hourglass that elevates the stakes at every turn, all while maintaining a defiant sense of optimism that seems tailor-made for these turbulent times.
Please check with your local venue for specific COVID-19 entry requirements, and please also double-check your concert start time to allow ample time for entrance. To purchase tickets or get additional information, please visit, www.jamestaylor.com and www.jacksonbrowne.com
Show Date City Venue
16-Oct-21 New Orleans, LA Smoothie King Center
17-Oct-21 Houston, TX Toyota Center
19-Oct-21 Fort Worth, TX Dickies Arena
22-Oct-21 West Valley City, UT Maverik Center
23-Oct-21 Boise, ID ExtraMile Arena
25-Oct-21 Portland, OR Moda Center
27-Oct-21 Tacoma, WA Tacoma Dome
29-Oct-21 San Francisco, CA Chase Center
30-Oct-21 Anaheim, CA HONDA Center
1-Nov-21 San Diego, CA Pechanga Arena
10-Nov-21 Sunrise, FL BB&T Center
11-Nov-21 Tampa, FL Amalie Arena
13-Nov-21 Jacksonville, FL VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena
14-Nov-21 Orlando, FL Amway Center
16-Nov-21 Greenville, SC Bon Secours Wellness Arena
17-Nov-21 Charleston, SC North Charleston Coliseum
19-Nov-21 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum
20-Nov-21 Norfolk, VA Norfolk Scope Arena
29-Nov-21 St. Paul, MN XCEL Energy Center
30-Nov-21 Green Bay, WI Resch Center
2-Dec-21 Milwaukee, WI Fiserv Forum
4-Dec-21 St. Louis, MO Enterprise Center
5-Dec-21 Kansas City, MO T-Mobile Center
7-Dec-21 Omaha, NE CHI Health Center
8-Dec-21 Des Moines, IA Wells Fargo Arena
10-Dec-21 Grand Rapids, MI Van Andel Arena
11-Dec-21 Columbus, OH Nationwide Arena
13-Dec-21 Buffalo, NY KeyBank Center
Read MoreJackson Browne’s “Downhill From Everywhere” Featured in Trailer for Emmy Nominated Documentary, The Story of Plastic
September 16, 2021
Watch The Story of Plastic FREE through September 30 in honor of its Emmy nomination!
Browne On Tour in Support of New Album Downhill From Everywhere Out Now
The feature-length documentary The Story of Plastic has been nominated for an Emmy Award in the Outstanding Writing: Documentary category. This must-see documentary tells the hidden story of plastic pollution, from production to incineration. The trailer for the documentary features Jackson Browne’s “Downhill From Everywhere,” the title track of his new album, which shares the film’s vision in confronting our personal and societal dependence on plastic and consider its devastating effect on the oceans.
In celebration of the Emmy nomination, Discovery has made the full documentary free to stream on their Youtube channel through September 30.
Watch the trailer for The Story of Plastic featuring “Downhill From Everywhere”
Watch The Story of Plastic FREE through September 30
“I’m playing ‘Downhill From Everywhere’ every night and I see a willingness on the part of the audience to be engaged on the subject of plastic,” says Browne. “But a song is a limited venue for in-depth discussion of what to do about it. That’s why it’s so great that The Story of Plastic has connected so many people with the issues and the strategies being employed in the struggle to stop the plastic scourge.”
Downhill From Everywhere debuted at #5 on the Billboard Current Album Chart, the Album Sales Chart, as well as the Americana Album Chart. It’s been embraced by Variety, The Independent, Grammy.com, NPR’s Here & Now, Rolling Stone, AllMusic, Under The Radar, No Depression, and many more including Forbes who said, “Downhill From Everywhere is why Browne is in both the Rock And Roll and Songwriters Hall Of Fames,” and the Associated Press who said, “The title track is one of the best political songs he’s ever written, period.”
In support of the record, Browne is currently on his “Evening With” Tour, and then continues his tour with James Taylor through October, November, and December. In conjunction with The GRAMMY Museum, Browne will also take part in a keynote interview at this year’s AmericanaFest taking place in Nashville from September 24. It was also announced that Browne’s performance on Austin City Limits will air on November 13.
For more information, please visit www.jacksonbrowne.com
Jackson Browne “Evening With” Tour:
September 17 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Celebrity Theatre
September 18 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Celebrity Theatre
September 20 – Albuquerque, NM @ Kiva Auditorium
Jackson Browne with James Taylor Tour:
October 16 – New Orleans, LA @ Smoothie King Center
October 17 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
October 19 – Fort Worth, TX @ Dickies Arena
October 22 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Maverik Center
October 23 – Boise, ID @ ExtraMile Arena
October 25 – Portland, OR @ Moda Center
October 27 – Tacoma, WA @ Tacoma Dome
October 29 – San Francisco, CA @ Chase Center
October 30 – Anaheim, CA @ Honda Center
November 1 – San Diego, CA @ Pechanga Arena
November 10 – Sunrise, FL @ BB&T Center
November 11 – Tampa, FL @ Amalie Arena
November 13 – Jacksonville, FL @ VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena
November 14 – Orlando, FL @ Amway Center
November 16 – Greenville, SC @ Bon Secours Wellness Arena
November 17 – Charleston, SC @ North Charleston Coliseum
November 19 – Greensboro, NC @ Greensboro Coliseum
November 20 – Norfolk, VA @ Scope Arena
November 29 – St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
November 30 – Green Bay, WI @ Resch Center
December 2 – Milwaukee, WI @ Fiserv Forum
December 4 – St. Louis @ Enterprise Center
December 5 – Kansas City, MO @ T-Mobile Center
December 7 – Omaha, NE @ Chi Health Center
December 8 – Des Moines, IA @ Wells Fargo Arena
December 10 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Van Andel Arena
December 11 – Columbus, OH @ Nationwide Arena
December 13 – Buffalo, NY @ KeyBank Center
Follow Jackson Browne:
Website – Facebook – Twitter – Instagram – YouTube
For more information, please contact:
Sonny Bailey-Lemansky (sonny@missingpiecegroup.com)
Michael Krumper (michael@missingpiecegroup.com)
at Missing Piece Group
Read MoreJackson Browne Announces Songwriter Leslie Mendelson Will Join Him For “Evening With” Tour Dates This September
September 1, 2021
Tour with James Taylor Continues in October, November & December
Download Press Photo // Credit: Nels Israelson
September 1, 2021: Jackson Browne has announced that Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Leslie Mendelson will join his “Evening With” tour this September. The tour is in support of Browne’s new album Downhill From Everywhere (Inside Recordings), which includes a duet with Mendelson on the song “A Human Touch.” See full list of tour dates below. For more information, please visit www.jacksonbrowne.com
Leslie Mendelson is riding a wave of acclaim for her most recent studio album If You Can’t Say Anything Nice…, as well as her solo acoustic EP In The Meantime, which was recorded during the 2020 lockdown. All Music writes that Leslie evokes “1970s songwriter influences in the vein of Carole King and Carly Simon,” while The Aquarian calls her “the closest thing one can get to a truly honest musical experience.”
Leslie Mendelson’s previous work, including 2009 Grammy-nominated debut album Swan Feathers and 2017 album, Love & Murder dealt with matters of the heart. When it came time to compose the songs that comprise ‘If You Can’t Say Anything Nice…,’ however, she and her longtime writing partner Steve McEwan set out to examine the anxiety stemming from the current socio-political climate with songs like “Medication,” “I Need Something To Care About” and “Would You Give Up Your Gun.” It’s a fitting extension of a more socially conscious outlook offered on “A Human Touch”—Leslie’s duet with Jackson Browne for the documentary film, ‘5B,’ which is also included on his 2021 album, Downhill From Everywhere.
Downhill From Everywhere has been embraced by The Independent, Variety, Grammy.com, NPR’s Here & Now, Rolling Stone, AllMusic, Under The Radar, No Depression, and many more including the Associated Press who called it, “a timeless rock album,” and Forbes who said, “Downhill From Everywhere is why Browne is in both the Rock And Roll and Songwriters Hall Of Fames.” Browne was also recently interviewed on WTF w/ Marc Maron and Here’s The Thing w/ Alex Baldwin, and performed “My Cleveland Heart” on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Album single “My Cleveland Heart” was released earlier this year with a music video directed by Alissa Torvinen Kouame and featuring a cameo by Phoebe Bridgers. Browne recently performed the song on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Following the “Evening With” Tour, Browne will resume his extensive US tour with James Taylor & his All Star Band in October. See full list of tour dates below. For more information, please visit www.jacksonbrowne.com
Jackson Browne “Evening With” Tour:
September 5 – Santa Barbara, CA @ Santa Barbara Bowl
September 8 – Paso Robles, CA @ Vina Robles Amphitheatre
September 10 – Napa, CA @ Oxbow Riverstage
September 14 – Prescott, AZ @ Findlay Toyota Center
September 15 – Tucson, AZ @ Tucson Music Hall
September 17 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Celebrity Theatre
September 18 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Celebrity Theatre
September 20 – Albuquerque, NM @ Kiva Auditorium
Jackson Browne with James Taylor Tour:
October 16 – New Orleans, LA @ Smoothie King Center
October 17 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
October 19 – Fort Worth, TX @ Dickies Arena
October 22 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Maverik Center
October 23 – Boise, ID @ ExtraMile Arena
October 25 – Portland, OR @ Moda Center
October 27 – Tacoma, WA @ Tacoma Dome
October 29 – San Francisco, CA @ Chase Center
October 30 – Anaheim, CA @ Honda Center
November 1 – San Diego, CA @ Pechanga Arena
November 10 – Sunrise, FL @ BB&T Center
November 11 – Tampa, FL @ Amalie Arena
November 13 – Jacksonville, FL @ VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena
November 14 – Orlando, FL @ Amway Center
November 16 – Greenville, SC @ Bon Secours Wellness Arena
November 17 – Charleston, SC @ North Charleston Coliseum
November 19 – Greensboro, NC @ Greensboro Coliseum
November 20 – Norfolk, VA @ Scope Arena
November 29 – St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
November 30 – Green Bay, WI @ Resch Center
December 2 – Milwaukee, WI @ Fiserv Forum
December 4 – St. Louis @ Enterprise Center
December 5 – Kansas City, MO @ T-Mobile Center
December 7 – Omaha, NE @ Chi Health Center
December 8 – Des Moines, IA @ Wells Fargo Arena
December 10 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Van Andel Arena
December 11 – Columbus, OH @ Nationwide Arena
December 13 – Buffalo, NY @ KeyBank Center
Follow Jackson Browne:
Website – Facebook – Twitter – Instagram – YouTube
For more information, please contact:
Sonny Bailey-Lemansky (sonny@missingpiecegroup.com)
Michael Krumper (michael@missingpiecegroup.com)
at Missing Piece Group
Read MoreJackson Browne Lake Tahoe Show Postponed
August 31, 2021
Due to public safety and the fires in the area, we are sorry to have to announce that we must postpone our show with JACKSON BROWNE in LAKE TAHOE @ HARVEYS OUTDOOR ARENA scheduled for this next Saturday, September 11th.
The rescheduled date will be Saturday, September 10th 2022! Please hang on to those tickets as they will be honored for the new date. If you are unable to attend the new date, you will be able to request a refund from Ticketmaster for a 30-day period from the time of this announcement. Please go to https://apeconcerts.com/events/jackson-browne-3/ for the latest updates.
Jackson Browne will be donating proceeds of the Guacamole Fund benefit tickets sold from this show to the Caldor Fire Fund at the El Dorado County Community Foundation to support those impacted by the fire.
To make a contribution to the Caldor Fire Fund, please use this link: https://edcf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create?funit_id=1792
Read MoreJackson Browne, James Taylor concert one for the ages
August 25, 2021
https://news.yahoo.com/jackson-browne-james-taylor-concert-210600928.html
Aug. 24—DULUTH — Be forewarned: While the following is intended as a review of the Aug. 17 James Taylor/Jackson Browne concert at the Gas South Arena here, it is going to come off more as a fawning love letter to two of rock and roll’s greatest singer/songwriters.
Because, in truth, that’s what it is.
How else can you write about an event that was so transformative, an event that brought tears to these eyes, an event that brought such joy to this old heart of mine, an event that made me so glad to be alive?
Maybe it was partially a reaction to the year-plus of COVID-induced semi-isolation. Maybe it was the opportunity to finally see Browne perform live, one of my musical bucket list items (I’d seen J.T. perform before). Or maybe it was just the outpouring of hope and exhilaration of seeing these great veteran artists prove how viable they still are and how well their songs have stood the test of time.
I’m sure it was a little of all of that … and so much more.
Jackson Browne is, I believe, one of the best five or six songwriters ever. You could take “The Pretender,” “Sky Blue and Black” and “These Days,” and that would be enough to qualify him. But as Browne’s fans know, those are just the tip of the ice burg when it comes to his deep, poignant catalog.
(A confession: When the concert started, and I heard that familiar, wonderful voice sing “I’m Alive” — a song to which I absolutely relate — tears flowed uncontrollably down my cheeks. In those first couple of minutes, the concert was well worth the price of admission.)
I’ve learned to never complain when an artist with such a rich catalog does not play a favorite song. (I honestly thought Eric Clapton fans were going to revolt at the same venue a few years back when the veteran guitarist did not — gasp! — play his all-time classic “Layla” … as if that was his only defining moment. Damned yuppies.) I had in my mind any number of songs from master singer/songwriter Browne’s decades of classics, but I was just so overjoyed to hear the songs he wanted to sing on this night.
I marveled again how poignantly Browne perceives the world around him — in “The Long Way Around,” he sang of “… letting go two or three disasters ago” — insight those of us who listen can only experience through his songs. My faith in my beliefs was renewed as he sang “Until Justice Is Real.”
The first big surprise of the night — and I don’t know why it was such a surprise, perhaps it was just that I was so caught up in the moment — was when Browne said, “Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. James Taylor.” I literally broke out in gooseflesh as the familiar icon ambled onstage. That Taylor sang with Browne on two of the latter artist’s all-time classic songs — “The Pretender” and “Running on Empty” — was a memory to cherish for the ages.
(It was such a cool moment when Browne said, “James, you gonna stick around with us?” seconds before the the familiar piano/guitar intro to “Running on Empty” brought the 13,000 or so at the Gas South Arena to their feet.)
Of the literally hundreds of concerts I’ve seen in my lifetime, when Browne left the stage and the houselights came up, signifying no encore, I’ve never been so disappointed to see a show end. But the thrill of the performance — musically, vocally and visually — would not allow me to focus on any downside.
As the roadies (and wouldn’t it have been great to hear Browne do “The Load Out/Stay?” … OK, no griping) set up what would be an elaborate and awe-inspiring stage set for Taylor’s performance, I listened to some music critics behind me talk about how James Taylor’s voice “sounded weak” while singing backing vocals on “The Pretender” and “Running on Empty.” I almost turned around and said, “Dudes, he was only singing backing vocals; he was not trying to usurp anything from the guy singing the songs.” But I kept quiet, thinking to myself, “Just wait and see.”
It didn’t take long for that to happen. After an emotional video montage of just regular folks singing Taylor’s songs, the man called “Sweet Baby” immediately won the crowd over with a stirring rendition of the “Sweet Baby James” classic “Country Road.” And the musical high points just kept coming.
Taylor told of how he came to write the second verse of “That’s Why I’m Here” after learning of the death of his friend, comedian John Belushi.
“I was dealing with my own issues, and that literally scared me sober,” the singer said. “I’m sure there are a lot of you here who have your own issues, so this song is for those of you dealing with recovery.” The crowd cheered wildly, and Taylor added, “We’ve got a lot of songs for you who are f—ed up, too.”
As marvelous as the music was, another awe-inspiring element of the evening was the stage, which was decorated with a tree that helped highlight the digital splendor that accompanied choice tunes. One shining example was “Mexico.” As Taylor and his All-Star Band (which was) hit the chorus, the backdrop exploded with an array of bright colors that brought a festive atmosphere to the arena.
Taylor didn’t hold back during his 18-song performance, mixing familiar tunes from throughout his career with rarities like “Easy as Rollin’ Off a Log,” which was from his COVID-era “American Standards” album and, Taylor noted, inspired by an old “Merry Melodies” cartoon, which played on a “TV set” digital display and provided a lighter moment to the evening.
Of course, most fans want the hits when they watch a prolific artist like Taylor, and he didn’t disappoint: “Copperline,” “Steamroller Blues,” “Sweet Baby James,” “Fire and Rain,” “Carolina in My Mind,” “Shower the People,” “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You).”
Then came a stirring four-song encore that was itself a marvel. It started with the moving, lovely “Shed a Little Light” that featured Taylor’s backup singers (including his son, Henry). Then Taylor called Browne to the stage, and they duetted on “Take It Easy,” a song Browne co-wrote that became The Eagles’ breakthrough hit. Browne stayed for a moving rendition of Taylor’s Carole King-penned classic “You’ve Got a Friend,” and then everyone but Taylor and his son left the stage.
Backing themselves with acoustic guitars, the Taylor’s wowed the crowd one last time and ended the night on an emotional high with their take on Taylor’s lovely “You Can Close Your Eyes.”
It’s the music fan-boy in me that leads me to declare that this show vaulted into my all-time Top 5 concerts list, a declaration that has not worn off in the few days since returning to southwest Georgia and reality. But it’s the human being in me that left me with a final, decisive thought as I walked to the car after the show: “If I die now, I die happy.”
Read MoreSweet Baby James & The Pretender Still Running On
August 23, 2021
https://www.pollstar.com/article/sweet-baby-james-the-pretender-still-running-on-148669
I Always Thought I’d See You Again:James Taylor, who is touring with Jackson Browne, performing at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Aug. 16. The duo are playing U.S. arenas and amphitheaters through December, including Chicago’s United Center, San Francisco’s Chase Center and Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum, before heading to Europe in January.James Taylor/Jackson Browne Bridgestone Arena, NashvilleAugust 16, 2021
By the time James Taylor emerged to sing “The Pretender” with Jackson Browne, offering the line “Out into the cool of the evening strolls the Pretender / He knows that all of his hopes and dreams begin and end there…,” it became apparent the singer/songwriters’ stop at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena was going to be much more than a hit fest of soft rock favorites from the ‘70s and ‘80s. More than nostalgia, these songs not only endure but expanded to include the life-worn truths of coming of age in the 21st century by two American treasures.
There was no preaching, no stridency, no toxic shock of 24-hour news cycles, yet the humanity and clarity on display firmly reminded the crowd of their decency, generosity and kindness. Browne, from SoCal, did an exceptional job merging new songs that connected the dots on plastics clogging and killing the ocean (“Downhill from Everywhere”) with shimmering takes on classics (“Fountain of Sorrow,” “Late for the Sky”) before winding up with a surging “Running On Empty” that’s lost none of its bite. Indeed, the urgency of “Empty” serves a clarion call for generations facing global, ecological, personal and health crisis at every turn.Browne, 72, always the bruised romantic, still represents a raging against the dying of the day. At a time of overwhelm, “Doctor My Eyes” feels desperately current, while “My Cleveland Heart” buoys hope in a time of overload.
With a heroic band, Browne brought both dynamics and a wide-open spirit. It was a reminder that laid back can rock with a genuine sense of thrust as well as musicianship from players including Bob Glaub and Greg Leisz.
James Taylor, now 73, from North Carolina, Boston and Martha’s Vineyard, is in many ways the more cozy. While a bit more mellow, he spent his time onstage expanding and reconfiguring many of his best loved songs. “Carolina In My Mind” turned on five-part harmonies and Taylor’s acoustic guitar, while “Mexico” percolated under Latin rhythms, a thicker layer of instruments punctuated with horn blasts that all gave way to an incredible vocal freestyle/percussion fest. Later, “Shower The People” would also have a vocal vamping session with the crowd singing and clapping along; Arno McCuller stood out with an incredible set of vocal runs that prompted cheers from the already invested audience.
Charming, a bit awkward and hilarious, Taylor is the uncle everyone loves the most. Talking about the pedal taverns and “wooo!” girls, he impaled Nashville’s drunk Bridezilla nation. When he introduced “That’s Why I’m Here” for “my friends in recovery,” he quickly added, “And don’t worry: we’ve got plenty if you’re fucked up, too.”
That buttery suede voice lands as a comfort and reassurance. Playing “You Can Close Your Eyes” with just his son Henry at the foot of the stage, the tenderness and family ties created a reminder of how small, simple truths shape the best of what life can be.
With “Take It Easy” driving the encore – and co-writer Browne onstage – the night took on the vibe of a frat party band having its own kind of fun. This was the hedonism of the time period both emerged from, and it reminded those in their 40s, 50s and 60s who they were back then, but it also offered the large number of people in their 20s and 30s a sense of why this music engaged so viscerally back when.
“You’ve Got A Friend,” with Taylor’s five singers and Browne, was the benediction the night deserved. With a smile and a twinkle in his blue eyes, the pledge of being there for each other, was perhaps the message most necessary. In a hard, callous world, the idea of being there with one another was exactly what the people needed to hear.
James Taylor and Jackson Browne announce new fall tour dates
August 18, 2021
James Taylor and Jackson Browne announce new fall tour dates!
Make a priority reservation here and receive first access to the best seats in the house when they go on sale on August 23 at 10am local time.
The JacksonBrowne.com fan presale begins August 24th at 10am local time. For more information, head to the JacksonBrowne.com Tour Page.
**Note: When purchasing your presale tickets, please pay close attention to the updated vaccine and COVID testing protocols now required to attend a concert.
Read More