Tanglewood...a follow-up

The shows at Tanglewood were amazing. The access I had to them, the soundchecks and JT & Carole was even more amazing.

I feel the combination of JT & Carole was perfect. Her energy and her body of work is impressive. She has written so many songs that are in the background of my life. Truly a master of words and music. And combined with JT's work it made the best shows ever. They appeared to completely appreciate, respect and enjoy each other.

My luck with seating grew to an all-time high. The worst seat I had was 5th row center. It didn't start out that way...but by asking enough people I was able to score a 2nd row seat and a front row seat. All in the center section.

Then there were the soundchecks. All three shows and I had a chance to speak with James and Carole each day. I will keep secret who is responsible for getting me into the soundchecks but I do owe them a huge amount of gratitude.

One day James and I had a fair amount of time to talk about playing guitar. He signed a capo of mine and we discussed his fingerstyle playing. He grabbed my hand to check out my fingernails and then gave me some advise on how to care for my nails. Later on one of my friends said at one point she looks over and sees JT and me holding hands! Well, we weren't really holding hands...that would be weird. We were talking about fingernail care. THAT'S perfectly normal! ;)

I'm including a couple of photos. One a friend took of JT & Carole at the end of the show where they sing "You Can Close Your Eyes", and the other is with JT and me. It was a hot, humid day and JT had just done a soundcheck so he's a bit sweaty.

Tanglewood 2010 preview

3 shows...3 soundchecks...time to talk with JT and Carole King...it was the best weekend in a very long time.

I'll post more this coming weekend about the adventure.

3 Nights at Tanglewood and a soundcheck

It's just over a week away from the Tanglewood shows. Three nights, 20,000 fans a night, JT and Carole King. I can't wait! Some friends from Canada and one friend from Georgia will be at the shows. I have decent seats for all three nights and July 5th I have front row. I am sooooo lucky to be a JT fan living in Massachusetts.

I just received an email yesterday from JT's assistant and she has arranged for me to have a pass to the soundcheck for the July 4th show. I've snuck in to two soundchecks in the past....yes, I can go undercover when I need to. Once when JT was preparing for the second night of the One Man Band DVD recording and last year at Tanglewood for one of the shows.

The One Man Band I was somewhat invited in. The venue was a small theater is Pittsfield. I could hear JT practicing while I was in the lobby so I asked some people if I could go in. They said no but then this older woman was walking by and we started talking. She said she was on the board of the theater and that I should go in. So my friends and I walked right in and enjoy the moments.

Last year at Tanglewood JT had an event early one morning where he, Sheryl Crow and John Williams were interviewed. It was open to Tanglewood members so I was able to get a ticket. When it finished there were several hours before that night's show so I just stayed inside the gates and hung out waiting. Around 2:00 pm I heard the band setting up and sure enough...soundcheck. I walked up and sat there for the event.

After it finished there was still a long wait for the show and as I was walking out a Tanglewood usher asked where my pass was. I just answered something quick and kept walking. She didn't follow.

I know it's wrong and yet, I can't help it. He's my guitar god. I gotta do, what I gotta do!

Front Row Ain't Always Where You Want To Be

A couple of years back JT was doing the One Man Band Tour and he played several shows around New England. Of course I was at many of them and at one in Vermont I had a front row center seat. As a JT fan, and as someone who loves JT's style of guitar playing, I hit the jackpot with that show! Up close I could see his subtle way of playing and it was a treat. (A dream would be to get a one on one guitar lesson from JT so front row center is about as close as one can get without the actual lesson!)

Prior to the show I had obtained a large promo poster...much like you see at bus stops...it is about 3' x 5' and printed on a fabric like material. It has a huge photo of JT and some dates from a previous tour. Anyways, I have this enormous poster rolled up in a giant cardboard tube and it's so big I can't fit it anywhere under my seat so I lean it up next to the seat.

JT comes out and he's playing a song or two and he keeps looking down at me and this stupid tube! After a song he starts asking "What do you have in there? A fishing pole? A gun? A flag?" In that moment I kinda wish I didn't have a front row center seat! ;)

I explain it's a promo poster and he goes back to singing. At the intermission he comes over and signs it for me.

Soon after I was at both of the Colonial Theater shows where he recorded the One Man Band CD/DVD and at the end of night one he is signing items for fans and I have a small promo poster of the Colonial show and as he's signing it I mention it's much smaller than the other poster. James laughs and says that other poster is vast!

A great time indeed...being put on the spot and all was just a part of it.

I've found that a JT show is so much more than a concert. Getting up to JT to talk guitar playing, or whatever, and without a doubt, meeting other fans...that is a HUGE part of the overall experience. I've been lucky to meet several fans and have seen some of them at many shows. It's a treat to see some of them year after year.

2010 and the Troubadour Tour

I've already seen JT twice in 2010 and I will see him again, this time with Carole King, 4 more times. Let me explain.

I live in JT land...Massachusetts. Being a JT fan, and living in Massachusetts, has to be some kind of karmic reward! He plays several times a year here and I usually get to the shows.

Recently he did two shows for Haiti and raised over half a million dollars to help those effected by the devastation. I was able to get a ticket to each show. He is also playing 3 nights at Tanglewood...the Holy Grail of JT venues...and I will be at all three. Finally I'll be at one of the CT shows. Yes, he's playing in Boston a couple of nights but I'm not going. I'm not a big fan of the large venues like Boston...except Tanglewood where I sit in the shed at Tanglewood so it's not that bad.

I must say, if you're a fan of JT you need to check out his website... JamesTaylor.com ...He's been offering ticket sales for some of the recent shows. I have lucked out....maybe because I go online when tickets go on sale...or maybe it's because I buy just one ticket and that is easy to find up front, but both times I've bought a ticket from his site...it's been front row baby!!!! (I'll post a story at some point about the time I had front row center and how that can be great and too close all at once!)

Me and JT

I've been a fan of James Taylor for only a few years now. I'd say I'm more than a casual fan. I don't know vast amounts of details; I barely recall his birthday and I don't know lots of JT trivia, but I greatly appreciate his music and I love his guitar style.

Hearing his guitar style is where I first really became aware of JT. It may have been 7 or 8 years ago that I decided I wanted to learn guitar. As a teenager I had a Les Paul style electric and a HUGE Marshall amp. I could make noise! Lots of it. But music....that was a little beyond my grasp.

Then a few years ago I decided to play guitar, except this time I wanted it to be acoustic. I know enough about myself to realize I needed to find someone that I could set as a role model so that I would be motivated and inspired to learn.

I started listening to the radio, CDs and overall kept my ear open to hear what type of music and what artist spoke to me. I don't recall the song, but I was driving back from Boston...was it on the Turnpike??...and I heard a JT song. The guitar work....THAT was what I liked.

And so a journey began. This blog will be a place to compile the thoughts, share them, and maybe a place of discovery what it was that really spoke to me and has taken me for a great ride.