'One of the greatest music towns': James Taylor keeps falling more in love with Austin

If you'd asked me a decade ago which arena-level touring artist I'd see in Austin the most over the next 10 years, a name that would not have come to mind is James Taylor. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer has had a long and distinguished career, but he doesn't have the local connections or history that would make the likes of, say, Jimmy Buffett or Kacey Musgraves more obvious guesses.

But Taylor clearly loves Austin, which he called "one of the greatest music towns in the entire world" near the end of a two-set performance Friday at the Moody Center. Backed by a dozen top-of-the-line musicians, the 74-year-old singer-songwriter from Massachusetts via North Carolina got a warm reception from an arena packed with fans who spanned several generations.

This was Taylor's fifth performance in Austin since 2015 — but they've all been different. Perhaps his recent returns were inspired by an October 2015 taping of "Austin City Limits," the first time he'd ever appeared on the legendary TV show. He was back in June 2016 at the Erwin Center, where he also performed the following year as part of a star-studded Hurricane Harvey benefit concert.

Also on that benefit bill was Bonnie Raitt, who teamed up with Taylor for a co-billed tour that hit the Erwin Center in February 2019. And he might have been back again if not for the pandemic: Indeed, he took part in June 2020's "A Night for Austin" livestream fundraiser organized by Paul Simon, Willie Nelson and others.

More:Willie Nelson, Paul Simon and friends raise nearly $600,000 with ’A Night For Austin’

Part of the reason for his many happy returns may be that his Austin audience appears to be growing. Taylor had played the Erwin Center a few times in the 1990s and 2000s, but his most recent visits before the "ACL" taping were at UT's notably smaller Bass Concert Hall, in 2009 and 2011. And his 2015 return to the Erwin Center was sold in the old arena's half-sized configuration. But the 2019 double-bill with Raitt (with Taylor in the headlining slot) was in the Erwin Center's full concert configuration.

And on Friday, he nearly sold out the 15,000-capacity Moody Center. How has he done it? Partly by simply surviving. As legends of rock & roll's 1960-70s golden era have begun to disappear, many artists still around to play their songs are finding themselves in greater demand.

Related:Our review of the Eagles at Austin's Moody Center in May 2022

It helps that Taylor has also kept himself remarkably fit. During the blues workout "Steamroller," he strutted his lanky frame around the stage, punctuating solos with leaps and spins as he playfully jammed with his pianist and lead guitarist. He's stayed mentally sharp, too; the evening's first set featured lots of extended song-intros that balanced insight with his trademark quirky humor. (He noted that "American Standard," his 2020 album of songs by 20th-century songwriting greats, has "the same name as my toilet — a clever marketing ploy!")

The fans keep coming back largely because they love Taylor's songs. He's happy to serve up sterling renditions of folk-pop classics such as "Carolina in My Mind," "Sweet Baby James" and "Fire and Rain" — but it's worth noting that most of the hits came in the second set. Taylor's first hour found him stretching out with comparatively lesser-known material such as the "American Standard" track "As Easy As Rolling Off a Log," a sprightly 1920s jazz tune that he said he learned from Saturday morning cartoons as a kid.

His fans also clearly appreciate his bandmates, as does Taylor himself. He introduced them one-by-one throughout the evening: guitarist Michael Landau, bassist Jimmy Johnson, saxophonist Lou Marini, trumpeter/keyboardist Walt Fowler, pianist Larry Goldings, drummer Steve Gadd, percussionist Michito Sanchez, and a mini-choir of five supporting vocalists that included Andrea Zonn (who also played violin), Dorian Holley, Arnold McCuller, Kate Markowitz and Henry Taylor (yes, James' son).

The show seemed like it was over with a rousing rendition of "How Sweet It Is (to Be Loved by You)," a 1960s Marvin Gaye gem that Taylor remade in 1975 for a top-5 pop hit. But Taylor's motions around the stage after a final bow with his bandmates suggested something else was in the works.

"We get intimidated by Austin, but we also get inspired," he told the crowd just before welcoming Austin resident Shawn Colvin to the stage. She joined James and son Henry at center stage for a tender acoustic rendition of Taylor's 1971 song "You Can Close Your Eyes," an ideal lullaby to say goodbye. But don't worry, he'll probably be back again soon.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: James Taylor packs Austin's Moody Center, and Shawn Colvin joins in