Caesar’s Colosseum Theatre is very warm and intimate. I was pleasantly surprised at the layout and how comfortably spaced and cushy all the seats were. It made for a very relaxed and pleasant experience compared to the hard surfaces of a sports arena where the seats are so tightly wedged together in very long rows making one feel imprisoned and claustrophobic.
As you can see from the setlist it’s a short show typical of Casino shows. One set only. James was in wonderful form, healthy and vibrant with his first performance here. There had been some concern and speculation amongst us fans about his health after the cancellation of the Jimmy Kimmel show. Turns out he caught the awful flu bug that’s hit about every one of us. But he has recovered very well.
When I first glimpsed the setlist I must admit I was a little disappointed – well only because I’ve heard these songs a bazillion times but that was a stupid projected feeling as I was to find out. The whole show for me was nostalgia in full force with all my personal memorable nuances of experience in each song thru fifty years, packed into one show.
How could I have forgotten the power of James Taylor’s performance and that of his stellar Band mates. Every song was beautifully touching and some downright funny but charming. Most surprising and powerfully moving for me tonight were
Walking Man, Fire and Rain, You’ve Got a Friend, Shed a Little Light, Sweet Baby James. Right? Yep, those oldies tried and true as usual and as always, James does them so well. Fan friends, you gotta go experience these songs live again and be powerfully surprised at how it can still wrap you up in its magic, bringing those mysterious sweet tears that you thought may have dried up after all these years.

James Taylor set list – Caesar’s Residency at the Colosseum on April 17th 2019

Carolina
Fiddle and Drum – Andrea Zonn and Steve Gadd
Country Road
Sunny Skies
Walking Man (added after a shout out request from audience member)
Stop Thinking about That
Something In The Way She Moves
Drum Machine rolled in and introduced for:
Slap Leather
Handyman
Steamroller – videos of Elvis doing show in Hawaii. Elvis covered James’
Steamroller but never recorded it.
Up On The Roof
Mexico
Fire and Rain
You’ve got a friend
Shower The People
Shed a Little Light
How Sweet It Is
Encores:
Your Smiling Face
Sweet Baby James
You Can Close Your Eyes