GOSHEN — Taylor Hicks delivered a set full of soul, blues and a few surprises Monday night in front of a packed grandstand at the Elkhart County 4-H Fair.

Hicks, best known for winning Season 5 of "American Idol," gave props to his Soul Patrol fans but never mentioned the Fox show by name during his 90-minute set. Instead, Hicks concentrated on delivering one high-energy performance after another that made his "Idol" stint seem like a distant memory.

Backed by a remarkable five-piece band, Hicks shined on original songs such as "The Deal" and "Soul Thing," two tracks on his major-label debut "Taylor Hicks."

He also tapped tracks from his two independent pre-"Idol" albums, "In Your Time," and "Under the Radar."

After belting out "Hold onto Your Love," a Hicks original off "Under the Radar," he quipped "You see, we can write songs."

The comment seemed to be a dig at the practice of hiring outside songwriters for the "Idol's" debut albums. Of the 12 tracks on "Taylor Hicks," the Birmingham, Ala., singer penned just two and collaborated on a third.

Monday night, however, Hicks proved he doesn't need help in that department, singing old staples such as "Somehow" and "Heart and Soul."

Perhaps his best performance of the night came early on, singing the Rob Thomas song "Just To Feel That Way."

Hicks delighted fans with other tracks from his latest LP, including "The Runaround," "Heaven Knows" and "The Maze," but he also offered a few surprises.

He covered Traffic's "Medicated Goo," the Beatles' "Don't Let Me Down," and closed the night with the Who's "Going Mobile" all with an equal dose of his high-energy style and his modern soul style — much to the delight of the crowd, which lingered long after Hicks had hopped on his tour bus.