LENOX — When James Taylor plays at Tanglewood, it feels as much like a family reunion as it does a concert. After a three-song encore Wednesday evening at Tanglewood, James Taylor took a bow and fared the crowd well — at least until the next family reunion. Besides the picnic tables lined with eager celebrants, the faithful legion who never miss a year and the warm greetings between strangers recalling each other from Independence Days past, the real source of this sense of kinship is what happens on stage.
Taylor's performances in Lenox provide an atmosphere that's simultaneously mellow and intimate, mesmerizing and accessible. There's an unshakable familiarity to Taylor's work that simply warms the stage. The tracks are smooth and soothing; the play is gripping and fine-tuned.
Taylor's warmth toward the crowd is also self-evident. He regularly bantered back and forth with fans, responding to someone who yelled, “I love you, James!” with “I love you too,” before cheekily adding “but I think we should see other people.” When the crowd began hooting and hollering as he took off his blazer after a performance of “Copperline,” he joked, “Later, I might take off my teeth.
” He spent most of the night’s 20-minute intermission signing autographs from the stage. The singer-songwriter was repeatedly thankful for the opportunity to grace the stage, and for the crowd strong as ever. The end of the month will mark the 50th anniversary of the first time he played.
