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I was at WorkPlay!
As I sat on a plane coming home, I thought about what I would say about WorkPlay. The memories were vivid and the music was still playing in my head…and my heart.
I made notes about what I wanted to say about “Grease,” my visit to see Vulcan, and the very beautiful town of Birmingham.
From WorkPlay, I could still feel the music pounding in my heart and the excitement made my head spin. Yet, I couldn’t find the words for what I had experienced. I could describe who was in the band, who joined Taylor on stage, what songs Taylor sang, how he looked and what he wore, how the crowd reacted—but that was superficial in the real schema of WorkPlay. That was only a snapshot of the moment.
WorkPlay was so much more.
Taylor had fun at WorkPlay, and he took us along on the gig!
Friday night brought us a speechless-at-first Taylor at home doing what he loves. We got a very healthy dose of everything Taylor Hicks, from the AI tour favorite, The Beatles’ “Don’t Let Me Down,” which Taylor teasingly delivered with a sly grin and lifted eyebrow, to the newest sensation, “Maybe You Should,” when I reached for the Kleenex.
Much of Taylor’s live concerts are about the instruments.
We saw his deep bow to the bluesy jazz guitar of Billy Earl McClelland and his own wailing harmonica starring on “Dust My Broom,” which went on for a musical eternity, but ended too soon.
Brian Less brought his keyboards front and center with lightning fast fingers that rocked the stage as Taylor happily looked on, proving that there was much more to this show than his own stunning, raspy vocals.
The mournful flute of Jeff Lopez playing “Dixie” leading us off in “Nineteen” said what no voice could.
And we were reminded that we were, in fact, in the heart of Dixie.
On Saturday night Taylor created a SHOW that expanded the scope and depth of even Friday night’s happening. It was a rich extravaganza of people and music of which he could be proud, giving generous attention to those who shared the stage with him. He again surrounded himself with musicians of incredible talent, whom he prominently showcased like Ona Watson, Birmingham club owner who often gave Taylor a stage in his struggling years. Taylor returned the favor in the way he knew best—sharing his stage now and recognizing one of the hometown people who had been there when…
Taking a page from the rich gospel music heritage of his hometown, Taylor featured the UAB Gospel Choir on the inspiring encores, "New Found Freedom" and "My Sweet Lord."
It was the feel good sounds from my childhood when I spent every Sunday morning in church…and it WAS Sunday morning by that time!
There were also smiles for the banter and outright shenanigans of Taylor and his musicians!
When Taylor introduced his guitarist and musical director, Josh Smith from Ft. Lauderdale, Josh corrected him. Josh said that he had waited three years to tell Taylor he was from Jacksonville, not Ft. Lauderdale. And then, with a devilish grin to the crowd, Taylor asked Josh if he had paid him enough during those three years to make it “close enough?” Josh good naturedly agreed that Ft. Lauderdale was “close enough!”
There were so many layers of music and entertainment creating the WorkPlay experience. We were not just entertained; we were touched and taken along. We were given a glimpse of what this time meant to Taylor. We shared what it meant for many of us—being together and spending time with Taylor performing live.
This was Taylor and his people together again in Birmingham!
I think that WorkPlay will be a reference point—a milestone—that Taylor and his fans will look back to for a long time.
Like the Soul Patrol’s Woodstock.
Now, I was never a hippie and knew little about Woodstock at the time, but it became an icon of our generation. It was also an icon for the music and those who performed there.
As Woodstock was a coming together of people and music of an era in its own unique way, WorkPlay was a real connection between Taylor Hicks, the music and the people who came to share it. Taylor stood in the center of a mega melding of superb artists sharing their music with an over the top enthusiastic crowd in the moment and loving it—a fast fusion of hearts and souls through music.
Just like there will never be another Woodstock, there will never be another WorkPlay!
Yet, it is easy to believe that there will be other Taylor Hicks concerts where we will look back and say,
"There will never be another..."
I may have missed Woodstock, but I can look back and say…
I was at WorkPlay!
~~The legacy of WorkPlay is not the performance of Taylor Hicks. The legacy of WorkPlay is the music.
“I gotta be honest. For me, you can take it all, but leave me with the music.” Taylor Hicks
It is always about the music.
Next, The Birmingham Blogs ~~ “Leave me with the music,” my final thoughts about WorkPlay and the Birmingham experience.
Photo by San, Taylor at WorkPlay, 9.25.09.
An extensive collection of all the media from WorkPlay is available on our message board, Connections.
As I sat on a plane coming home, I thought about what I would say about WorkPlay. The memories were vivid and the music was still playing in my head…and my heart.
I made notes about what I wanted to say about “Grease,” my visit to see Vulcan, and the very beautiful town of Birmingham.
From WorkPlay, I could still feel the music pounding in my heart and the excitement made my head spin. Yet, I couldn’t find the words for what I had experienced. I could describe who was in the band, who joined Taylor on stage, what songs Taylor sang, how he looked and what he wore, how the crowd reacted—but that was superficial in the real schema of WorkPlay. That was only a snapshot of the moment.
WorkPlay was so much more.
Taylor had fun at WorkPlay, and he took us along on the gig!
Friday night brought us a speechless-at-first Taylor at home doing what he loves. We got a very healthy dose of everything Taylor Hicks, from the AI tour favorite, The Beatles’ “Don’t Let Me Down,” which Taylor teasingly delivered with a sly grin and lifted eyebrow, to the newest sensation, “Maybe You Should,” when I reached for the Kleenex.
Much of Taylor’s live concerts are about the instruments.
We saw his deep bow to the bluesy jazz guitar of Billy Earl McClelland and his own wailing harmonica starring on “Dust My Broom,” which went on for a musical eternity, but ended too soon.
Brian Less brought his keyboards front and center with lightning fast fingers that rocked the stage as Taylor happily looked on, proving that there was much more to this show than his own stunning, raspy vocals.
The mournful flute of Jeff Lopez playing “Dixie” leading us off in “Nineteen” said what no voice could.
And we were reminded that we were, in fact, in the heart of Dixie.
On Saturday night Taylor created a SHOW that expanded the scope and depth of even Friday night’s happening. It was a rich extravaganza of people and music of which he could be proud, giving generous attention to those who shared the stage with him. He again surrounded himself with musicians of incredible talent, whom he prominently showcased like Ona Watson, Birmingham club owner who often gave Taylor a stage in his struggling years. Taylor returned the favor in the way he knew best—sharing his stage now and recognizing one of the hometown people who had been there when…
Taking a page from the rich gospel music heritage of his hometown, Taylor featured the UAB Gospel Choir on the inspiring encores, "New Found Freedom" and "My Sweet Lord."
It was the feel good sounds from my childhood when I spent every Sunday morning in church…and it WAS Sunday morning by that time!
There were also smiles for the banter and outright shenanigans of Taylor and his musicians!
When Taylor introduced his guitarist and musical director, Josh Smith from Ft. Lauderdale, Josh corrected him. Josh said that he had waited three years to tell Taylor he was from Jacksonville, not Ft. Lauderdale. And then, with a devilish grin to the crowd, Taylor asked Josh if he had paid him enough during those three years to make it “close enough?” Josh good naturedly agreed that Ft. Lauderdale was “close enough!”
There were so many layers of music and entertainment creating the WorkPlay experience. We were not just entertained; we were touched and taken along. We were given a glimpse of what this time meant to Taylor. We shared what it meant for many of us—being together and spending time with Taylor performing live.
This was Taylor and his people together again in Birmingham!
I think that WorkPlay will be a reference point—a milestone—that Taylor and his fans will look back to for a long time.
Like the Soul Patrol’s Woodstock.
Now, I was never a hippie and knew little about Woodstock at the time, but it became an icon of our generation. It was also an icon for the music and those who performed there.
As Woodstock was a coming together of people and music of an era in its own unique way, WorkPlay was a real connection between Taylor Hicks, the music and the people who came to share it. Taylor stood in the center of a mega melding of superb artists sharing their music with an over the top enthusiastic crowd in the moment and loving it—a fast fusion of hearts and souls through music.
Just like there will never be another Woodstock, there will never be another WorkPlay!
Yet, it is easy to believe that there will be other Taylor Hicks concerts where we will look back and say,
"There will never be another..."
I may have missed Woodstock, but I can look back and say…
I was at WorkPlay!
~~The legacy of WorkPlay is not the performance of Taylor Hicks. The legacy of WorkPlay is the music.
“I gotta be honest. For me, you can take it all, but leave me with the music.” Taylor Hicks
It is always about the music.
Next, The Birmingham Blogs ~~ “Leave me with the music,” my final thoughts about WorkPlay and the Birmingham experience.
Photo by San, Taylor at WorkPlay, 9.25.09.
An extensive collection of all the media from WorkPlay is available on our message board, Connections.
Posts
2 comments:
As I read this san, its so obvious that you would like to go back & do a repeat of this great experience. How I wish it would have been possible to have attended this event, but I'll have to remember the computer cellcert of Taylor's fans gathering in one spot & enjoying the man we love so dearly.
Thanx for your incredible post, san. You have such a vibrant way of delivering the experience.♥
"I think that WorkPlay will be a reference point—a milestone—that Taylor and his fans will look back to for a long time."
I couldn't' agree more. For me Workplay was an incredible climax to a summer of concerts, starting in Detroit. These summer shows were my first since my one show in 2007. I honestly hope Taylor will consider doing this (Birmingham shows)yearly. It would truly be a gift to his fans!
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