Retro night at the X

...with James Taylor and Carole King, on their Reunion Tour. Far out!


(But T-shirts at the merch table were being hawked for $40. Yikes! Who do they think they are, U2? At least they allowed cell phone cameras.)



The place was sold out, but thanks to being an AMEX cardholder, I was able to get an advance opportunity at buying tickets, so for once we were on the first level, instead of in nosebleed level.



What was also nice was that the centrally-placed stage rotated every 15 minutes, so every 4 songs or so you got to see them straight on.



Even so, the jumbotrons were very helpful. We baby boomers can't see all that great anymore, and need a little help. Although, maybe a little less help would've been good. These guys were wrinkly and grey!! As the reviewer in the local paper said the next morning, the performers looked like "a retired dentist and his wife" taking the stage, as if they were receiving some lifetime achievement award for cavity prevention or something.



But they still sounded very much like they did 40 years ago. The songs were so recognizable, and the affection of the crowd washed over them as much as their memorable music washed over us. The whole show was cathartic, really, for all parties, I think. They seemed to genuinely be humbled by the affection the crowd showed. The music sounded so much like it did back in the day, in large part because all the original band members were on stage, too, as well as some of the backup vocalists from way back.



The only bizarre part of the evening was that the bass player looked rather like the love child of ZZTop and a sasquatch.



Beyond that, all else seemed right, and good, like 1972 all over again (except without all the blemishes and none of that old teenage angst). :)