Taylor Hicks in Las Vegas ~~ "Twists, Turns, & Tags"

I didn’t know what tags were.

I’d been to concerts of some greats--Frank Sinatra, Tom Jones, Harry Belefonte, the Righteous Brothers. They sang their songs from start to finish. The music was good, and there may have been back up singers who did their backing up and choreographed dance moves.  That was a show.

Taylor calls them “songs within a song,” and they may be “ab lib” –tags. He is making it up as he goes along? What? On stage without a script? What kind of musician does that?

A very good one, like Taylor Hicks.

Tags take a song on twists and turns you never would have imagined. They are the tool of an artist weaving a unique and fun musical experience…

Songs on steroids!

I was astonished and impressed when I read the long set list with tags from the Las Vegas shows.

One of the tag-infested songs in the Las Vegas show is “What’s Right is Right,” the first single release from Taylor’s current album, The Distance.

What's Right is Right
- Mystic Church
- Tupelo Honey
- Summertime in England
- Nottinghill Gate (Gospel Music with Mahalia Jackson)
- Crazy Love (Van Morrison)
- Grease Is the Word
- No Method No Teacher
- Let's Get It On
- Thank You for Letting Me Be Myself Again
- Sweet Home Alabama (7/19/12)
- Polk Salad Annie (8/12/12)

All of these do not appear with each performance and not necessarily on a regular basis. It’s all up to the Titan of the Tags, Taylor Hicks!

“Seven Mile Breakdown” is another popular tag treasure trove:
- Get Back
- Chicken Pickin' Duel
- Running on Empty
- Grits Ain't Groceries
- Movin’ on Up
- Jo Jo was a man
- Can't Trust Your Neighbor
- Who Are You (The Who)

“In The Ghetto,” the popular Elvis classic, in a not-so-Elvis-classic version, has its share of tags:
- guitar solo (Jamie McLean)
- sax solo (Brian Gallagher)
- Harlem/Cold Baloney (Bill Withers)
- Don't trust your neighbor
- All Right
- Movin on Up
- It's Your Thing

Other tags are tucked into an extensive and impressive set list as Taylor Hicks headlines at Bally’s Indigo Room in Las Vegas. The TTHC Connections’ archive has kept this collection of the songs and songs within the songs:

From Taylor's first Bally’s run starting in June:
Livin' For the City
- On and On
The Deal
In The Ghetto
- Guitar solo (Jamie McLean)
- Sax solo (Brian Gallagher)
- Harlem/Cold Baloney (Bill Withers)
- Don't trust your neighbor
Love the One You're With
- Big Boss Man (Elvis)
That's Life (Frank Sinatra )
- Woodstock
- Fire, Fire, Fire
Maybe You Should
Nineteen
Seven Mile Breakdown
- Get Back
- Chicken Pickin' Duel
- Running on Empty
- Grits Ain't Groceries
- Movin’ on Up
I Live on a Battlefield
- Woody Woodpecker sounds while scatting
Back to Louisiana
Country Livin’ (Jamie McLean)
Takin' It to the Streets
What's Right is Right
- Summertime in England
- Nottinghill Gate (Gospel Music with Mahalia Jackson)
- Crazy Love (Van Morrison )
- Grease Is the Word
- No Method No Teacher
- Let's Get It On
- Tupelo Honey
- Thank You for Letting Me Be Myself Again
- Sweet Home Alabama (7/19/12)
- Polk Salad Annie (8/12/12)
Minute by Minute
- Arc of a Diver
- Can't Trust Your Neighbor
- Quartz Clock
Gonna Move
On and On (either Stephen Bishop or Erykah Badu)
Encore:
Viva Las Vegas

Returning to Bally’s in October, there were old favorites and new gems on the set list:
Doctor My Eyes (Jackson Browne)
Living for the City
The Deal
Back to Louisiana
In the Ghetto
- All Right
- Movin’ on Up
- It's Your Thing
Maybe You Should
Country Livin' (Jamie McLean)
19
That's Life
Don't Let Me Down
What's Right is Right
- Mystic Church
- Tupelo Honey
7 Mile Breakdown
- Running on Empty
- Jo Jo was a man..
- Get Back
- Can't Trust Your Neighbor
- Who Are You (The Who)
Minute by Minute
- Can't Trust Your Neighbor (Freddy King)
Sneaking Sally Through the Alley (Robert Palmer)
Takin' It to the Streets
Encore:
Viva Las Vegas

This should be posted with: “Subject to Change.” Taylor Hicks always “changes up things.” It is what keeps his shows fresh and vibrant. Special guests share the stage like John Popper of Blues Traveler. On a recent Saturday night, Jennifer Lynn, violinist with the Frankie Moreno band, sat in with Taylor for a portion of the show. Be prepared to be surprised with guests or a new twist (or tag) from Taylor Hicks and his amazing Vegas band.

You haven’t seen him if you’ve only seen him once!

Taylor Hicks continues to rock the set list and the tags at Bally’s Indigo Room nightly at 7:00 p.m. through December 16th and into 2013. Future dates TBA.

Catch the twists, turns, and tags of the roadhouse soul of Taylor Hicks at Bally’s Vegas while you can!    

Tickets:
http://www.ballyslasvegas.com/casinos/ballys-las-vegas/casino-entertainment/taylor-hicks-detail.html
~~~
A favorite tag, Jackson Browne’s “Running on Empty” was shared by venue host, Bally’s:



*Thanks to all who share their Vegas experience and contribute to our archives of the music and shows. We would be glad to know if you have additions or corrections to our information.

**A special thanks to Cath_tthc who diligently researches, collects, organizes and posts the Taylor Hicks anthology. For more, visit:
http://s1.zetaboards.com/connections/index/