I am going to warn you, I have slept 9 hours in two days, have eaten little, drank much (not alcohol, just a whole lot of liquid), and anything I could write about last night, even if I were fully myself, would not do justice to the evening. That is how amazing Portland was for the NESP and all of those in attendance last night.
NESP was well represented at the M&G and everyone commented on Taylor’s good spirits. Liz finally got to meet Taylor, and she survived, so there is hope for me yet. Please all pray for me on Friday.
The Merrill is a wonderful old venue, which has beautifully restored and renovated. All the seats in the house looked like they were amazing and the acoustics were superb. NESP was out in full force, glow braceleted arms waving. The crowd was dancing from Gonna Move, when he came out in his black Stax t-shirt. Check t-shirt off the NESP request checklist.
And thanks go out to the staff at the Merrill who were wonderfully courteous, and especially to the event staff who did not tell us to sit down! The women of NESP were on their feet and that encouraged others to get up as well. The energy in the room was incredible and Taylor just fed off that energy and threw more right back at us. When he gave us Naked in the Jungle we knew he realized it was a rockin’ crowd!
Part-way through The Right Place, Taylor asked for the stool NESP gave him the night before in RI. It was brought to him and he showed it to the audience and thanked NESP for the wonderful gift. Earlier at the M&G, Grimsby asked him what he thought of the stool and he told her it was “Cool as Hell,” an oxymoron which she found pretty amusing!
Once on the stool, he gave it a little spin and was ready to resume the song. Facing Loren, he looked for him to play the next notes on the piano. He did, and before Taylor could open his mouth to sing, someone else in the audience started for him. What came next was an absolutely classic look from Taylor, which I hope someone captured. He looked to the audience, in the direction of second row center where Aging Hippie, Amy, Margaux, Karen, and Liz were sitting. He looked below the lights and was looking right at Amy. Now, I knew she wasn’t the one, I had heard it come from another direction, but I thought what the hell. So Bearie and I started to point at Amy and then her row started to go along as well. He then asked her if she wanted to sing it - all the while with the cutest grin on his face. I think Amy might have turned as red as the shirt she was wearing. Amy captured the stool part of The Right Place on video and it is phenomenal. I can’t wait for her to post it.
I was sitting two rows back from Liz, and there were three specific occasions when we looked at each other at the very same time, reacting to something he did. They were moments we both knew the other would be reacting to. They were OMFG moments for both of us. The final one, harp down on his knees. She turned to see me clutching my chest. I truly thought he had done me in for good. Until the encore.
Though we had hoped for an acoustic encore, and the set list said we would get one, he gave us Supertramp. He asked for the lights to be brought down and he started the beautiful and haunting intro to Take the Long Way Home, in the dark, barely lit with a blue spot. I was most sincerely dead.
We had a Taylor virgin with us yesterday, Kathy, a friend of Lisa from Maine. After the show I asked her how she felt. She said exhilerated and tingly. Yup, that about sums it up!
And now, on to Concord!
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It was a pleasure to meet you and spend time with you. And I am so glad we got to sit together last night in Portland!