It’s been a long time since I went to a concert – longer than I care to admit in a public forum, anyway. My daughter, who is in college now, is a veritable expert on the Austin music scene and goes to shows on a regular basis, everything from small club venues to the annual ACL, Austin City Limits Music Festival.
You can imagine how thrilled and delighted I was, then, when earlier in the spring she asked me if I wanted to go see Paul Simon in concert with her.
I was also a little surprised. I have listened to and loved the music of Paul Simon for as long as I can remember; in fact, I associate specific songs with specific events and periods of my life, but my daughter has only recently started listening to his music.
After some negotiating with my husband over travel arrangements and ticket prices (“Why can’t you just see Paul Simon in concert in Houston on the Saturday before? Why do you have to see him in Austin?” Answer: “Better venue, better crowd.”) I managed to score two floor seats for the concert at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin on June 5th. I have to say it was worth every penny and an experience with my daughter that I will never forget.
First of all, the venue was great. The Frank L. Erwin Center, which doubles as a college basketball arena and a concert venue, is smaller than the Toyota Center here in Houston and much smaller than a stadium venue.
Second, the people were great. Everyone we encountered – from the security staff to the beer vendors to the ushers – was nice and willing to help. (That meant a lot to me as, at the time, I was still in a walking cast which covered my left leg from knee to toe.) I had no trouble at all getting down to the lower floor to enter the area where the floor seats were placed, finding my seats, and getting seated.
The crowd was a mixture of all ages, everyone from Millenials to Generation X’ers to Baby Boomers – all of whom were there to listen to good music and enjoy themselves. I can’t remember a friendlier crowd. No one on our row complained about having to get up and make room for the Bride of Frankenstein. In fact, we had a chance to chat with the people just to our right before the concert started, and I was amazed at how much we had in common!
Of course, these matters paled in comparison to the consumate professional performance of Mr. Simon and his assembled back up singers and musicians.
At 76, Paul Simon still has it. Unlike some other singers his age whose voices have lost their vitality and lustre (shout out to you, Sir Paul McCartney), Simon sounds just as good as his earliest recordings, and he seems as one with his guitar. He knows just how to read a room and work a crowd, too. At one point early in the performance, he held his arms out wide and said, “Hello, friends!” and every one of us sitting or standing in that room felt as if each of us was, truly, his friend.
My daughter and I reviewed Simon’s set list from previous locales on the tour to get an idea of what to expect and to see if our favorite songs would be performed. We had no need to worry. Simon did not disappoint.
Simon is often referred to as “America’s greatest living songwriter”; the only man who bests him in that category is Willie Nelson, but comparing the two is like comparing peaches and nectarines. Both artists cover a wide variety of genres and write lyrics that can take the listener to the highest highs or the lowest lows. Simon chose much-loved songs from throughout his canon, a selection that offered something for everybody. He opened the concert with “America,” and ended – quite appropriately – with “The Sound of Silence.”
Between songs, Simon chatted with the crowd, shared anecdotes, and explained the inspiration for some of his music. He recalled, for instance, the circumstances that led to his writing “Rene and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After the War.” Simon explained that he had been waiting for Joan Baez at her apartment – they were to rehearse for a performance later that day – when he saw a coffee table book on Magritte. Inside, he found an iconic black and white photo of Rene and Georgette Magritte walking their dog. The photo inspired him to write a song about the pair. While he was speaking, a reproduction of the black and white photo was displayed on the screen behind him. Hearing the song in context made all the difference. It truly struck a chord with me that night.
After Simon and his band sang the final encore, “Sound of Silence,” and left the stage, the facility lights came up and everyone realized it was time to go home. I left not with a heavy heart, but instead a heart filled with joy.
Simon told us that he plans to retire from touring on the road – hence the concert tour title Homeward Bound – the Farewell Concert Tour. He certainly deserves it. Whether I get another chance to see him perform live or not, I can’t image it could ever top the memory of seeing him on stage that night and having that experience with my daughter by my side.