Forty years is a lifetime in the music business. Most bands can’t survive a single van tour without someone throwing a punch or a lawsuit. Yet, when James Taylor and Carole King stepped onto a rotating stage in 2010, they didn't just look like old friends. They looked like two people who had shared a secret for four decades and were finally letting us in on it.
Honestly, the James Taylor and Carole King in concert experience wasn't just another nostalgia play. It was a massive, $59 million-grossing behemoth of a tour that somehow felt as small as a living room. People paid "recession-era" dollars—and a lot of them—to sit in arenas and watch a 62-year-old man in a flat cap and a 68-year-old woman with a wild mane of curls hold hands.
It was spooky. That’s the word Carole used to describe how their songs sounded together.
The Night it All Started (Again)
Most people think this partnership started with the 2010 Troubadour Reunion Tour. Not quite. The real catalyst was three nights in November 2007. The Troubadour, that legendary wood-paneled club on Santa Monica Boulevard, was celebrating its 50th anniversary. They called James. He called Carole.
They brought back "The Section." That’s the original band from 1970: Danny Kortchmar on guitar, Leland Sklar on bass, and Russ Kunkel on drums. No session players. No young guns brought in to "update" the sound.
When they hit the stage for those six shows in 2007, something broke loose. It wasn't just a gig; it was a time machine. The recordings from those nights became the Live at the Troubadour album, which basically forced them to go on a global tour because the demand was so ridiculous.
Why Their Chemistry is Different
There’s no romantic baggage here. No "Rumours" style drama. Just a deep, platonic respect. Taylor famously pushed King to step out from behind the songwriter's desk and actually sing her own songs back in 1970. Think about that. Without James Taylor’s nudging, we might never have had Tapestry in the way we know it.
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On stage, James is the goofy MC. He makes dad jokes. He tells stories about North Carolina. Carole is the "straight man," focusing intensely on her piano until she steps out for "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman." Then, she brings the house down.
The Setlist: More Than Just the Hits
If you caught James Taylor and Carole King in concert during the 2010 run, you saw a masterclass in pacing. They didn't just trade sets. They were on stage together for nearly the entire three hours.
The show usually opened with "Blossom" or "Something in the Way She Moves." It set a tone. Quiet. Intimate. Then they’d ramp up. One of the coolest moments was the "Long Ago" pairing. Carole would sing "Song of Long Ago," and James would follow with "Long Ago (and Far Away)." They were written separately, yet they sounded like two halves of the same conversation.
Songs That Defined the Tour
- "So Far Away": Usually the second song. It grounded the evening in King's soulful, slightly raspy piano work.
- "Machine Gun Kelly": A Danny Kortchmar song that let the band actually rock out for a second.
- "Carolina in My Mind": You could hear a pin drop during this one, at least until the chorus hit.
- "Steamroller Blues": James Taylor’s chance to be a "bluesman." It’s silly, he knows it's silly, and he uses his guitar as a third leg while hopping around.
- "Jazzman": A highlight for Carole, even though she admitted her voice was raspier than it used to be. It didn't matter. The grit added something.
The "You've Got a Friend" Connection
You can't talk about these two without that song.
In 1971, Carole wrote it. James heard it through the wall of a dressing room and asked to cover it. It became his first #1 hit. During the concerts, they would sing it as a duet. It wasn't just a performance; it was a testament.
There’s a specific moment in the 2010 show where the stage rotates, the lights dim, and the two of them just lean on each other. It’s not a gimmick. It’s the sound of two people who have seen the bottom of the pit—Taylor’s well-documented struggles with addiction and King’s various life upheavals—and came out the other side.
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The Logistics of a Legend
The 2010 tour was massive. We're talking 50+ dates across Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and North America. They played the "round."
The stage was a circular, slowly rotating platform in the middle of the arena. It kept the "intimate club" vibe even when 18,000 people were screaming in the Air Canada Centre or Madison Square Garden.
Interestingly, they used a web poll to let fans pick certain songs. For example, the crowd in Denver or Oakland might get "Steamroller" or "Copperline" based on what they voted for online. It was a very early version of fan-driven setlists that felt personal rather than corporate.
The Original Band: The Section
Seeing Leland Sklar’s massive white beard on the jumbotron was a highlight for many. This wasn't a "James Taylor" backing band. These were the guys who played on the original records.
- Danny "Kootch" Kortchmar (Guitar)
- Leland Sklar (Bass)
- Russ Kunkel (Drums)
They played with a telepathy that only comes from 40 years of shared sessions.
Is There a Future for Another Tour?
Kinda unlikely.
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Carole King has mostly retired from the road. She’s famously private and prefers her life in Idaho to the grind of tour buses. James, on the other hand, is a "road warrior." He still tours regularly, often with his All-Star Band.
But that 2010 reunion was a lightning-in-a-bottle moment. It capped off a legacy. If you missed it, the Live at the Troubadour CD/DVD is the closest you'll get. It debuted at #4 on the Billboard 200, giving Carole her first top 10 album since 1976.
How to Experience the Magic Today
If you're looking to dive into the James Taylor and Carole King in concert history, don't just stick to the hits.
Start with the Live at the Troubadour DVD. Watch the way they look at each other during "You Can Close Your Eyes." That was the final song of the night, performed without the band. Just two voices and one guitar.
It’s a reminder that at the end of the day, all the arena lights and rotating stages are just window dressing. The real power is in the song.
Next Steps for the Superfan:
- Track down the "Just Call Out My Name" documentary. It’s on Max (formerly HBO Max) and gives a lot of behind-the-scenes context on their relationship.
- Listen to the 1970 BBC recordings. You can find these on YouTube or in various box sets. It’s them at their rawest, before the superstardom fully kicked in.
- Compare the versions. Listen to Carole’s Tapestry version of "Way Over Yonder" and then listen to the 2010 live version. The way her voice has aged into a rich, soulful rasp tells a story all its own.
- Check the secondary market for the vinyl. The Live at the Troubadour vinyl was re-released recently and it sounds incredible on a good setup.