Review: Taylor Hicks gets by with help from fans at the North F...

Taylor Hicks puts on a great show and he loves his fans. That is what is so endearing about him.

You go there, you smile the entire time, and hear some great music - he loves his band! He loves what he is doing. As a result we love Taylor Hicks.

When you are at his concert you are taken away from all worries and cares - just a really great time with a great lover of soul music.

I can't wait to see him again!

I thought his acoustic rendition of Little Feat's "Long distance Loving" showed pretty good vocal chops, and was a brilliant encore.

Wow, I was at the concert and I viewed it as being FANTASTIC. That man can SING and ENTERTAIN!! If you think he hollers when he hits the high notes, tell me what do you think rockers do when they are screaming their songs.?????????

while you are out wasting your time and money at a show people are falling through the gaps on the LIRR, Vivi is still lost and Imus needs to be held accountable, must be nice to be so socially irressponsible

There are plenty of self-proclaimed "music stars", but there is a quantifiable shortage of devotees to a musical art form that does not typically sell out arenas. It is obvious that Hicks loves soul music. His interpretation and execution of this oft-overlooked musical genre, is a testament to his affection, dancing and twirling aside.
Secondary to the adoration of the Soul Patrol, not since the early days of Cream and later, the post-Dylan backup band, "The Band" has blue-eye soul become accessible to a large audience without marginalizing the essence and sentiment of a true musical art form. A unique blend of Memphis and Mensa, Mr. Hicks is poised to take us all to the Church of Soul Music.

Wonder why you never get promoted?

Because if you cannot find something good to say about a concert in your area that made money for everyone, who needs ya?

You should only hope to be as good a reviewer as Hicks is a performer.

Dave Matthews

Taylor is an amazing entertainer, who lights up the stage, but is not afraid to let the band share the spotlight as well. He gives credit where credit is due. He's a class act for sure.
I've been to a few shows and cannot wait for the next one, his voice was excellent and his range was perfect, spot on!

First of all he is not POP! He is SOUL!.. and we will show up wherever he is playing. He is the BEST performer. I have seen in my 24 years of concert going..

You are making fun of real music. He has brought much joy and happiness into all of our lives that enjoy him and his music.. Can't say that about many musicians out there today.

Thank You,
Respectfully yours,
Janice M. Keough

THIS IS HOW YOU WRITE A WINNING REVIEW, KEYS.
Thursday April 5, 2007
Taylor Hicks coming to Maryland Theatre
By ERIN JULIUS
erinj@herald-mail.com
HAGERSTOWN
American Idol 2006 Taylor Hicks is coming to Hagerstown.
Hicks will perform July 6 at The Maryland Theatre, and the theater's director said Thursday that fans might want to line up the night before tickets go on sale at the theater's box office next weekend.
Tickets for the Friday night show go on sale April 14 at 8 a.m. Tickets will be available only at the box office that day to give local residents the first chance to buy them, according to Bruce Torres, president of Cabana Cove Concerts.
Tickets are expected to sell "very, very quickly," Torres said Thursday afternoon.
"He's one of the hottest things in music right now," said Torres, who called Hicks' live performances "amazing."
"He throws some jazz and blues in the middle of a mix of songs," Torres said.
Hicks' music is "bluesy and soulful" and he connects with the audience at his mostly standing-room-only concerts, Torres said.
The Hagerstown concert date was the most recent addition to Hicks' 56-city tour, Torres said.
Hicks' tour focuses on smaller venues like The Maryland Theatre, Torres said.
"It's a grass-roots tour for him,"Torres said.
Hicks is the first of many big names who Executive Director Brian Sullivan hopes will perform at the theatre, he said.
The Maryland Theatre seats 1,300 people, and 95 percent of those seats will be available for the concert, Sullivan said.
Tickets will be available at the theater's box office at 27 S. Potomac St. from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. April 14.
Beginning the morning of April 16, tickets will be available online at www.mdtheatre.org
or by calling the box office Sullivan said.

Your take on Taylor Hicks kinda missed the point on what he is all about. You did sense his undying love for the music and the soul being the important thing, therefore making his voice just another instrument in the band and that is the way he likes it. You may not find his voice technically pleasing to you, but how many really great blues and jazz legends actually had that perfect voice. Their emotions and ability to take you along with them on their musical journey is why Hicks' fan flock to his concerts and long to hear him over and over again. He is a star in the true sense of the word because he cares not for the limelight himself but to just be a part of the whole package. Every so called pop star should take lessons from him on what it is to be humble and therefore great.

Well...

I was at Saturday's show and it was, by far, one of the most enjoyable I've ever attended. I had an aerobic workout just dancing along with Hicks and that incredible band!

Personally, I find performers who come on stage and stand perfectly still, waiting for the crowd to gasp and awe at them, are rather sickening and frankly quite pompous.

Hicks, on the other hand, came out and greeted the audience as if he were meeting up with friends at a backyard BBQ...and he was bringing the beer!

Unfortunately most of the crowd seemed to be waiting for a 'diva' to show up(or should we say 'Divo'? Eew...never mind, reminds me too much of that sad group Simon Cowell founded) because throughout the show many of them sat ramrod-still...how in the world can you stand still at a concert when the entire STAGE is working so hard at performing their butts off?

Seriously, Saturday was a kick-butt show - even Hicks's opening act, Toby Lightman, was sensational. It simply sucks that Long Island doesn't seem to know how to let its hair down and enjoy a good romp in the hay with some REAL down home, feel good music.

So sorry for the dead audience Taylor, but there were those of us who were trying our hardest to cheer and dance and make up for the entire audience...we did our best.

But not to worry. When you come on over to NYC - the Beacon Theatre will KNOW EXACTLY how to show you and the band just how much WE 'appreciate' a true performer.

(*Oh - and next time...please wear your scarf when you step off the bus to sign autographs!)

-nC (NYC)

Diane Diane wrote:

Wow, I was at the concert and I viewed it as being FANTASTIC. That man can SING and ENTERTAIN!! If you think he hollers when he hits the high notes, tell me what do you think rockers do when they are screaming their songs.?????????

Ha - thank you VERY much! Hit the nail right on the head (and I think I know you, Diane!)

Pretty good review...although I do disagree regarding his vocal abilities....I guess it depends on how you are look at it...Christina A. he is not....soulful Ray/Joe style he is...Taylor's overall performing abilities is what makes him so good...he gets inside the music..you can tell it takes him to another place...and then at the end of the concert he just waves goodbye...he leaves it all on the stage.

Yes, but did you enjoy the show?

Sorry but I think the tricky part is that the writer of this article does not get the talent that Taylor Hicks has. Have lived on Long Island for 30 years and most all of the reviews are dry, rude and with a personal opnion. That's okay, you get paid to write what you see. I don't, but what I did see was Taylor Hicks in concert and he is an incredible performer with great vocals - just takes my breath away.

Yes, right at the very end there was kind of a quick, shy exit. Taylor Hicks and his band need to practice milking those final bows. Other than that, I feel as if Newsday's reviewer didn't see the same concert as I did--and I was there. My sense was that I was in the presence of a new megastar--great voice, dynamic energy, high voltage charm. I was blown away by Taylor Hicks. I've seen other top stars at Westbury--enjoyed them all--but this concert was the best.

I LOVE that voice! To me, it's passionate and raspy and tender and fun, depending on the tune. It's real and it reaches your soul. He can sing anything! The band is amazing and the music is fabulous. It's all good! Nobody leaves without a smile and a lot of foot-tappin'. The show's just great!

Guess you took down my comment to you about this terrible article or so called review. That's okay because you obviously don't get the incomparable Taylor Hicks. Keep this article in a safe place and reflect back on it in a couple of years.

As for the "hollering" there isn't any! Rockers holler/scream not TH. Maybe I need to buy a skull t-shirt?

This was the most energized show that we have ever seen. Petite New York singer Toby Lightman, who has a great, pure voice did an enjoyable 40-minute opening set.

Once Hicks hit the stage, he did a continuous 80 minutes, giving a manic, even frenzied, concert to a screaming and cheering sold-out arena. He sang nearly his entire new release, plus a couple of numbers from one of his previous CDs and a few numbers that are on neither. He was in great voice, especially considering he rarely took a second for a breather. We're actually surprised that he has only lost 30 pounds on tour -- and yes he is definitely svelter than his Idol days -- because he never stops moving onstage, whether he is singing, playing guitar, harmonica, tambourine or cowbell. Dressed in jeans, a shirt and sport jacket, he is in constant motion, pogoing and dancing, playing to the left, right and center of the stage. His band was fantastic and as equally energized as he was.

The only strange thing we noted is that Hicks seems to get into a zone when he performs, cutting off everything but his intense concentration on the music. Though he gave a couple of requisite "Soul Patrol" shoutouts, and a quick wave to a group of girls who ran down to the stage, it felt very scripted and there was otherwise very little interaction with the audience. We don't think he spoke more than 50 words during the entire set, though girls were constantly screaming "I Love You!" or "Marry Me!" The audience definitely wanted to interact with Hicks, but he kept a physical distance. And although we thoroughly enjoyed the show, we felt the same disconnect one might feel watching a performer on TV. From what we've heard Hicks is shy, and we can believe this watching him onstage, but we believe the same can be said for Chris Isaak whom we've seen in concert several times, yet he makes a concerted effort a few times during his shows to have a bit of audience give-and-take. Taylor would do well to follow his example. But the concert was totally worth the time and money.

so sorry that i missed the concert was upset that i did not even know that taylor was going to be there i would have loved to have seen that concert