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The Nation's Pulse
Paul Simon: A Concert Well Worth Enduring
The older half of the baby boom demographic was out in full force.
BOSTON — Last week, I scratched another item off my “to do list.” I saw Paul Simon in concert.
Under normal circumstances, my idea of fun is not going out to a noisy, crowded club where I have to stand in place for three hours whilst withstanding knee pain and a distended bladder to get a remotely decent view of the proceedings or else risk losing my spot and thus ruining my evening.
Yet this is exactly what I was prepared for when I made my way to the House of Blues situated on Lansdowne Street opposite Fenway Park. Besides, I was too cheap to get a ticket to see Simon perform at the Wang Theater the previous evening.
While your House of Blues ticket will indicate a row and a seat number, there are in fact no seats and the only rows are comprised of randomly yet delicately arranged human bodies. I was on the mezzanine level and managed to find a spot in the back a short distance behind a railing which looked directly at center stage. As it happened, I was standing in front of the air conditioner so at least I didn’t become a sweaty mess. I carefully clutched my plastic cup of Coca-Cola hoping that no one would back into my chest and force me to spill my drink all over myself.
Now it is one thing to do this when you are 28 but quite another thing to do so when you are 38 never mind 48, 58 or beyond. Not surprisingly, the older half of the baby boom demographic was out in full force and some of them were quite uncomfortable with the primitive conditions of the venue. It didn’t help matters when a young couple (and I mean one likely not of legal drinking age) began shoving us to get to the front of the railing. A middle-aged woman wearing a backpack confronted the young couple concerning their behavior and told them in no uncertain terms that they needed to move immediately. After other adults joined in the admonition, the young couple bid a hasty retreat. Their lack of propriety would be discussed for several minutes after their departure.
But when that discussion petered out people began asking, “Where’s Paul?” The show was supposed to start at eight and it was nearly twenty past. To my left was another young couple (albeit more mature than the previous). The tall gentleman said, “It’s Paul Simon. He can do whatever he wants.” I chimed in, “He’s an 800 pound gorilla!” to some amused laughter.
O.K., a short 800 pound gorilla. But let’s face it. Paul Simon does just about whatever he wants. This is a man who brings his brother onstage to play guitar with him and then sends him on his way. This is a man who when not in the mood to lip sync in his music video has Chevy Chase do it for him. This is a man who is willing to let complete strangers jam with him and sing his songs. So if Paul Simon wants to come out twenty minutes late, who are we mere mortals to say otherwise?
And then the boy came out of the bubble to give us our money’s worth. As one might expect, Simon performed songs covering a cross section of his career such as “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover,” “Mother & Child Reunion,” “Kodachrome” as well as a generous portion of his 1986 landmark album Graceland. Naturally, he played several cuts from his new album, So Beautiful or So What. As for the Simon & Garfunkel catalogue, he limited that repertoire to an acoustic solo version of “Sounds of Silence” and “The Only Living Boy in New York” (which is enjoying new life in a Honda commercial).
Along the way Simon undusted some songs he hasn’t performed in years such as “Peace Like a River” from his very solo effort forty years ago, “Gone at Last” (a gospel-inspired duet he recorded with Phoebe Snow, who passed away in April) and The Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun” (Simon and George Harrison sang this together on Saturday Night Live in November 1976.) Yet perhaps the high point of the show was his rendition of the much overlooked “Heart & Bones” which segued into “Mystery Train” made famous by none other than Elvis Presley. The pain in my knees and my bladder didn’t subside. Yet all in all, it was a concert well worth enduring.
Granted, there were times when Simon’s voice seemed weak. But we can cut the man some slack. After all, he does turn 70 in October. Which reminds me, my Dad told me he recently saw Simon & Garfunkel on TV attending a ballgame at Yankee Stadium. He remarked, “They looked like two old Jews.” To which I replied to my father (who himself turned 70 this past April), “Dad, they are two old Jews.”
Speaking of Garfunkel, the one thing I appreciated from Simon was that he kept the banter in between songs to an absolute minimum. When I saw Garfunkel in concert at the Berklee Performance Center back in May 2007 he went on some silly rant about how it was dangerous to read a poem in George W. Bush’s America. I suggested there were places on earth far more dangerous to recite verse than in the United States. Paul Simon kept it about the music late into the evening.
Yet politics or no politics, I have enjoyed the works of both Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel for three decades. And now that I’ve seen both Simon & Garfunkel perform separately all that’s left for me to do is to see them perform together. But if I do I’ll be sitting down.
About the Author
Aaron Goldstein writes from Boston, Massachusetts.
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Michael L. Hauschild| 6.8.11 @ 7:17AM
I spent a lot of nights working as a bouncer or as security for one of the concert halls in Omaha for the last three decades, sometime doubling as a “rigger” for the electrical and sound staging. I finally had to quit in 2008 when I reached sixty; my knees (oh, those knees Aaron) would not take it anymore. The crews I worked with, increasingly ex-cons, quit calling me “The Professor” and started to call me “Grampa. What once was a respectable job is now becoming increasingly dangerous. It was a very valued part of my life, a virtual running commentary on society, behavior, music and the mentality of our youth. Communication skills were the essence; I still can communicate but simply cannot catch any one to communicate with them anymore.
As to these nostalgic “Rock Concerts” don’t get me wrong, Paul Simon is truly a talent and even at seventy can pull this off, but dear Lord you have no idea what a significant portion of these crowds represent. The “Metallic Rock” venues are the worse; years of drugs and wearing a truss makes playing a guitar challenging. Talk about trying to recapture a moment (or their youth) is not a pretty sight, nor is a sexagenarian bouncer by the way.
Dan Hirsch| 6.8.11 @ 7:54AM
Aaron;
Twenty minutes late was early for the concerts I used to attend in the 70's...They are definitely not aircraft controllers, after all, that's why they and you and all those other people are there.
C'mon, man!
PS I am addressing my life long desire for musical talent (Yes, talent is, in fact, 98% perspiration.) by working over an old Sigma guitar late at night after wifey goes to sleep. Last night I was working on "Song for Emily." (Good place to start, if you are so inclined.) What a pretty, lovely, easy song. Thanks, Paul. For all of it.
Larry| 6.8.11 @ 8:33AM
Paul Simon is one of the all time greats. His new album is fantastic. Buy it if you already haven't!
Petronius| 6.8.11 @ 9:12AM
S & G hit the scene when my cohort started high school. And enjoyable as they are to hear, together or as solo acts, what they promulgated as cultural icons is unforgivable. Those two, along with James Taylor turned American males into emotional cripples and today's "metrosexuals" with their mushy sentiments and goody-goodyism. On the other hand, their music never got rearranged for elevator. It wasn't necessary. What else could one make of their folk sub genre? It's sonic baby powder.
JP| 6.8.11 @ 11:19AM
I agree. Way too much introspection and navel gazing. Add to the list, Jackson Brown, Carol King, and Carly Simon. All mush.
Seek| 6.8.11 @ 1:49PM
Spoken like a true neoconservative. Roger Kimball would be proud of you.
Aces and Eights| 6.8.11 @ 5:16PM
"On the other hand, their music never got rearranged for elevator."
Uh, I'm afraid you need to get out to more elevators. I have heard S&G elevator music since back in the 70's.
OhioGuy| 6.8.11 @ 11:10PM
I agree, except for the part about being him enjoyable to hear. I'm turning into a geezer but I'd rather listen to the White Stripes or the Hives than S&G.
Seek| 6.10.11 @ 11:50AM
Dude! A fellow garage rocker!
Louis Tully| 6.8.11 @ 9:21AM
I saw PS on tv the other night. 2 impressions:
1-his music is still very good
2- he is shrinking rapidly. Looks like Bilbo Baggins.
I'll never buy his records, as he is a hard core lefty and I don't care to feed the Beast.
wolflen| 6.8.11 @ 3:03PM
i find that attitude strange..being a musician..the music is for you...it adds to your life..you dont have to like me to enjoy the music..
there are many actors who have way different politicial views from me...but i love their work..and pay to see it...movies - dvd etc..i dont feel im supporting their views..i am doing something for myself..i enjoy their work..i would rather they continue creating work i enjoy than agreeing with me on social issues..
do you ask the folks in resturants their social views before you order a meal..??
btw: im a bit to the right of ted nugent...
Louis Tully| 6.8.11 @ 10:36PM
Ya, like I said, I like his music. Whether I will buy it--that's a different question. There is lots of music I like, more than I can ever afford to buy. That being the case, why give my hard earned dough to someone who will use it against me? that's not too hard to understand, is it?
(and even if it is--tough; its my money. No dough fr lefties.)
cuban pete| 6.8.11 @ 9:33AM
He has always surrounded himself with top notch musicians-Steve Gadd, Grady Tate, Chris Botti,Richard Tee,etc.
He is betterperforming solo than with Garfunkel whose voice is shot.
Anthony| 6.8.11 @ 10:19AM
So, besides the good music, the moral of this tale is that the older generation of lefty disfunctionalists came up against the younger generation of lefty disfunctionalists in the battle for the rail and won.
I wonder, after the kids beat a hasty retreat, did any of the aging hippies recognize themselves and what they have sowed upon the land?
Oh well, the depravations of hard benches ain't nothing compared to what Obozo is wreaking upon them and the rest of us.
Too bad these aging hippies still dwell in the land of purple haze, that no Paul Simon song can abate.
David| 6.8.11 @ 11:20AM
Paul Simon is a great talent, and generally he has comported himself well over the years. While he is not a particular favorite of mine, there is no question that he has written some great songs and worked with some terrific musicians. He can be a little grouchy in a New Yorky kind of way, but he's a mensch.
Art Garfunkle, on the other hand, he has always seemed like an odd and prickly person. Well, I know a few people who have known Paul and Art,
and nobody ever says what a good sense of humor Art has, or he's a loyal friend, or any other endearing comments about the guy. Art is Art, take him or leave him. I'll leave him, thanks.
Slacker| 6.8.11 @ 11:36AM
Even if their behavior wasn’t perfect, I feel for the young couple pushed around by the boomers. Their fault was showing up in the first place. Paul Simon is for boomers and its best to leave them alone with him.
The wise move is stay away from live music (or anything really) where large numbers of baby boomers gather together. Trying to join boomers in leisure and amusement just doesn’t work. Boomers didn’t trust their parents, and not surprisingly, they don’t think much of their offspring much either. An irritable generation best avoided by outsiders.
Snarky middle aged women in a backpack…a mental picture I didn’t need but, it probably says it all.
Dave | 6.8.11 @ 12:14PM
As a 65 year old gray beard who grew his roots in the Presley, Buddy Holly and Little Richard age, I've been to more than my share of keen concerts over a lifetime. Many of them were during the time when the artist I'd bought tickets to see were still hot on the charts or just coming off of another Top Ten Hit. I've seen Elvis (The Vegas Years) back in '72, The Beach Boys, still in their prime in '68, Rick Nelson (twice) and a lot of those "Gotta' See" one hit wonders too numerous to list here.
Thing is , being the grizzled age I am these days, I began noticing that as I grew older and the hairline was inching backwards, I started approaching each new concert, a lot of them revival or throwback shows, not really listening to what the act was plucking out or singing about as they cruised through a set of their greatest hits. No, I had to admit that I was really only there see what they looked like and if they managed to hold up after all those hits and ... all those miles. When started going to shows in that frame of mind, the occasional clunker notes sometimes belted out (in what sounded like the key of R flat-major) didn't really register on my antenna. In the end, I realized it was mostly about reliving what I remembered as ... a better time, more carefree one and now spent with a few frizzled gray hairs who were probably there for the same reason.
Some kid at a show once turned and asked me: "Geez, don't ' think its about time for these guys to pack it in?" Well maybe it was. But I guess that'd be in the eye and ear of the ticket-holder. Then again as long as there's enough ticket holders still putting their fannies in seats, I'd say to guys like the Beach Boys ... keep on rockin', dudes! That is as long as Mike Love doesn't takes his hat off. See, for me, it'd be kind of like looking in the mirror.
And I can tell 'ya, that ain't always pretty. Not by a long shot.
Dave : - )
JP| 6.8.11 @ 4:04PM
I stopped going to revival concerts 25 years ago. Too depressing.
Petronius| 6.8.11 @ 1:45PM
PBS knows us boomers are still solvent. That's why doo-whop is the top draw for every pledge break these days.
gearjammer| 6.8.11 @ 2:00PM
I do not imagine very many football players have S+G on their ipod. Can't imagine Ray Lewis listening to Scarborough Fair before a big face off with the Steelers. Maybe after, on the ride back, all beat up and coming down from a tough brutal game ? The Boxer, maybe ?
cuban pete| 6.8.11 @ 3:23PM
Ray Lewis should be in jail.
Kilgore Trout| 6.12.11 @ 5:43AM
Damn right!
Bill| 6.8.11 @ 2:24PM
I saw the Beach Boys in concert in 1964, the Grateful Dead in 1967 at Flushing Meadows (the opening act was Leon Russell, and Joe Cocker was also there), they wouldn't play "Cream Puff War."
But I was lucky enough to be of an age when you could still see Benny Goodman in performance. Nothing I saw in all those concerts could match the magic when Benny Goodman's band played "One O'Clock Jump."
cuban pete| 6.8.11 @ 3:21PM
I saw Lionel Hampton when he was in his eighties.
He could still swing you into bad health.
Goodman was a fine player but I think of all the big band leaders Artie Shaw was the best musician.
Tommy Dorsey second.
Wayne | 6.11.11 @ 3:23PM
I have put 'Silence is Golden" on and it truly was a great, great song and they along with the Righteous Brothers were the best of an era.
beebop| 6.8.11 @ 6:30PM
More hot summer nights ago than I care to remember, S&G were performing live in Central Park. Two good friends and I bought tickets from a scalper only to discover that they were for the right night just the wrong month. What to do? As we headed toward the exit to the park, we were approached by a compatriot of the one who took us and we sold them to him without hesitation -- for the same amount we had invested.
We beat it like you can only imagine, enjoyed the tuning strings as we headed to a watering hole to drink the money we intended to spend on tickets.
Thanks for this nudge that memories sometimes need ....
WillofLa | 6.10.11 @ 1:58PM
After Simon sang with Art in Yankee Stadium, and it slips my old mind what the event was, I think it was for some celebration about some past event, sorry, but I heard an interview with Simon afterwards and he said he would never perform with Art again. Art wanted to bring back the "good 'ol days of the 60's and 70's when both were in their hayday, proceeded to get as stoned on pot as he could muster and thought he could actually turn the clock back. He failed to not only turn the clock back but also make his brain work properly like he could back then when he was stoned all the time and he continually messed up one song after another to Simon's shegrin. You could see Paul's face when Art would hit the wrong note or would forget the words to the song they were singing. It was easy to understand Paul's attitude towards Art and it clearly reminded Paul why they broke up.
This is what happens when you base your relationship on mutual drug use. After awhile when you are older you wonder what the bond is and if you are trying to be responsible you see that there is no reason for the relationship to continue. If that happens, don't look back because you will see that those people really didn't care about you, it was the drugs you did together that was the reason you hung around with each other, not that you had anything in common enough to have a real relationship. Walk away as fast as you can and don't ever go back or you will see the result as Paul did that night.
Wayne | 6.11.11 @ 3:20PM
I have mixed feeling about Simon and Garfunkle. I remember sitting and waiting 45 minutes to arrive at a concert in college in the 60's, only to have them leave after 45 minutes. I felt robbed. They of course had that New York screw you attitude.
But I have always been a big fan of their music and still consider "Sounds of Silence" the best song of the '60s. I never liked the Beatles or the Stones because I felt they knocked the superior folk music off the air.
insanity | 6.13.11 @ 10:59AM
good to hear that
Adult toys | 7.4.11 @ 12:56AM
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