Barefoot “kung folk” singer brandished a fabulous band at the Troubadour, existing to produce a heavy-mellow set of smooth, earth-friendly, sustainable tunes. Kung folk is Taylor’s genre, one he loosely describes with words too unsubstantial to gather, but understood only after learning he likes kung fu, and that he was initiated into music by one of the best folk singers of times past: James Taylor.

A standing devoted crowd made the show very intimate, along with his hippie-style way of embracing the crowd with the illuminating words he sang, and honest melodies he played. A few sitting at the bar eating veggie sandwiches tapped their feet and swayed their shoulders to songs like “Let It Grow,” “Mushroom Dance” and “I am the Sun.”

Taylor’s music is a cross between Jack Johnson, early Ben Harper and of course, James Taylor, singing about what all folk singers sing about: eco-consciousness, absolute nonsense, sex and spontaneous moments in nature. The tight band is what really made the experience – without the skilled second guitarist/backup singer, drummer and bass player, it would have been a fairly quiet stage with a happy guy singing of islands and farming, fleshing out acoustic guitar chords in the essence of his dad, “Sweet Baby James” Taylor.