He made a point to mention he had friends in the crowd from Door County from his years playing Steel Bridge Songfest in Sturgeon Bay, an event founded by Green Bay native Pat mAcdonald. His history of social activism was fully on display in a poignant “The Dreamer,” about immigration, the effect of plastic on oceans in the title track and racial justice in “Until Justice Is Real.” He opened with a classic, “Somebody’s Baby,” and followed it up with what he called “a middle-old song,” 1996’s “Barricades of Heaven.” He dipped freely into music off his 15th studio album, “Downhill from Everywhere,” released in July. 30, 2021, at the Resch Center in Ashwaubenon, Wis.
“It does sound good in here,” he told the crowd, thanking his crew for their work during times when “everything is so much harder.” His voice sounded impeccable in the Resch. Browne’s 70-minute set was equally warm-hearted, thoughtful and laid back. If it takes a great singer-songwriter to tour with one, there's no more perfect match than Taylor and Browne, both Rock and Roll Hall of Famers in their 70s.
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A large tree anchored the backdrop, as seasons, fields and woods changed behind him, a series of teardrop pendant lights moving up and down like fall leaves for one song and dancing confetti in another. Taylor tours with some of the most gorgeous staging on the road, picturesque landscapes and places that transport audiences along with the music. He dedicated it to anyone in the audience in recovery, and then quipped, “But not to worry, we’ve still got plenty of songs for those of us who are still (expletive) up.”
Some were serious, like how his friend John Belushi’s death inspired the second verse of “That’s Why I’m Here” and proved to be a wake-up call for Taylor’s own recovery. Nearly every song got an introduction from Taylor. RELATED: First-time Green Bay Comedy Crawl will brings laughs to multiple venues RELATED: Get your holiday cheer here: A guide to Green Bay light displays, Santa sightings, Christmas concerts and other family fun At 73, he makes it all look easy, from the beautiful “Country Road” to open his 17-song set to a bouncy “As Easy as Rollin’ Off a Log” from 1927 off last year’s “American Standard” album to turning up the heat and strutting across the stage on “Steamroller Blues.” His marvelous 10-piece band, which includes his son, Henry, as a vocalist, was always at the ready to shine, most notably Walt Fowler on trumpet and Lou Marini on saxophone countless times and the fiddle work of Andrea Zonn on "Copperline.” “That song just kind of blew in the window,” he said.Īnd so it goes with Taylor. His performance of “Sweet Baby James” was as poetic as the story he told of writing the lullaby on on his way to North Carolina to see his newborn nephew for the first time. Everything outside the beam of the spotlight just melts away. Whether singing or telling stories or telling jokes about horse-drawn guitars, there’s something soothing, a calmness, about James Taylor, dressed in his plain tans and grays and a newsboy cap, on a stool with a guitar in hand.
Thanks for coming out tonight and letting us play. We never knew whether or not this was going to happen at all a year ago,” Taylor told a crowd of mostly baby boomers who nearly filled the arena. “The last verse of this song sort of, well, it’s really about you and how it feels to be back out on the road finally. He talked about what it means to be back onstage after touring came to a halt in early 2020 when he introduced “That’s Why I’m Here.” It was Taylor’s third visit to the Resch Center, and his first since a sold-out show in 2018 when he brought along Bonnie Raitt.
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