SAB at PER Ice Arena
James Taylor performed at SUNY Cortland on Friday, September 27, 1985. The highly successful concert took place in the campus PER Ice Arena (now part of the Park Center) and was organized by the Student Activities Board (SAB). 1, 2, 3
The Concert Context
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- Campus Legacy: The show took place during the tail-end of SUNY Cortland’s legendary “golden age” of campus concerts. The SAB hosted massive names during this era, booking acts like The Ramones, The Kinks, and Cheap Trick alongside Taylor. 1, 2
- Student-Run Initiative: The event was coordinated by students on the SAB, giving them hands-on experience in high-level event management and marketing. 1, 2, 3
- Critical Reception: A review published the following Monday in The Cornell Daily Sun praised the performance. The reviewer specifically spotlighted his iconic track “You’ve Got a Friend,” noting that “good songs and good singers, like good wine, age extremely well.” 1
Typical 1985 Setlist
While the precise tracklist for the Cortland night is archived in the college’s physical collections, Taylor was touring right before the release of his October 1985 album That’s Why I’m Here. His typical 1985 setlists included: 2, 3
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- Signature hits: “Fire and Rain”, “Sweet Baby James”, and “Carolina in My Mind”
- Classic covers: “Up on the Roof”, “Handy Man”, and “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)”
- New material: “Everyday” (a Buddy Holly cover) and “Only a Dream in Rio”