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New York, New York 04/20/2007; The Beacon Theater
Topic Started: Sep 5 2008, 11:03 AM (389 Views)
mouser
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It was so easy living day by day,
Out of touch with the rhythm and the blues,
But now I need a little give and take,
The New York Times, the Daily News...

It comes down to reality and it's fine with me cause I've let it slide,
Don't care if its Chinatown or Riverside,
I don't have any reasons, I've left them all behind
I'm in a New York state of mind.
-Billy Joel



April 20 Friday 8:00

THE BEACON THEATER
2124 Broadway
NY, NY 10023
212-496-7070

Taylor will be part of the Green Apple Festival that will be held in venues all over New York City
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TICKETS: $36.00 - $62.00

Gross Receipts: 2122/2854 $95,416

SEATING CAPACITY: 2800

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HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS:
Hey, it's NEW YORK CITY! There is a restaurant of quality every time you turn around, and the hotels are numerous, if expensive. Enjoy the city and enjoy Taylor.... a winning combo.

THE BEACON:
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THE LEGENDARY BEACON THEATRE IS SOLO TOUR’S BIG APPLE HOME.

The “older sister” to Radio City Music Hall, the Beacon Theatre, will be the New York City stop for Taylor’s Solo Tour.

“Many of the greatest names in music have played the Beacon including the Rolling Stones, Jerry Garcia, Aerosmith, Michael Jackson, James Taylor, Radiohead, and Queen.”

Both the Radio City Music Hall and the Beacon Theatre were the dreams of Roxy Rothafel, a great visionary and theatrical impresario of his time. He envisioned an “International Music Hall” theater for live entertainment, cultural and popular events in both theatres.

“The Beacon was the first “concert hall” outfitted for IMAX for the film “The Rolling Stones at the Max,” December 1991.”

The Beacon Theatre looks like a modern box office from the outside, but it was actually built in 1928. It is not only a movie theatre, but a venue for musical events and seminars.

It is one of the largest and most historic theaters on Broadway The Art Deco landmark features a pair of 30-foot statues, marble floors and murals of elephants and camels.


To read more about Taylor’s venue in New York City, go to: http://www.beacontheatrenyc.com/history.html



OPENING ACT:
Toby Lightman

SET LIST


Gonna Move
Heaven Knows
The Maze
-Harlem/Cold Baloney ( Bill Withers )
- Let’s Get It On ( Marvin Gaye)
Compared to What
Wherever I Lay My Hat
Heart and Soul
Just to Feel That Way
Give Me Tonight
Hell of a Day
- I Don’t Need No Doctor ( Ray Charles)
My Friend
The Deal
Soul Thing
Medicated Goo
- What’d I Say ( Ray Charles)
The Right Place
The Runaround
- Big Boss Man ( Jimmy Reed)

Encore:
Naked in the Jungle
- I Want to Take You Higher ( Sly & the Family Stone)





REVIEWS AND MEDIA:


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

1. By Chelena Blount
Apr 29, 2007

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).


Posted Imagecourtesy of 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

2.

Excerpt from Saving the earth - one Apple at a time
By: Laura Ramirez
Issue date: 5/7/07 Section: Arts

....On Friday, April 20, the Taylor Hick's show at the Beacon Theater was packed with a crowd made up of more than supporters from American Idol or his soul patrol. With fans ranging from pre-teens to middle-aged men and women, the concert almost sold out. Many young fans donned Hicks' trademark gray hair for the day and crowds of young girls with silver streaked hair could be seen in the crowd.

When Hicks first came on stage, the energy and enthusiasm from the crowd was immediate. Most people were on their feet and remained that way for the entire show. He not only played the guitar while dancing on stage, but Hicks also did a hip movement dance, which had been rumored to be inspired by Mick Jagger.

Hicks played songs from his new self-titled CD, and maintained his energy throughout the show. Alhough he kept things casual with his laidback attire, his fans believe that he is no ordinary man, and adoring signs were seen all over the venue.


SOUL PATROL MEMORIES:

1. Go to the following link to read a bloggers experience at the Beacon that is worth your time. http://seasonofthesoul.wordpress.com/2007/...er-groove-back/

Posted Imagecourtesy of Tina

2. I come from Dublin, Ireland to sample some American style southern music and chanced upon Taylor Hicks' concert being advertised at the Beacon. My friend recommended it to me and I bought a ticket.

What a fantastic concert this one was....Definitely one of the best in soul entertaiment I've seen in years ( and that includes London and Sydney ).

I recommend this concert to anyone highly.

Posted Imagecourtesy of jessyt44

3. This is one true entertainer. See him live in a large venue, a small venue or a bar but go and see him. 4tAY

4. Taylor Hicks concert at the Beacon on Friday night was absolutely the best concert I have been to in years. I travelled from Toronto to NYC just to see this concert and boy it was worth every mile. If you have a chance to see him live, do.

5. Posted Imagecourtesy of dg90001

6. It is so refreshing to see a performer whose main focus is giving the best show with the best music and the most fun to his fans. Hicks does not care one iota about being the "star", he just loves what he's doing, and man, we love him for doing it.

Posted Imagecourtesy of jessyt44


2011 ADDENDUM TO THE BEACON AS A CONCERT VENUE:


Fillmore East At The Beacon
Wake up mama, turn your lamp down low…

If you went to college in the early seventies, you know these words by heart. It’s Gregg Allman’s opening line from the finest concert album of all time, "Live At Fillmore East". And last night, the band performed that album from start to finish, I’d say note for note, but the Allmans are known for nothing if not improvisation.

The dressing rooms at the Beacon are stacked.

We started on top with Derek and Butch. Trucks that is. Derek had Duane’s Gold Top around his neck, in honor of the night’s festivities. Butch told us the vagaries of running Moogis, the inability of some fans to even remember their own e-mail addresses, and then Warren Haynes strode in next door. Like this was a job. Right from the street to the stage.

And after a peek in on Gregg we took our seats.

Well, first we admired the edifice. In an era where everybody’s cutting corners Jim Dolan spared no expense. He refurbished the place into a palace. You feel that someone actually respects music. And the vibe resembled nothing so much as that venue in the East Village, that heart of rock and roll that’s no longer beating but was the epicenter of the scene forty years ago, the Fillmore East.

And the fans are milling, and ultimately sitting, then the band hits the stage and breaks into those opening notes and when Gregg starts to sing EVERYBODY SINGS ALONG! It was like we were in church. A church you needed a secret password to enter, one that didn’t exclude people, but just required them to be in the know.

The band really locked in on "Elizabeth Reed". Noted as "Liz Reed" on the set list. You remember the story, right? Of how it was a headstone in a graveyard down south? And as the twin guitarists waxed and wailed something was clear, we were listening to MUSIC! To paraphrase Robert Plant, YOU REMEMBER MUSIC, right?

Robert spoke of laughter. And I didn’t hear any ha-ha’s, but everyone had a smile on their face, because of the experience.

There’s been all this horseshit written that the Grateful Dead broke big because they let people tape, that they were fan-friendly. No, the real reason the Dead were gigantic was the MUSIC!

They were always good, but when they finally got their act down on wax, with "Workingman’s Dead" and "American Beauty", the masses clued in and there was no stopping the juggernaut of an act that was about PLAYING!

You wonder why this business is in the shitter? It’s not about playing anymore, it’s not about music, it’s about SHOW! As in SHOW BUSINESS! And if you focus first on business, the gig has got no SOUL! And without soul, you ain’t got shit.

It’s not about hearing the hit. It wasn’t until ‘73 that the Allmans even had a hit. But they were legendary and selling out stadiums before that. Because of the MUSIC! You went with your buddies, got stoned and melted with the sound.

The Allmans were tighter than the Dead. And Gregg could sing better. Which may be why they were bigger. But the Dead had a warm vibe, Jerry had charisma, whereas the Allmans were all about the work. They hit no wrong notes, they were a freight train that came roaring through town, you ran down to the tracks, you didn’t want to miss it.

People can you feel it, love is everywhere

I got turned on to the Allmans in Dave McCormick’s dorm room at Middlebury College. Dave played three records over and over again. "Layla", "In Search Of The Lost Chord" and "Idlewild South". We’d roll a doobie, before that band broke big and we even called it that, turn out the lights and watch the zilch drip flame into a bucket of water, energized by the music.

You’ve got to know, at this point "Midnight Rider" wasn’t even a staple! No one knew it. We discovered it as part of the album. As the third track on the first side.

But as much as we loved "Idlewild South", we were not prepared for "Fillmore East". Which came after the venue was closed by the soon to be legendary southern rock band. Bill Graham knew what we did not. Outsiders were surprised that this yet to break act closed the hall, but Bill was right.

And eventually I went back to the beginning, I bought the debut, with the killer version of "Trouble No More", which the band played last night.

But the track I needed to experience, and filling the whole fourth side it was an experience, was "Whipping Post".

I’ve been run down, I’ve been lied to

All these years later the story of abandonment made sense in a way it did not back at Middlebury. But the sound had been updated too. Derek wasn’t just channeling Duane, he was adding his own spin.

And eventually David Hidalgo of Los Lobos came out to wail too.

And when the band settled into the drum solo it became painfully clear…this show was gonna end.

But the experience wasn’t over. This was show 191, by time they’re done later this month it will be 201 sold out shows at the Beacon, there’s a plaque backstage, with rolling digits counting the gigs.

You can go too.

And it’s best at the Beacon.

But it’s good everywhere.

Because it’s music.

This is how it used to be. People didn’t want to be stars, they wanted to be musicians. They practiced and gigged and practiced and ultimately got good enough to gain acclaim. They got record deals and lost them, they drove in vans with bald tires, but when that engine was finally tuned, and all eight cylinders were humming, the sound was undeniable. People came from far and wide to bask in the music, to partake in the elixir.

No one was fake. There were no hard drives, no auto-tune. You had to be able to sing and play.

And these cats did it so well that money started raining down upon them in prodigious amounts. I remember that picture in "Rolling Stone" with all the Allmans’ guitars belted into the airplane seat. Yup, the axes had their own ticket, they were just that important, the band didn’t want to give United a chance to break their guitars.

And there was booze and drugs, more women than anyone but Gene Simmons, who came after, could remember. It was pure.

You want to know how we know?

Because most of the acts from back then are broke. They’ve still got to work to survive. Tickets were under five bucks. Record royalties were miniscule. It was primarily about the lifestyle.

And the audience was an integral part of that lifestyle. Without the audience you had nothing. It wasn’t about perfecting the sound on record so much as plugging in on stage and giving it your all, feeding off those in attendance, trying to blow the roof off the joint.

There are no short cuts.

You can make a record with Dr. Luke, but that doesn’t mean anybody wants to see you live.

You can win "American Idol" and be famous, but so is Snooki, and she can’t sing, she’s got no talent whatsoever.

Don’t confuse fame with talent. Talent is honed. Over years. When no one is looking. When your parents tell you to go to school and your girlfriend tells you you’re a shithead. Nobody believes in you but yourself. But your belief is so strong that you can’t give up. Then people you never knew suddenly believe you’re God.

Yup, that’s how it works.

I’d like to tell you there’s a star in the Allman Brothers Band, but that would be wrong. Every player on stage is an integral part. It’s not about preening, but playing.

And it’s about playing once again. There’s a host of acts most people have never heard of selling out clubs and theatres to dedicated fans who go to every gig, which they can afford to because tickets are so cheap.

This is our only way out.

It’s not about Jimmy Iovine wearing Beats headphones on "American Idol", it’s not about the penumbra, it’s about the CORE!

Last night the Allman Brothers tied me to the whipping post.

And it felt so GOOD!

http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/index.php/archives/2011/03/14/fillmore-east-at-the-beacon/
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