Bethel, NY by Ryan O’Malley
Having built a catalogue full of some of the best lyrics and stories of the last 60 years, Paul Simon has become not only a national treasure, but also is viewed as one of the most important figures of modern music. His songs have defined multiple generations and can tap into just about every human emotion there is. At 84 years old, Simon doesn’t need to be doing anything involving music, but he is – he’s out on the road continuing his “Quiet Celebration Tour” which touched down at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts in Bethel, New York on July 3.
The tour has no opening act and instead kicks off with Simon walking out to address the crowd before telling them “I hope you enjoy yourselves.” Again, Simon does not need to be doing this, so instead this tour is focused on celebrating his legacy and giving his fans one more chance to see him on stage. He explained that the night will be split into two sets with the first being a 33-minute performance of his semi-recent musical jaunt “Seven Psalms,” and the second set being the hits and other fun selections. Going out and not performing all your hits can be a risky venture, but Simon has more than earned his opportunity to not have to go out and sound like a human jukebox of hits.
From the video channel of The Freezer
As for “Seven Psalms,” the music was a bit sleepy with a focus on slower, tender acoustic numbers like “The Lord,” and “Love Is Like a Braid.” However, Simon’s once crisp, tenor voice is inevitably showing signs of aging, so performing two hours of classic hits simply can’t be done at this point in his career, so music like that of “Seven Psalms” is a much better fit for his current vocal limitations. “My Professional Opinion” was a more upbeat selection which sounded more like a Delta blues number than a psalm. The first portion ended with the combination of “The Sacred Harp,” and “Wait,” both of which saw Simon’s wife, Edie Brickell – looking as elegant as ever with a voice to match – join on harmony.
After a short break, Simon returned for the second set which kicked off with the rhythm-centric “Graceland,” before leading into a poignant “Slip Slidin’ Away.” At this point, several audience members were heard discussing why Simon sounded “off” during these songs. Again, the man is 84 years old. No one should go to a Paul Simon concert expecting to hear the voice from “The Concert in Central Park” album. Instead, Simon is using this tour to give his fans a chance to celebrate him today. Those songs are part of his legacy, but a true singer-songwriter like Simon is able to adapt his stories as he ages to help those songs age with him. “Train in the Distance” lead into the Simon and Garfunkel chestnut “Homeward Bound.” Arguably one of the better known songs from the Simon and Garfunkel repertoire, the way Simon delivers it on this tour is a bit mellower than on the recording. Yet again, showing the songs can age gracefully if done right.
Some of his lesser known material made its way into the middle of the set including “The Late Great Johnny Ace,” “Father and Daughter,” and “Rewrite.” Some fans were noticeably turned away by the deeper cuts, but again, Simon does not need to perform the hits and expecting him to is not fair to anyone on or off stage. The set grew to a close with “The Cool, Cool River,” and “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes,” an upbeat number that had everyone up and dancing after the previous stretch of deeper tracks.
When it was time for the encore, the fans got what they wanted in terms of hits with the two-shot opening of “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard,” which again featured Brickell, and a quieter version of “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover.” Opting to leave out his “rock” numbers like “Late in the Evening” and “You Can Call Me Al” for this tour, Simon chose the quieter ending combination of “Something So Right,” and “The Boxer,” which is simply one of the most beautiful folk songs ever written or recorded.
After the band left the stage, Simon stood alone with his acoustic guitar and broke into the instantly familiar opening to the Simon and Garfunkel massive hit “The Sound of Silence.” It is unique to hear Simon do these songs without Art Garfunkel, but then again Simon’s deliverance shows how the songs were originally envisioned. At the end of the night, that’s what this tour is about more than anything – showing how Paul Simon envisioned his music and stories would be presented to the world. The fact that they have spanned parts of seven decades, multiple generations of families, and tapped into every human emotional known to man are reasons enough to be thankful that all of us are lucky enough to be around at the same time as Paul Simon. To those that can’t get over his voice aging, look at his voice as the subject in “The Boxer,” – it is leaving, but the fighter still remains.
From the video channel of Jamey Mullen Photography
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