It was a Junior Walker song, (I’m a) Road Runner, that did it, that untethered James Taylor from his six-string and barstool.
He grabbed a harmonica, kicked up a heel or two, shook and wiggled and hopped on one foot, and probably would have danced even more had the cord to his mic not tugged him back to position.
Taylor turned 70 in March, but the way he played at times Saturday at Tampa’s Amalie Arena, he might as well not have aged a day in 20 years.
Twenty-four hours after and before home Lightning playoff games at Amalie, more than 9,000 fans bore witness to a J.T. revitalized, or at least not quite willing to cede his entire sandalwood soul to Father Time. Heck, during most of his 20-minute intermission, Taylor meandered down to the crowd to sign autographs and snap photos with fans. Who does that?
It makes you wonder: Would we have gotten a show like this out of Taylor if Bonnie Raitt hadn’t canceled?
Raitt was scheduled to open this run of shows on Taylor’s tour, but canceled recently due to a medical issue that required immediate surgery. Taylor assured fans that the 68-year-old Raitt was recovering nicely, and even had them record a get-well-soon message to encourage her to get back on the road.
“She made it through a tight squeeze there, some dire straits, and the news is very good,” he said. “It seems like everything is on the up and up. The news is good. The news is great.”
Raitt’s presence was missed; her rasp and attitude would’ve provided a nice counter-balance to Taylor’s steel-cut oatmeal folk. On the other hand, with two full sets to play with, Taylor and his 11-piece band could afford to have fun with the setlist, mixing covers and extra songs amongst just about every hit fans could want.