Sun. June 20

Call it – as Little Feat once titled a song – “Old Folks Boogie.” Not in a derogatory way, mind you. We all age. It happens. It’s what you do with it. Do you become sedentary? Is golf your whole life? (Look, it’s part of ours, but … ) Is every night a TV party?
   There’s certainly a lot to be said for still supporting – and enjoying – the musicians you loved back in the day. Especially, if those people are, somehow, in peak performing form today. Such is the case with James Taylor and Carole King, who share a bill at TD Garden tonight. Sunday June 20. I caught last night’s show at reviewed it for the Boston Herald, www.bostonherald.com.)
   What follows is a version of that …
    King and first paired up to play concerts in 1903. So said Taylor, early in last night’s show at TD Garden. King later corrected him to say it was actually 1970, when the two first played the Troubadour in L.A.
    OK, it was a while ago. The two singer-songwriters have 130 years on the planet between them, and they don’t mind playing the nostalgia, simpatico folk-rock artists and longtime friends cards. They hit the big time during the soft-rock surge of the early ‘70s, King with “Tapestry” and Taylor with “Sweet Baby James.”
   At the soldout Garden, their baby boomer audience – those still sentient and with a few bucks to spare – went nuts, as memories were made fresh by two singers who remain outstanding in voice and form. There were a few tears in the house when the two faced each other at the end of the regular set to sing “You’ve Got a Friend.”
   King and Taylor played two sets, 28 songs in two-plus hours. Taylor spent most of his time on acoustic guitar, sitting or standing, and King spent most of hers at the piano. They took solo spots, played backup on each others’ songs, went acoustic and were joined by Taylor’s longtime backing trio (plus four others). That would be drummer Russ Kunkel, bassist Lee Sklar and guitarist Danny “Kootch” Kortchmar. All played tastefully, exquisitely really.   The stars shone on soft-rock/folk faves like “So Far Away,” “Where You Lead, I Will Follow” and “It’s Too Late” (King) and “Carolina in My Mind,” “Mexico” and “Fire and Rain.” (Taylor).
   But they both kicked out the jams, too. They bounced up and down with acoustic guitars during “Smackwater Jack.” Taylor prowled the circular, rotating stage for the electric “Steamroller Blues.”  (Notel I once got into a spirited, but fun, bar agument with James' brother, the late Alex Taylor. I was calling James something of a wuss and Alex was saying, "No, you have to understand how much he loves and gets the blues, too." Well, Alex here's to you. Might have taken me awhile to see but ....)

King was a dynamo, executing sharp leg kicks in her spiked heels during “I Feel the Earth Move.”
  Taylor was a witty, oft self-deprecating host, talking about trying to heel the wounds from the Celtics loss and introducing “hymns for agnostics” – her “Beautiful” and his “Shower the People.” King got props for not just the songs she sang, but ones she wrote (and sang here), like “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” and “Crying in the Rain.” The Everly Brothers had a hit with the latter. Taylor said when he first covered it, he had no idea she wrote it.
   There was both chemistry and camaraderie. There was a nod to the modern era with the multiple video screens, but also a look to the past when those screens showed young James and Carole. The night ended with a sweet, melancholic duet, “Close Your Eyes.” It capped a rejuvenating evening for the singers and the audience. They’ve aged very well, indeed. 
Tonight’s show starts at 7:30. Expect something simliar to last night, but with a few wrinkles. They’ve been varying a few songs every night. For instance, we didn’t hear King do “The Loco-Motion” last night and we bet you will tonight. There are a few tickets remaining we’re told, $125-$39.50. Also, good seats get released just before show time so head to the box office and maybe you’ll get lucky.

Causeway St., www.tdgarden.com