Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve been a James Taylor fan by default. Growing up, I remember my mom playing Taylor’s extremely gentle folk, blues, and classic rock around the house and, though my music tastes have always differed from my hers, Taylor’s songs were nearly impossible to take issue with. It wasn’t until I hit adulthood that I realized I was seeking out Taylor’s music on my own—I’d play that damn Sweet Baby James album whenever I needed to hear something mellow and nostalgic and not at all jarring. Still, I never predicted I would be attending one Taylor’s shows, let alone reviewing it. Hell, for most of my adult life I wasn’t even aware he was still touring! So when I learned he and his All Star Band were coming to town, I took the opportunity so I could see what Old Man Taylor had to offer—and so I could bring my mom.

Turns out, pretty much everyone’s mom and dad wanted to see James Taylor’s extra-long live set. The gracious singer complimented our city and thanked the Portland crowd for coming: “It’s never the same without you,” he joked. The Moda Center wasn’t quite sold out, but it may as well have been. And it quickly became clear I was one of the youngest people in the building last night. As my mom and I paid for our drinks, we heard Taylor take the stage and kick the show off with “Carolina in My Mind,” one of my favorites. At 70 years old, Taylor’s voice still sounds the same. Taylor played the song—and most of the others on his setlist—in an extra slow tempo, so we were able to find our seats and plop down in the middle of the opening song. He followed it up with his ever-popular "Country Road." In a matter of minutes, I observed that the Moda Center crowd was one of the tamest I’d ever been a part of, but at least in this case, a chill audience was expected and warranted.

For the majority of the show, everyone sat quietly in their seats, only rising when Taylor played more upbeat songs like “Mexico” and “Roadrunner.” Taylor played a great first and second set, but there were a couple moments when his “cowboy lullabies” (like “Sweet Baby James”) almost put me into a literal slumber. Other times the classic, slow-crawling songs allowed my mind to wander; I started thinking about all kinds of things that I never seem to have time to consider: the past, the future, the present, conspiracy theories, ideas for podcasts. So, basically the same stuff I do at home when I listen to James Taylor’s music.

There were still a few rabble-rousers in attendance, though; quite a few times, someone in the distance would yell “WOO!” Or “WE LOVE YOU JT!” As someone who’s a diehard fan of a younger, more problematic artist of the same initials, I was amused by the realization that I was seeing the original JT. “Feel free at any point to let that ‘woo’ loose,” Taylor encouraged, making the massive arena feel like an intimate experience.

When Taylor begins his cover of Marvin Gaye’s “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)” near the end of the first set, everyone stands… but it’s still the stiffest crowd I’ve ever seen. Even when Luis Conte starts slapping the drums. Luckily, I was quickly cheered up by the sight of white people getting so excited about the next song (“Ah, now THIS is music”) that they start unknowingly clapping offbeat.

Taylor was keen on introducing and profusely praising each member of his “All-Star Band,” as he should—the musicians backing him were truly fantastic. I particularly liked fiddler Andrea Zonn, as well as the excellent back-up singer Arnold McCuller (whose solos I’d like to have heard more of); soulful sax from “Blue Lou” Marini, who’s noted for being a member of the Blues Brothers and the Saturday Night Live house band in the ’70s and ’80s; and Luis Conte and Steve Gadd on percussion.

Taylor played acoustic and electric guitar in his signature style, also picking up the harmonica and singing like the seasoned pro he is. Near the beginning of his set, my mom commented how much he seemed to be enjoying himself up on that stage. “A very joyful singer,” she correctly asserted. After a near-unintelligible rendition of Taylor’s ultra-bluesy song “Steamroller,” (my mom’s favorite), and his smash hit "Fire and Rain" (my favorite), I became convinced that James Taylor wrote all these songs with the premonition that he’d perform them even better one day as an adorable old man. Thanks for the hits, JT!