James Taylor and Jackson Browne are two of the major icons in the history of rock music. Both artists, in their 73rd Year, are still actively touring the United States. For the current concert tour, they have combined forces to present the James Taylor All-Star Band with Special Guest Jackson Browne Tour. The tour, which encompasses both the United States and Canada, performed to a very responsive crowd in Boise on Saturday, October 23. To say this was one of the most amazing concerts I have seen in several years is still not doing it justice; and the ExtraMile Arena stepped up to the plate to do a great job on the sound, lighting, effects and changes required for this concert/event.
James Taylor and Jackson Browne both commented how good they felt that so many of their fans kept their tickets from the rescheduled concert dates that were cancelled due to the pandemic. Both artists also talked about Boise, with Jackson Browne sharing that he had “several desirable Boise stories, but can’t tell them now”. James Taylor mentioned Boise several times, commenting that “Boise’s audience was so much better than [I’m not naming the city–Ed] the major city earlier on the tour”. It was clear the audience at the ExtraMile Arena loved the show, giving both James Taylor and Jackson Browne several standing ovations. The flashlight wavers were in good attendance also, lighting up both the floor and balcony seats with a joyous waving of the lights.
Jackson Browne opened the show with a great rendition of Somebody’s Baby. This song was probably his most famous song to those who were not already fans, due to its inclusion in the classic ‘80s movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High.This was a good start for Jackson Browne, who really connected with the audience. He told a story for every song; and even entered into a friendly rapport with some of the fans, one who kept requesting a song from one of the front rows he answered back. “Ok. You start it and I’ll join in”.
It’s immediately apparent that Jackson Browne’s voice is still impeccable. His songs are still creations of beauty, whether they are slow ballads or raucous rockers. Those songs too can usually stand alone as poetry, as shown in his second song, The Barricades of Heaven. Telling a story of a musician growing up too fast and too young, it shares insights into what Jackson’s life was, playing at popular and singing with other talented performers when he was still in his teens
He’s maintained his own style, stepping into other musical styles occasionally while remaining true to his roots. In a more recent song, The Long Way Around, Jackson dipped into Americana to weave a social commentary on the recent problems America has faced in this last decade. He might have traded in his trademark long black hair for a shorter gray style and a neatly trimmed beard; but you could tell he’s still got the range of his voice and the fire in his belly when it comes toremaining a social activist and supporting many of them by his songs.
One of the things that Jackson Browne has always been known for is his writing. His songs have been performed or covered by many of the top artists in music. His next song, Fountain of Sorrow, was no different, becoming a key moment of Joan Baez’s Diamonds and Rust album. His version at the ExtraMile Arena was still fresh and moving, 47 years after he wrote it.
The next song, Downhill From Everywhere, offered a counterpoint to the longevity of Fountain of Sorrow. Mauricio Litwak’s drums on this and many of Jackson’s other songs show that great bands can still rock with new tunes. The title track of his new album Downhill From Everywhere, it was followed up by a second track from the album, The Dreamer. The Dreamer is an ode to the struggles of the Latin American immigrants. Beautiful backing vocals from longtime singer Aletha Mills and recent addition Tiffanie Cross put a marvelous Latin quality into the song.
Jackson Browne and James Taylor have both been socially conscious artists; and no where is it more apparent than in And Justice For All, another new song from Jackson Browne’s recent album Downhill from Everywhere. His line in the tune “Time Like A Fuse Getting Shorter Every Day” pretty much sums up his feeling about where we are going and what there is that we need to do.
Going back to 1972 and the debut album simply titled Jackson Browne, Jackson’s first album contained his earliest hit song, Doctor My Eyes. Written when he was 24, the song looked at a past life lived and hardships endured, with the result that he could no longer feel anything. Heady material indeed for a young man to write, but this song moved many who enjoyed not only the upbeat tune but also those who marveled at the perspective of the arguably disheartening lyrics. Doctor My Eyes, performed at the ExtraMile Arena, was a tribute to Jackson Browne as a survivor of the times and the poignant view of life, still relevant to him—and his audience—as they have grown.
For A Dancer is a sad song too, but one that was written upon the death of a close friend in 1974. Included in 1974’s Late To The Sky album, it was a very personal song for Jackson Browne. Played at the memorials for close friend John Belushi and later performed by Jackson himself at his friend Phil Hartman’s memorial, he even dedicated it at one show to “the people that lost their lives in Orlando ~ and for their families and for their friends…for our whole country”. Jackson’s version Saturday night spoke to his fans in Boise, bringing many to tears. Just two days before the shooting at the Boise Towne Centre Mall, this song speaks to everyone of the fragility of life.
James Taylor and Jackson Browne united for the final two songs of the set. First, they did the title track from one of Jackson Browne’s most popular albums, The Pretender. James Taylor traded some of the leads with Jackson; and when they combined their singing, the harmonies were excellent. The way they have handled the tour, sometimes it seems more like a giant family rather than just a tour.
One thing that was impressive is that both men not only introduced each band member, but that they took the time to walk over, shake their hand and tell a bit about them. This speaks a lot about both James Taylor and Jackson Browne. Overhearing conversations around during the show, that is one of the things people were talking about was “how nice it was to hear about their fellow musicians and singers” and “get to know them”. Their last song of the opening set was a duo on Running On Empty. This song, one of Jackson’s most popular, serves as both an autobiographical piece (as many of his songs are) and a kick-ass rocker.
Watching the set change during the intermission, it was both amazing to see how fast but professional the changes were (kudos to both Jackson and James’ roadies and ExtraMileArena’s stage crew). It was equally impressive to see the huge tree and the hanging and moving lights plus the cloth from floor to the top of the set that turned into a screen for a video that was projected as a way of introduction and a brief show of others talking how James Taylor has influenced them. After a brief chat about how grateful he was that so many had kept their tickets from previously canceled dates, the set transformed into lights flitting up and down, the tree dominating the right-hand side of the stage and a large projection of a tree-lined country road as he led the band into one of his signature songs, Country Road.
From there, James Taylor told some stories; at times it really did seem like he was sitting in a living room talking to each member of the audience, just sitting across from him. He introduced Copperline, a song about his childhood and a visit back to Copperline, where he grew up. He also talked about what it was to finally be back on the road again, As many including Mr. Taylor have found out, sometimes “you can’t go back”. One area where James Taylor doesn’t need to go back is his voice; still smooth yet powerful, the same silky tonal quality that has made him a joy to listen to since he first became known as a singer.
Many more songs were introduced. That’s Why I’m Here, another album title track, was a very personal song for James Taylor. As he introduced it, he told the crowd it was dedicated to anyone in the room that was in Recovery (AA, NA and any other path to sober living). He told a bit about the song, inspired by the death of his friend John Belushi, an act which “scared him sober”. In it, he delved into the other aspect of his life, playing songs that his audience wants, many of them the same songs night after night. And it talks about how he is at peace for what his life is now. The audience really reacted to this song, as one of many that James Taylor has written over the years that really speak to people about their lives.
The atmosphere took a turn as he introduced Mexico, a good example of his wonderful writing that has been covered by other artists; in the case of Mexico, a perennial favorite at Jimmy Buffet’s concerts now. This definitely got the audience into some dancing in their seats. Steve Gadd did an amazing job on the drums on this and the other songs—it’s readily apparent why he’s been rated as one of the top drummers for so many years.
Steamroller Blues gave the band and James Taylor a chance to open up and show their expertise at the blues. Lou Marini, who played in the original Blues Brothers Band, gave out a high-intensity sax solo on this song. The trumpet solo was announced by James at the end of the song to be played by Walt Fowler from Boise. This got a marvelous round of applause from the fans. A cute little song followed that James had found, Catnip College from a 1927 Merrie Melodies cartoon. The fans roared as the band played the tune while watching the original cartoon on the main screens.
More of James Taylor’s fan Favorites followed; Sweet Baby James, Carolina on my Mind (where he introduced all the singers including his youngest son Henry Taylor) and How Sweet it Is. Jackson Browne returned to the stage for a few of the encores, starting with an awesome version of Take It Easy, the song written by Jackson Browne and Glenn Frey of the Eagles, appearing on one of Jackson Browne’s albums and as a single in 1972 but becoming a monster hit for the Eagles and praised as one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs That Shaped Rock. Jackson Browne’s voice meshes perfectly with James Taylor, their harmonies and changing of the lead singing on the song providing an awesome chance to hear this tune.
The encores continued, with the flashlight waving contingent lighting up the whole ExtraMile Arena. After praising that Boise was a much better audience than his las shows to thunderous applause, James Taylor launched into the perennial favorite, You’ve got a Friend. He told about how his friend Carole King gave him the song. You could see thousands of couples and even groups with arms around each other, rocking side to side with this song. Fire and Rain elicited a similar response.
The show closed with a beautiful version of Close Your Eyes, performed as a duet with James and his younger son Henry performing on guitars and vocals. This performed a wonderful capper to the evening, with fans walking down the Arena steps talking about how much of a wonderful show it was. Indeed, the performance by James Taylor and Jackson Browne had invigorated the audience, bringing a sense of community back to Boise. James Taylor and Jackson Browne were the perfect way to not only give the audience a great show, but bring a spirit of hope to the fans in Boise that life and music were again bringing people together.
All photos by Dave Sivertsen
