This was the third concert I've been to this month. I was going to say it was the best of the three, but I think it's better to think of it as one long show, perhaps presented in three acts. Paul Simon sure has covered a lot of ground in the course of his career. This show seemed a little hectic in that he was drawing from many different albums, including some songs made famous when working with Garfunkel, and featuring a lot of guest artists from a wide variety of musical genres. I liked the guests in this show more than those in "Under African Skies." They each seemed stronger performers in their own right. I was pleased to be introduced to Grizzly Bear (Brooklyn product!), Amos Lee and Gillian Welch. David Rawlings, performing with Welch, was a definite highlight. He's a great guitar player, and they sing together really well. Josh Groban sang "America," "Silent Eyes," and "Bridge Over Troubled Water." The girl next to me was snickering through most of "America." I understand Josh Groban is perhaps too mainstream, syrup-pop for hip Brooklynites who were conceived to "Mrs. Robinson," but really, give the guy a chance. He has a great voice, even if it's been mostly spent on "O Holy Night" and "You Raise Me Up." Anyway...
Interesting fact: I was talking with Juanita, mother of my student, Meilei, about the show. Juanita works in Paul Simon's office and helped me get these tickets. I was telling her about Grizzly Bear's version of "Mother and Child Reunion" and how it was rather dark and foreboding, in contrast to the bouncy and buoyant original. She gave me the inside scoop on the lyrics: Mother and Child Reunion is the name of a special dish at a Chinese restaurant Paul used to frequent. The dish contains chicken and eggs. It's only a motion away.
Paul Simon, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings perform "Sound of Silence"
Paul Simon and Josh Groban perform "Bridge Over Troubled Water"
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