Vienna, Virginia Photos from the June 4 2025 show by Mark Raker Words by Dan Rozman
Friday night, June 6, at Wolf Trap, Paul Simon reminded us why his music has stuck around for over fifty years. The 83 year old songwriter brought his “A Quiet Celebration Tour” to the Filene Center for one of three mostly sold-out nights, and after his farewell tour in 2018, nobody expected to get another chance like this.
Simon is kicking the shows this tour off by doing something unexpected. Instead of opening with “The Sound of Silence” or “Mrs. Robinson,” he played his entire new album, Seven Psalms, straight through. It allowed the audience to hear the new album live. The lawn speakers had problems at first, but the sound crew quickly fixed it during the first song, and everything was smooth from there.
Simon’s band was exceptional, featuring an impressive lineup that included Caleb Burhans, Jamey Haddad, Gyan Riley, and Mark Stewart, among others. What made the performance special was watching these skilled musicians switch between multiple instruments throughout the set, creating rich layers of sound. Both Steve Gadd and Matt Chamberlain handled percussion duties, and their rhythmic foundation gave the songs both power and subtlety. These weren’t just hired guns going through the motions, you could see they were deeply invested in the music. Simon’s voice has aged, obviously, but it still carries emotion and clarity, especially during the quieter passages when the entire audience seemed to lean in.
The second set brought the songs everyone came to hear. “Graceland” got the crowd excited, “Slip Slidin’ Away” had the crowd singing along, and “Train in the Distance” helped to take the audience back in time. The fans enjoyed it when Simon started telling stories between songs.
Before “The Late Great Johnny Ace,” he shared the tragic story of Johnny Ace, a rhythm and blues singer who accidentally killed himself playing Russian roulette in his dressing room after a sold-out Houston show. Simon heard about it on the radio the next day when the DJ said they were going to play his number one hit, “By the late great Johnny Ace.” The way Simon told it, with perfect pacing and genuine feeling, you could picture that moment in 1954.
He did something similar before “Rene and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After the War.” Simon explained how he was looking through a book of surrealist paintings when he came across a photo captioned with those exact words. “I said, that’s a number one record,” he recalled, and the audience chuckled at both the absurdity and brilliance of how songs are inspired.
Edie Brickell joined him for several numbers, and their voices blended naturally. She brought her own style to songs like “Under African Skies” and “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard,” making them feel fresh rather than nostalgic.
The encores delivered exactly what you’d hope for. “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” and “The Boxer” brought the full band back, then Simon returned alone with his acoustic guitar. He attempted “Old Friends” solo but had to restart when his voice gave out momentarily. It was one of those unguarded moments that made him seem more human, not less. He finished with “The Sound of Silence,” just voice and guitar, and you could feel the weight of five decades of music history in that performance.
Wolf Trap provides the ideal setting for an evening like this. The venue sits in the middle of a national park in Vienna, Virginia, surrounded by trees and open sky. You can choose seats under the wooden pavilion or spread out on the lawn with a picnic. The acoustics work perfectly either way – every guitar note and vocal inflection carries clearly throughout the space. As the sun set and the sky became colorful, the atmosphere became something you can’t replicate indoors.
Many people thought Simon’s farewell tour was exactly that – farewell. Having him back, playing new songs alongside the classics that have been part of the cultural landscape for generations, felt unexpected and valuable. At 83, dealing with hearing issues that have sidelined other musicians, Simon proved he still has something to say musically.
This wasn’t just a greatest hits parade, though some of those songs were there. It was Paul Simon demonstrating that he’s still writing, still evolving, still finding ways to connect with audiences. At Wolf Trap, under a clear summer night, with a crowd that cherished both the new music and the old, it lived up to its billing as a “quiet celebration” of a remarkable songwriting career.
Setlist from Setlist.fm:
Set 1
Seven Psalms
The Lord
Love Is Like A Braid
My Professional Opinion
Your Forgiveness
Trail of Volcanoes
The Sacred Harp (with Edie Brickell)
Wait (with Edie Brickell)
Set 2: Hits and Deep Cuts
Graceland
Slip Slidin’ Away
Train in the Distance
Homeward Bound (Simon & Garfunkel song) (Preceded by Paul Simon teasing intro “guitar figures” for “I Am A Rock” and “Mrs. Robinson”)
The Late Great Johnny Ace
St. Judy’s Comet
Under African Skies (with Edie Brickell)
Rene and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After the War
Rewrite
Spirit Voices
The Cool, Cool River
Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard (with Edie Brickell)
Encore:
50 Ways to Leave Your Lover
The Boxer (Simon & Garfunkel song)
Encore 2:
Old Friends (Simon & Garfunkel song) (Paul Simon solo acoustic. First time since 2001. Attempted twice, but Paul got a frog in his throat.)
The Sound of Silence (Simon & Garfunkel song) (Paul Simon solo acoustic)
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