American Idol Taylor Hicks Bites The Big Apple at the Beacon Theater

I am still in shock over last Friday’s show at the Beacon.  American Idol Taylor Hicks stepped onstage and immediately the crowd was on their feet and remained standing for the duration of the show.  I have been to a few amazing concerts, from Luther Vandross to Average White Band, and never have I seen such amazing, never-ending energy exude from one man.

It’s almost exhausting just watching Mr. Hicks escape as he becomes one with the stage where, for the moment, he is lord and ruler. He gives you singing, non-stop dancing, harmonica blowing, guitar strumming, and tambourine-beating…a myriad of motions that keep the audience pumped from beginning to end.

Mr. Hicks has even incorporated the new ‘hip swivel’ dance move, which I heard was inspired by the great Mick Jagger. (Pardon me while I become ‘fangirly’ for a moment).

American Idol Taylor Hicks Bites The Big Apple at the Beacon Theater (Image: Chelena Blount)

Mick Jagger weighs about 90lbs. dripping wet while holding a bag of bricks in his hand...I deem his hip swivel harmless, entertaining even.   Mr. Hicks on the other hand, with the way he fills out a pair of jeans, takes that move to a whole new level.

Lethal.

(I will now return to my previously rational state of mind and move on.)

Mr. Hicks’ opening act, Toby Lightman, put on a fantastic show. This was my second time experiencing her perform and, while it’s not easy holding your ground against a powerhouse such as Taylor Hicks, Lightman proved she can hang with the big boys. The Soul Patrol supported her tremendously by running in droves to purchase her CDs in the theater lobby, and I will definitely be attending her New York shows in the near future. (According to Toby there is buzz of a duet between her and Mr. Hicks—now that I would love to hear!)

You can check out Toby Lightman’s official website here.

After a too-long intermission, Mr. Hicks starts us off with “Gonna Move” from his newly released CD, Taylor Hicks. I had previously warned the people sitting behind me in the audience that I was “gonna move” throughout this entire concert, but the moment Taylor hit the stage all aisles were filled with dancing Soul Patrollers who could not stay in their seats. Some were even lucky enough to rush the stage and snag a front spot—I was one of them. I slipped from my 3rd row orchestra seat and found a nice nook to the left of the stage. I wanted front and center but ended up smack in front of Taylor’s startling keyboardist Loren Gold for the entire event…oh, poor me—how ever did I bear it?

Taylor further hypes the crowd with “Heaven Knows” and “The Maze,” both from his current CD. And then, I hear it. I’m not sure at first but after a few guitar licks and bass thumps I hold my breath…

And Taylor croons out a few bars of Marvin Gaye’s “Let's Get It On.”

I literally screamed and jumped higher than I ever thought I could! I don't know what came over me—I was forewarned by many fans of him incorporating this song into his set list and I had been waiting with bated breath in hopes he would sing it in New York…and according to the ear-splitting screams that rang throughout the theater, I was obviously not alone in my waiting.

There were times during the show when I found myself returning from some place in my subconscious, opening my eyes to find my arm up in the air, swaying back and forth like a flower child from the 60’s or an old mother in a sanctified church. That’s how lost one can get in the music of Taylor Hicks. I was especially entranced when he gave us some of his pre-fame works from his self-produced albums (Under The Radar and In Your Time), such as “Heart and Soul”, “My Friend”, and “The Deal”—all penned by Mr. Hicks.

The variety of cover songs was made up of tunes one wouldn’t expect a thirty-year old to even know. That’s what makes Taylor Hicks stand out from other performers his age, there’s an old soul inside of him that connects with hits like “Compared To What”, “Medicated Goo”, a little Ray Charles’ “What I Say”, “Big Boss Man”, “Naked In The Jungle” and “Speak Out”. There were times when he seemed to not be able to contain himself; the spirit of the music coupled with the rhythm that seeps from his soul had him moving all over the stage to the point where his clothes were sweated straight through to his jacket. And no matter which impromptu direction Mr. Hicks took that night, his incredible band was right there with him, never missing a beat. This seven-piece band is mouth-gaping amazing—and one of the nicest groups of guys (and girl) I’ve ever met.

Chris Crawfis from East Hartford, CT was there to experience yet another Taylor Hicks concert. At this point she has lost count of how many times she’s seen the Soul Man live but has deemed this show as “one of his best.”

“This experience at the Beacon was absolutely amazing!” She says. “My friends and I were right against the stage for the entire show, we even made a cool sign for the organist Brian Less (known as ‘Lil’ Memphis’ from LiMBO [Little Memphis Blues Orchestra] to Taylor fans) and he loved it! Taylor rocked the house to the ground, and then pounded us the rest of the way with a killer encore, running back out onto the stage like a happy little boy. It was great to see him in a place where the audience appreciated him, his band, and his music.”

Laura Emelia, also from Connecticut, was excited and sad because this was to be her last Taylor show for his tour, but says with all the summer tour dates popping up, she’s not sure where she’ll end up before fall sets in.

“I stood with my elbows on the stage and watched the entire show—Taylor Hicks is so intoxicating, and the eye contact he continually made with his fans just about killed me. You could tell he was into the audience, this was a Taylor I had not seen at any of the shows I’ve been to. At one point he even ran over to the Hammond organ and started whaling away–it was fabulous!”

Gratefully, Mr. Hicks will never be deemed a pop star with only fawning teenaged girls as fans. Nor does he draw only the grandma crowd. Females ages seven to seventy-five were in the audience to see this powerhouse performer. Not to say the ladies don’t show up to gawk at the 6’1 brown-eyed handsome man because in all honesty, Mr. Hicks is extensively easy on the eyes—come on, the guy has a refrigerator magnet for crying out loud! 

I had two ladies in their early twenties standing behind me screaming “we love you, Taylor!” at the top of their lungs. My ears were ringing for the better part of the night, but I loved every minute of it. It’s pure adoration for the man who elicits smooth blue-eyed soul along with a sensual sway that works his female fans into a trance-like frenzy.

I did catch a bit of heartthrob spotlight being stolen by Loren Gold, keyboardist and co-writer of “The Runaround,” after the final encore. In an effort to keep the thunderous applause for Mr. Hicks going, Gold twirled his black handkerchief around over his head before tossing it into the pit of screaming women standing at the stage. It was a flashback of classic David Cassidy the way those women scrambled for that sweat-drenched cloth. I think even he was shocked by the response. I caught his eye, and the smile in them clearly screamed, ‘are they kidding me?’

There was also much testosterone in the audience that night—young, old, married, single, and Goth—on their feet, pumping their fists in the air yelling “Go, Taylor!” just as loudly as the women.

So you ask, what drives a man out to a Taylor Hicks concert?

I believe it is a sense of camaraderie. A man going to see Taylor in concert is like going to see their best buddy perform. He’s the perfect “man’s man” who can entertain you for hours and then kick back and watch a football game over beer and nuts. 

“What is there not to say about Taylor Hicks and his concerts?” Gina Billera from Staten Island NY asks. “The Beacon show was only another showcase of the unbelievable energy Taylor puts into his work! I have heard through the grapevine that there hasn’t been this much "craziness" about a handsome, singing, soulful man since Elvis Presley! I’ve seen woman throw panties onstage! It’s insane the following this man has. I even have my fiancé into Taylor’s music, now he listens to his CD every day while driving—he’s been ‘Taylorized’! I’ve also ‘Taylorized’ my mom, three little sisters, and even my dad called me the other night to let me know Taylor was on the news. I have everyone in a Taylor uproar!”

So there you have it. Men see him as non-threatening and an equal, while women love his approachable and down-to-earth personality. In short, Taylor Hicks has something for everyone.

New York City is known for supporting whom we love, and we obviously made Taylor’s night. Previously on this tour there was one concert crowd where, after performing the soulful, bluesy “Hokey Way” with all the energy of a five year old hyped on Red Bull, Taylor came back to the microphone with, “now if that don’t get you movin’ there’s something wrong with ya.” But unlike other crowds, we New Yorkers fed Taylor and in return he fed us.

The relationship between a performer and his fans is a never-ending circle. It is during a concert where the audience has a chance to give back what the artist has given out, to show them how much their talent is appreciated. It seemed Taylor did not want to leave us. He kept coming back to the stage for a few more bars of Sly and the Family Stone’s “I Wanna Take You Higher”—I’ve never seen an artist give three encores! 

Mr. Hicks himself told the audience, “You guys have been the best crowd we've had all tour!” And that was all it took for the theater to go up in cheers and applause. I hope we have prompted him to come back during his summer tour—one more Friday night in the city with Taylor Hicks would be the perfect end to my summer. 

And no doubt, Taylor Hicks will never disappoint.

Chelena Blount is a native New Yorker currently working on her fourth novel and further building her NYC concert experiences. Check out her blog at http://blog.myspace.com/nuchik