The tour is half over (or is there half to go?) and the momentum is just building like a rocketship! Every show is better than the last, which never ceases to amaze me. How does he do that?
And every so often he pulls something so special out of his bag of tricks, it justifies the near fear of missing even one cellcert – can you say “The Fall” in Greensburg, PA? Who woulda thunk it?
We (The Boogie) missed some outstanding stuff in Chicago – but not for lack of trying. Darned venue apparently blocked cellphone signals. We couldn’t get jack! Thankfully we had some very good “reporters” on scene to give us setlists.
Then there have been the very few and far between “after shows” – vaguely reminiscent of last summer’s Shadow Tour, but more low key. Actually, I believe there have only been two such appearances: Grey Eagle in Asheville and Buddy Guy’s Legends in Chicago. Awesome opportunities for the lucky handfuls of people who got to be there.
The cellcerts are getting more and more streamlined – we have a growing professional “staff” working over on The Boogie. With multiple phones “on the ground,” note-takers, musical historians on setlists, and the Tag Squad picking out each and every song Taylor “tags” into another – it’s becoming quite an operation!
The Boogie Blog is growing, too. New writers Phantom and Thackeray are adding their voices and wit to the front page.
The big deal, though, is the Boogie Board Best of Taylor Hicks Tour 07 video project. Ever since the reversal in policy against videotaping, we have been allowed to post 30-sec to 1-min clips online to promote Taylor and the tour. Well, I am proud to say that the talented folks at The Boogie decided to take this one step further. Phantom has been making these fantastic tour videos from various people’s clips. They are exciting and beautiful and extremely professional-looking. There have been reports of people buying concert tickets after watching some of them – which is why (I think) Taylor’s camp is looking the other way … free publicity, baby!
This is such a huge adventure – Taylor himself called it the start of a journey. I feel pleased and extremely privileged to be allowed to come along, and to help in whatever small way I can.
This is so much fun! 
