Paul Simon and his band at Merriweather Post Pavilion (from the 18th row, center).
The legendary Paul Simon entertained fans at Merriweather Post Pavilion with a nostalgic set packed with best-loved hits. The 21-song set mostly featured songs from his solo career—including six from the much-revered Graceland album celebrating its 20th anniversary—interspersed with a sampling from his new album, Surprise, and even a few Simon & Garfunkel songs.
Relaxed and in good spirits despite the onerous humidity, Simon tugged at the heartstrings with such classic ballads as “Still Crazy After All These Years” and “Slip Slidin’ Away,” and had the crowd on its feet for such classics as “Cecilia” and “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard.”
Simon introduced the 1970 Simon & Garfunkel song “The Only Boy Living in New York” as an old song he’d forgotten about until it resurfaced recently on the Garden State soundtrack. That preceded another song by the famous duo, “The Boxer,” which he introduced by saying he’d try to sing the part of Simon. The crowd continued to chuckle after he stated—while shaking his head and slyly smirking—that he felt he never really got enough credit back in the Simon & Garfunkel days.
I’d spent part of April, and most of May, brooding over having missed Simon play the New Orleans Jazz Fest this year despite having attended it that weekend. I was on a plane “homeward bound” during his set there, having booked the flight before they’d released the detailed schedule. So I was especially thrilled at this show to hear Simon play “That Was Your Mother,” the zydeco track from Graceland, complete with accordion and washboard, offering up that infectious New Orleans sound.
After all these years, Simon continues to write soulful songs with inspiring lyrics. He performed four songs from his latest album, which reflects on everything from fatherhood to war. In the gorgeous ballad, “Father and Daughter,” he sings, “I’m gonna watch you shine, gonna watch you grow, gonna paint a sign so you’ll always know…there could never be a father who loved his daughter more than I love you.”
In the haunting “Wartime Prayers,” he sings, “A mother murmurs in twilight sleep and draws her babies closer. With hush-a-bies for sleepy eyes and kisses on the shoulder. To drive away despair, she says a wartime prayer.” He also performed the new, rocking track “Outrageous,” with the clever, catchy chorus “Who’s gonna love you when your looks are gone?”
What keeps Simon’s music so refreshing and unique is his ability to fuse musical genres. Graceland is replete with examples, fusing folk-rock with South African rhythms and zydeco. Earlier, “Loves Me Like a Rock,” from the 1973 There Goes Rhymin’ Simon, incorporates gospel rhythms. “Duncan,” from his 1972 self-titled album has a Celtic flair and sounded beautiful live. The original recording incorporated an Incan pipe.
Opening the show, The Jerry Douglas Band served up a rich bl
end of American roots, country, and bluegrass. The 12-time Grammy winner from Nashville, TN, dazzled the crowd on his dobro—a six-string resonator guitar he often played with a slide. Having come through Merriweather last year on tour with Alison Krause, Douglas and his band returned with a rollicking set. He included several cuts from his new album, The Best Kept Secret, including the country-rock “She Makes Me Want to Sing” and the rowdy bluegrass tune “Who’s Your Uncle,” during which his fingers were flying. Douglas humbly stepped aside when a bandmate played a solo and later joined Simon on stage during the first encore for “The Boxer.”
(above) Guitarist and 12-time Grammy winner Jerry Douglas, who opened for Paul Simon, shares a candid moment backstage with his upright bass player, Todd. [Thanks for the tix and pass, Todd].
Few musicians have had a long, successful solo career after a split from a successful duo. Yet Simon’s solo career has spanned more than three decades and his music has touched the hearts of young and old with timeless songs that likely will be enjoyed for generations to come.
Setlist:
Gumboots
Boy In The Bubble
Outrageous
Slip Slidin’ Away
You're The One
Me & Julio Down by The Schoolyard
How Can You Live In The Northeast
Mrs. Robinson
Loves Me Like A Rock
That Was Your Mother
Duncan
Graceland
Father & Daughter
Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes
Still Crazy After All These Years
Cecilia
First encore:
You Can Call Me Al
The Only Boy Living in New York
The Boxer [performed with Jerry Douglas]
Second encore:
Wartime Prayers
Bridge Over Troubled Water
Band/crew dinner:
I was backstage for a bit before the show, hanging with Jerry Douglas’s bass player who’s a friend of a friend, and I got to partake in the yummy buffet. Want to eat like a rock star? Here’s the grub that gave them sustenance.
Salad
Meatloaf (first time I actually enjoyed meatloaf.) *
Ahi tuna
Grilled veggies
Assortment of beverages
Dessert: assortment of cakes and pies, blueberries & raspberries, banana pudding
*I said to myself, yet out loud, "wow, these meatloaf slices are huge" at which point a guy came up behind me and offered to share a piece with me. Later, watching the concert, it occurred to me I'd just shared meatloaf with Simon's guitarist, Mark.
