Concert review: How sweet it was for James Taylor fans in Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH — PPG Paints Arena hadn't hosted a rock 'n roll singalong in 17 months.

So how sweet it was Tuesday to hear James Taylor and Jackson Browne singing "Take It Easy" together there, joined by a crowd of 12,500 softly singing along.

Six hours before showtime, the Pittsburgh arena's officials announced they had reinstated CDC recommendations for concertgoers to wear masks in response to COVID-19 cases escalating in Allegheny County.

Of a random 150 spectators I counted, 64 wore masks, so about 42 percent heeded the call.

Whether they wore one or not, everyone in the arena seemed to push politics aside, to sit down and savor two famed, honey-voiced vocalists. 

Browne went first, gliding through a 10-song set that got cooking early with "The Longway Around" benefitting from a passage with stellar solo singing by one of his two backup vocalists before the melody rode away on a country-rock wave. 

"I can't tell you how glad I am to be here," Browne, 72, said. 

You could tell the crowd was overjoyed, too, as they even cheered Browne's pedal-steel seasoned new single with Cleveland in its title. ("My Cleveland Heart" is named for an artificial heart, he explained.)

Oh, there'd be booing of Cleveland by concert's end, but more on that later. 

Browne took a break from his guitars and plopped down at a piano to hit the home stretch in crowd-pleasing fashion with "Doctor My Eyes."

Saying he's sat in the audience many times at Taylor concerts, "I'm always amazed what a giant, quiet room it is," Browne said, theorizing fans are spellbound.

Tuesday's fans cheered at all the right times, hooting and hollering the moment Taylor came on stage to join Browne with harmonies on "The Pretender." With a bow, Taylor departed as Browne closed with his classic "Running on Empty" sounding high-octane as ever.

Taylor's 17-song set was introduced by the violin strains of Andrea Zann, who proved to be a key member of his truly all-star band.

A faux oak tree and hanging, color-changing lanterns dipping then climbing as directed were the stage accouterments for the 73-year-old Taylor, in one of those trusty caps of his, and a suit jacket he'd shed, revealing a work shirt rolled up to the elbows. 

Drummer Steve Gadd kept the sound thick and tight from the set-opening "Country Road" onward.

"We've been through a lot, but we finally got back here," Taylor said, adding that his second selection, "That's Why I'm Here," would sum that up better.

Taylor's banter was quick. When a boisterous fan bellowed a too-obvious song request, Taylor retorted "Well said, sir!"

"Mexico" brought enticing horns and light Latin percussion from Michito Sanchez. Zann's violin brought beauty to "Copperline."

"You Make It Easy" got its sizzle from sax player "Blue" Lou Marini of the Blues Brothers. Told you it was an all-star band.

Taylor stood from his stool and exchanged his acoustic guitar for an electric one, which he reminded fans usually signals he's about to play "Steamroller." Taylor teased that he's dropped the bluesy "Steamroller" from his sets, as he then launched into a tune inspired by an L.A. chili dog stand. It was the only dud of the evening, until Taylor revealed he was just playing with people, as the song morphed into a guitar-infused "Steamroller" after all.

Taylor's album of American standards came out the same week as COVID, he lamented. He did a quirky, bouncy deep cut from it, "As Easy as Rolling Off A Log," showcasing the piano of Larry Goldings. That song was taken from an old Warner Bros. cartoon, "Catnip College."

From there, Taylor loaded up on the hits, starting with "Sweet Baby James" then a remarkable "Fire and Rain" ending with a flourish of drums. 

Taylor's voice has held up well. 

Though he made good use of his five backup singers, whom he introduced around the time of the dependable "Carolina in My Mind." Among them was Dorian Holley, who sang with Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson, and Arnold McCuller, who hails from Cleveland, Taylor said, not realizing that would usher a chorus of audience boos.

Taylor didn't miss a beat, responding "But he left Cleveland in disgust."

Several minutes later, those same fans loudly cheered the smiling McCuller after his soulful vocal prowess on "Shower The People."

A jubilant "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" closed the set with carefree enthusiasm. The encore began with Taylor and another of his harmonizing singers, son Henry Taylor, center stage together leading "Shed a Little Light."

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Browne came back out for "Take It Easy," the Eagles' classic he co-wrote with Glenn Frey. Browne let Taylor take lead vocals on the pivotal verse about the girl, my Lord, in the flatbed Ford.

That just left "You've Got a Friend."

With everything from sound to staffing seeming to be working fine, it was a solid return of PPG Paints Arena as a concert venue. 

Scott Tady is the local Entertainment Reporter for The Beaver County Times and Ellwood City Ledger. He's easy to reach at stady@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @scotttady