It is somewhat ironic that an artist who won a singing contest before a national audience never really got a chance to showcase the elements that distinguish him as a commanding live performer. After winning 2006’s American Idol, and subsequently issuing a studio album that didn’t perform up to industry expectations, Taylor Hicks has brought his act on the road. At the Marquee, he affirmed that the stage is where he excels, offering a soulful charisma, rich voice and imaginative setlists littered with multi-genre selections.

Hicks deftly eased his band into original- and cover-laden highlights; hence, “Hell of a Day” with an effortless segue into the chorus section of Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)” followed by a David Gilmouresque guitar solo. “Hold Onto Your Love” included a Johnnie Taylor “Can’t Trust Your Neighbor” tease while “Wherever I Lay My Hat” contained two—The Commodores’ “Nightshift” and Sam Cooke’s “Chain Gang.” Following strong original material like “Just to Feel that Way” and “My Friend”—which featured Hicks on a blistering harmonica solo—the singer dove even deeper into his magical cover bag. “Soul Thing” featured a euphoric mix of flute solos and tempo changes before dropping into Jerry Reed’s “Eastbound and Down” for good country-honk measure. Traffic’s “Medicated Goo” in the hands of Hicks and his band was a classic barnburner that solidified the momentum of the set. Later, “Heaven Knows>The Maze” began with a Ray Charles groove à la “What’d I Say,” and eventually slipped in a few lines of Sam & Dave’s “You Don’t Know Like I Know.”

Perhaps what made Hicks a contest champion became evident by show’s end as the band eased into Elton John’s “Take Me to the Pilot” without a hint of misplaced showmanship. The man appears determined to deliver the entertainment goods his way and if that means that he earns his crown via the road one gig at a time then it is certainly a setting he embraces without qualification.