Last week, my brother and I went to see The Life of Chuck — a strange, tender film that lingered with me long after the credits rolled. One scene in particular stood out: a busker playing drums on a city street, pouring rhythm into the air with such soul that you couldn’t look away. It wasn’t just a moment — it was a heartbeat. I didn’t know her name at the time, but that drummer stayed with me.
Fast forward a few days. I’m at a Coldplay concert, already having my expectations shattered by Willow’s opening set — jazz-infused, tightly composed, emotionally rich. And then, just for a second, her drummer’s face flashed on the screen.
I froze.
It was her.
It was Taylor Gordon.
It was The Pocket Queen.
I was dumbfounded. The same artist who had moved me from a movie screen was now commanding the stage in front of tens of thousands — not as a background player, but as a driving force. And what a force she is. Watching her live was like watching electricity made flesh. Every beat was placed with precision and intention. Her timing was immaculate, her expression joyful, and her groove? Impossibly deep.
Taylor doesn’t just play — she listens. She feels. Her drumming carries a song the way a current carries a river. There’s funk, there’s jazz, there’s restraint, and then there’s a burst of freedom, all within the same phrase. She holds the pocket like it’s sacred. And that night, under the stadium lights, she made it holy.
To see an artist once by chance — and then again by fate — is a gift. To discover that the same woman who played a busker in a quiet moment of a Stephen King film is now touring the world as a percussion powerhouse? That’s something I won’t forget.
Taylor Gordon is more than a great drummer. She is a reminder that talent doesn’t just rise — it grooves, it builds, and when the moment comes, it explodes.
The Pocket Queen reigns. And I was lucky enough to see her rule — twice.