Well, I’m kind of impressed…

Woke up this morning and noticed that Taylor had an announcement. The old taylorhicks.com is out the window, and a new revamped website is up. It’s kind of like a Facebook for Taylor fans. You can add photos, videos and become “friends” with other fans. It’s an interesting concept, and may help the fandom in the long run. Kudos to Taylor and his crew for doing this!! Here’s some great pics that Taylor posted:

The harps…how cool is this pic?

Check it out!!

When is enough enough?

The Idol tour has started. People are throwing sex toys at Adam Lambert, much like Taylor had panties thrown at him. Where are the limits for fans of musicians? Or are there really any? I mean, panties are one thing, but sex toys? With kids in the audience? Should this kind of behavior be saved for shows at nightclubs and/or bars?

Check out this video around the 2:18 mark.

Take a look at this video. David Cook is out signing autographs after a show. Listen to how he talks to his fans, as he has every right to do. I swear, these people must think he’s a trained monkey. Geez.

I also came across this pretty interesting blog. Lots of interesting fan violations on there…how many of those have you been subjected to? Shouldn’t there be some kind of fan guide?

If I were a fisherman…

…my favorite day would be out on my big ass boat, trolling for Soul Patrol, because they always take the bait. This dude even states in the article that he is hoping that the SP will comment. Just face it, there are people who are never going to like Taylor Hicks, just like some people despise Disney, or Matt Damon even. Not everybody has the same taste in music, cars, love interests, hobbies…and thank God for that. I will never understand the Soul Patrol’s relentless need to have everybody love Taylor Hicks. But then again, there are those that look at this as an unmoderated hate blog. Yes, I’m talking to you, L.

My Taylor Hicks journey…

Thanks to NolaMar for these great pics!! Seeing them reminded me of my TH journey.

This is like the beginning of my journey, so full of optimism and hope for the future, waiting to see Taylor on American Idol every week. Reading all the blogs, listening to all the pre-AI music that Taylor had done.

Then I partook in the excitement and the music, loving every minute of it. The American Idol tour, the shadow gigs, traveling around the country going to concerts, making great friends.

Then came the bitterness of the Soul Patrol, the fan site wars, the competition of who was the better fan fueled by speculation of who Taylor was really dating. The excitement and the music were still there, but the drama of the fandom took it’s toll.

But yet, with a smile on my face, I keep coming back for more. Drawn by the music, perhaps drawn by the potential that I see. Maybe I’m still waiting for that “something”…

And then this:

Thanks to Candy for getting this!! Gotta love Spoonful James. These guys rock!!

Seriously? Seriously??!!

So, I was considering staying out of the latest Soul Patrol fray…until it got so ridiculous that I just can’t help but make fun of it. I’m not sure how this mess got started but it might have something to do with twitter messages like these:

bella313: Why is the biggest Taylor Hicks fansite following CD and Kat McPee.on their twitter page?

RT@sweetsmoke1 Y is biggest Taylor Hicks fansite soliciting votes 4 other people 4 Mr.Twitter what’s up with that http://tinyurl.com/mdmnve

I mean honestly, after three years, people are still referring to Katherine McPhee as Kat McPee? What grade are we in anyway? And I bet Taylor listens to Daughtry. Hell, most of America does.

It’s unbelievable. Being a Taylor Hicks fan doesn’t mean that you can’t be a fan of other musicians. Taylor doesn’t have the exclusive rights to your musical soul. How boring would it be to listen to the same artist, over and over? There are so many artists out there, just waiting to be discovered. Taylor Hicks isn’t the be all, end all of the music world. And the twitter tattling? Get a grip, people. Taylor isn’t your father and I bet he really doesn’t give a damn about any of it.

Anyway, I’m moving on to this interview:

Just when we thought we knew everything about Taylor Hicks, he throws some more tidbits our way.

Some highlights:

*Hicks knows he helps get Soul Patrol fans into seats, which is why the touring company booked him. “The fan base is definitely there,” he said.

Where? (I kid…ish.)

*Hicks is also unfazed by the fact Web sites such as TMZ mock him for not being a monstrous Carrie Underwood-level success. “If they talk about you, then deep down, they love ya,” he said. “If they don’t, then you have problems.”

I’m not sure love is the word that I would use.

*Hicks said this is the first year since he won that he’s had time to follow the show carefully. He wished he could have played an instrument like contestants can now (an innovation added season seven.) “I had to wear paisley shirts and dance really funky,” he recalled. “I was told if I even pulled out a harmonica, I’d be disqualified. I did it anyway. And they didn’t disqualify me.”

Interesting… if I recall, Taylor didn’t actually play that harmonica. The late, great Paula Abdul asked him what he had in his hand. There’s a scandal for you: Paula Abdul kept Taylor from being disqualified in Season Five!!

*“I have musical Tourettes Syndrome,” he said. “Van Morrison did tagging a lot. Sam Cooke. All the greats. They are all musical enough to incorporate other songs. Let’s face it. Songs come from other songs. And no, it’s not preplanned. It’s spontaneous thinking.”

He finally answered my question!! It’s spontaneous… ; but tell me this TayTay, are you comparing yourself to Sam Cooke and all the other “greats”? Ah well, imitation is the greatest form of flattery.

*Hicks is not the most introspective guy. When I asked him another fan question from Michelle in Indianapolis, he was relatively stumped.

What have you learned about yourself personally since winning AI?

He hemmed and hawed, then said, “How about this: I’m happier since I won. I’ve learned to be happier!”

Ok, that cracked me up!! Does that mean no more pissy Meet & Greets??

And this…I am not even going to respond to….

*“A live album is in the works. I’m going to release a DVD called Whomp at the Warfield out of San Francisco. It was taped two years ago.” Why did he wait? “We wanted to make sure we had this second album out, then follow it up with the DVD.”

Or maybe I should… Hey!! That sounds like a song… hmmmm.

Dear Taylor, I’m back….

and I see all it took was for me to go away for a week. Oh sure, then you start listening. Watching these videos made me all warm and gushy. What did I see? I saw you sit down on a stool and pour emotion into a song, a song that I think I incorrectly said you never would sing in front of an audience. Oh yes.

I’ll overlook the part where you kind of screwed up the lyrics. We’ll call it “artistic license”. I don’t think I’ll ever understand why people feel the need to scream out their love for you during a song. At least this one was at the end of it.

Maybe You Should…tell the audience to shut up when you’re talking. Anyway, I love how when you’re really into a song, you sing out of the corner of your mouth. Nice little quirk.

While this isn’t one of my favorite songs off the album, I love it in this setting. I love the harp, I love the emotion, I love the tagging. Well done. Your voice is amazing in this one. Here’s where that tag came from…

Nice.

This has always been one of my favorites that you cover. You and Brian Less really complement each other vocally. The whole “audience singing thing”?? Good. Very good. Nice job of interacting with the audience.

Ok, let’s review.

1. You did an acoustic gig.
2. You sang openly and with much emotion.
3. You sang Indiscriminate Act of Kindness and Maybe You Should.
4. You were awesome.

This is what you should be doing every night, Taylor.

Yours in conditional love,

Straw

The theory of cougars…

While there’s been much noise made on this blog (Snow) because of the apparent age of Taylor’s fanbase, he’s not the only Idol that this happens to. I was directed to this very interesting article about Adam Lambert and the cougars that follow him.

The reasons run from scientific:

In terms of biology, Adam Lambert’s attractiveness is kind of bizarre. Some research shows that women like square jaws and deep brows—iconic masculine traits—when they’re looking for a fling. But we like more feminine traits when we’re looking for The One, the long-term mate. Lambert has a little bit of both going on for him, as anyone who saw his version of Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” can attest.

to sex:

Part of the Lambert allure is that some women find his onstage lack of inhibition a powerful aphrodisiac. According to psychoanalyst Dr. Gail Saltz, we all have a little touch of the voyeur inside of us, but it’s often repressed. Then along comes Lambert, and those voyeuristic floodgates open. “Here’s a guy who is a maximum exhibitionist, molten hot, can sing anything and is screaming, ‘Look at me,’ and for some women, that’s an incredible turn-on,” says Saltz, author of The Ripple Effect: How Better Sex Can Lead to a Better Life.

to our childhoods:

It may also go back to our childhood, as all things psychoanalytic seem to do. According to Saltz, buried deep inside all of us is the childhood desire to be able to have everything and anything, whenever you want. So part of our fascination with Mr. Lambert is that we may want to be like him. “[Lambert] is the poster child for having it all,” says Saltz, associate professor of psychiatry at the New York Presbyterian Hospital Weill-Cornell School of Medicine. “Men want him, women want him, and that ambiguity is as hot as hell.”

And then, this:

“There’s something very wonderful about someone who can say, ‘Accept me or don’t accept me,’” Maltz says. “We tend to lose that as we get older.”

Once I thought about that statement, I realized that that was part of what drew me to Taylor Hicks. He went on AI and didn’t give a shit what anybody thought about him, at first. He danced his way, sang his way and behaved his way…until he decided he wanted to win. Then, it became all about pleasing his fans and not pissing any of them off. The apology on GrayCharles for saying “fuck” on the rehearsal.com videos was the start. Seriously? The man was 30 years old. The “smoking” video on AI. Why was it such a big secret? Why did he stop being himself? He could have just said, “Yep, I smoke. It’s a horrible habit, and I’m trying to quit” even if it was a lie. Hell, that would have only been the first of many lies he’s told his fans. But he didn’t. When he started that, he lost a part of himself…the part of himself that didn’t care if people accepted him. Maybe, in doing that, in trying to keep his fans pleased, he actually lost some of them. In reality, maybe his fan base didn’t want somebody who was so willing to conform. Also, doing that has now put a wedge between him and his fans, almost placing himself on a higher pedestal. That might be why we don’t get the weekly blogs as promised, or the twittering of anything remotely personal. Go to the Adam Lambert fansite (which is free, by the way) and you’ll be greeted with a personal video of Adam welcoming you to the site, encouraging you to become a part of the community. Maybe that’s the allure of Adam. Hopefully, he’ll keep that attitude in his journey to stardom.

Here’s Taylor performing yesterday.

Ok, sit down…

…get a drink, and clean off the computer screen. I want you to watch these videos of the Triple Door, BUT I want you to watch them in HD, then hit full screen. I have never seen clearer videos on YouTube. Big shoutout to Lh1100, whoever you may be..these are very much appreciated.

Have I mentioned my love of tags?

Harp. Yes.

Are you doing what I said? HD and full screen.

Um. Taylor speaks. And this: “This is the most words I’ve said since I’ve been here in Seattle. Something about the weather.” Oh, he’s trying to be funny..and actually does a pretty good job of it. Then, he explains why he’s not playing the guitar. Ok, he needs to act like this in concerts all the time. And for all you Bill Will fans out there, there is a glimpse of the fair haired wonder boy. More tagging, too. GAH!

Turning the dinner theater into a roadhouse…and I’m liking the way he’s handling that guitar. There. I said it.

I Live on a Battlefield…Great solo by Josh Smith. What’s up with him wearing ties now?

Woman’s Gotta Have It. Taylor wanted to turn the lights down low, but the lighting guy didn’t want to, I guess.

My Sweet Lord…playful Taylor on stage, actually encouraging the audience to participate. Very nice.

All in all, those videos have to be the best concert footage that I’ve seen of Taylor. Thanks again for putting them out there.

Finally, finally the man speaks on stage. Yes.

He likes to dive? Mmm hmmm…

I watched this video…and I was pleasantly surprised. Let me sum it up for you:

1. Can I tell you how funny this DJ is? She is cracking me up. Just for the record, this is totally how I would be if I was interviewing him.

2. Just breathe? Oh, the hate I have for him…haha.

3. And suddenly…suddenly Taylor thinks he should have been doing country all along? Hmm..*shoves Modern Whomp under the rug*

4. According to my calendar, Taylor won Idol three years ago. In Taylor Land, it’s been four and a half years.

5. “I wake up everyday and thank…myself?” WHAT?

6. He likes to dive. I’m leaving that one alone.

7. Oh, he got the Ray Charles doll. I am totally digging this chick’s enthusiasm. I’m wondering if Taylor took her out before the interview and got her drunk.

8. Did he really say he was “verclempt”? hahahahhaha

9. Oh, the tattoo question. He wants a banjo on his knee? Does this mean he’s not quite over Susanne Thrash? Get it? Oh, Susannah? OMG, I crack myself up.

10. Ok, let me get this right. Taylor wants to live in a trailer park? In Beverly Hills? Or maybe Las Vegas?

11. Feist and Mark Chesnutt are the artists he’s listening to right now.

12. She’s never seen a firefly? Really?

13. Boxer briefs. HOLLA!!

14. Chocolate milkshakes? No way in hell he makes them himself. You know Bill Will is making them for him.

15. Do I even want to know what she means by “Oh, I’ve got a freezer for you, Taylor!”?? No, probably not. But then, “Oh my God, I’m such a mess!!” ahahhahah

16. George Jones, the Ray Charles of country music. Maybe he should do PR for George. Yeah.

17. Apparently, somebody has been unfaithful to Taylor. Interesting.

18. Oh, I need to see Part Two of this. It’s fantastic.

A Modest Proposal… SP Style

I recently ran across this post at another website.  The “Grease” tour is headed out to the Detroit area later on this summer, and apparently there was an earlier announcement from Team Hicks that after the CD release there would be a shadow tour show in every venue city.  This quote is regarding that shadow tour show, which had yet to be confirmed at the time of the original posting:

I’m sure you have heard by now that Chrysler is filing chapter 11 bankruptcy. This affects not just Chrysler employees and retirees but companies that supply Chrysler too.

I have many friends AND family affected by this and yes some are Soul Patrollers. Financial analysts have been telling some of them they may not only just lose their jobs but their retirement funds. What are these people going to do? The depression and stress Detroiters’ and all of Michigan is going through has just increased.  Public officials are trying to say it will make Chrysler a stronger company but that doesn’t help the people who work for them or supply them with parts or service.

Most can’t afford the $65 and $75 Grease tickets price that the Fisher Theater is asking.   (A shadow tour show…) … may not provide jobs but people here need some happiness…some stress relief.

Taylor recently announced that not only will there be a shadow tour when “Grease” skids into Detroit, but that the show will be a solo acoustic gig, something he’s never done before.  That got me thinking, how cool it would be for the beleaguered folks of Motown, and for Taylor, to continue in the theme of “never been done” before… what if Taylor did another gig for free?

It’s not like other artists aren’t doing it, lending a helping hand by offering some free entertainment during these stressful economic times.  Jay Leno recently put on a free comedy show at the Palace of Auburn Hills as part of his “Comedy Stimulus Plan”.  The city will host other free shows by the likes of Willie Nelson and Phil Vassar during its annual Downtown Hoedown.  And let’s face it, the PR for Taylor would be incredible:

“American Idol Winner Taylor Hicks is offering a free concert in Detroit this Saturday afternoon.  The Leader of the Soul Patrol claims that it’s an “Indiscriminate Act of Kindness”, one of the songs featured on his new CD “The Distance”.  Taylor is calling for other AI finalists to join him in bringing the music back to Motown, while offering this beaten down city some glimmers of hope in what has been a bleak Spring.”

It’s the music business, it’s politically savvy, it’s a helping hand, and it’s a good thing.