This past Saturday, September 22, after riding the 7 train from Grand Central for 30 minutes packed in like sardines we arrived at the stop for Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens at about 4:00pm. There was an hour to go before the gates would open for Paul Simon's final concert.
We walked about a mile to just past the famous Unisphere built for the 1964 World's Fair to the security gates and then a short wait until 5:00 on the dot when the tickets were scanned.
Lots of folks sprinted to the general admission standing room only area in front of the stage, while those of us with blankets (not allowed in front of the soundboard unless you bought VIP) found a spot on the lawn. We were early enough to get a great spot centerfield against the fencing separating the two areas. Close enough to actually watch the performers on stage, but this was aided by a giant video screen behind the musicians and two large video screens to the each side.
Over the next hour, the majority of the park behind us filled with blankets and the standing section filled to capacity. The show was expected to start at 7:00 (it would actually begin at 7:20 and end at 10:00pm) and this last hour before showtime seemed as if the flood gates opened with people filling any available square foot of grass between all the blankets. An announcement was also made asking those with blankets to condense them as much as possible to make room for these later arriving fans.
At 7:20, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Queens Borough President Melinda Katz came out to introduce Paul Simon (video below).
The lights dimmed a few minutes later and he opened the show with "America", one of five Simon and Garfunkel songs to be played that night. (video below)
He followed this with his own "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover". He had the entire crowd in the palm of his hand right out of the gate and they would stay there for the whole night. He then addressed the crowd and played a game of catch with the audience while humorously calling out the ongoing planes taking off and landing at nearby LaGuardia airport throughout the night. (video below)
Of the 26 songs that would be played, about 2/3 were well known classics while 8 or so were ones that while not everyone in the crowd knew them, and many were hearing for the first time, they worked well within the set. Simon and his amazing band sounded fantastic.
The set continued with "The Boy In The Bubble", "Dazzling Blue", "That Was Your Mother", "Rewrite", "Mother and Child Reunion" and then everyone dancing to "Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard." (video below) Simon brought out Edie Brickell for the whistle solo in the middle of the song (she nailed it!) and afterward he mentioned how much fun it was to sing about "Rosie - the Queen of Corona" actually in Corona Park. This was one of the major highlights in a set filled with them.
The classical musicians of yMusic joined Simon for the next three songs starting with "Rene and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After the War", then "Can't Run But" and Simon and Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water." The first half of this classic had a bit of a jazzy arrangement until the full band kicked in mid way through having a very powerful effect and bringing the closing of the song to the next level. Prior to playing it, Simon talked about how for this final tour he was taking back ownership of this song that he previously had given away. He thanked Aretha Franklin afterward for her version, but Art Garfunkel was never mentioned at all throughout the night, just semi referenced here. (Though he would show up in a couple of pictures in a video montage during the final encore section of the show).
"Wristband", "Spirit Voices", "The Obvious Child", "Questions For the Angels" and "The Cool, Cool River" were next before ending the main set with the dance the night away one two punch of "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes" and "You Can Call Me Al".
The first encore set opened with "Late In The Evening" which I wish I filmed as it was another of the highlights of the set in my opinion. This was followed by "Still Crazy After All These Years" and ended with a joyous "Graceland" which also featured the full band bows and ovations as the second encore set would end on a more personal and somber, but fitting note. (see Graceland video below)
The final five song encore set contained three Simon and Garfunkel classics starting with the namesake of this show "Homeward Bound"(The giant "Welcome Home" banner which hung on the stadium just to the right of the stage was a nice touch). The last full on dance along number of the night was next with "Kodachrome" and then an almost slightly countrified arrangement of "The Boxer" with the full crowd helping out on the "Lie-La-Lie" section. A great "American Tune" followed somewhat ending the show (before the final song) with the same theme with which it began.
And then it was just Paul on the stage alone with his acoustic guitar for a moving version of "The Sound of Silence." When it ended, there was no long speech, everything had already been said. Just heartfelt waves to the audience and his final words of "It means more than you could know." video below
If this truly is Paul Simon's final performance, he could not have gone out on a higher note.
We walked about a mile to just past the famous Unisphere built for the 1964 World's Fair to the security gates and then a short wait until 5:00 on the dot when the tickets were scanned.
Lots of folks sprinted to the general admission standing room only area in front of the stage, while those of us with blankets (not allowed in front of the soundboard unless you bought VIP) found a spot on the lawn. We were early enough to get a great spot centerfield against the fencing separating the two areas. Close enough to actually watch the performers on stage, but this was aided by a giant video screen behind the musicians and two large video screens to the each side.
Over the next hour, the majority of the park behind us filled with blankets and the standing section filled to capacity. The show was expected to start at 7:00 (it would actually begin at 7:20 and end at 10:00pm) and this last hour before showtime seemed as if the flood gates opened with people filling any available square foot of grass between all the blankets. An announcement was also made asking those with blankets to condense them as much as possible to make room for these later arriving fans.
At 7:20, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Queens Borough President Melinda Katz came out to introduce Paul Simon (video below).
The lights dimmed a few minutes later and he opened the show with "America", one of five Simon and Garfunkel songs to be played that night. (video below)
He followed this with his own "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover". He had the entire crowd in the palm of his hand right out of the gate and they would stay there for the whole night. He then addressed the crowd and played a game of catch with the audience while humorously calling out the ongoing planes taking off and landing at nearby LaGuardia airport throughout the night. (video below)
Of the 26 songs that would be played, about 2/3 were well known classics while 8 or so were ones that while not everyone in the crowd knew them, and many were hearing for the first time, they worked well within the set. Simon and his amazing band sounded fantastic.
The set continued with "The Boy In The Bubble", "Dazzling Blue", "That Was Your Mother", "Rewrite", "Mother and Child Reunion" and then everyone dancing to "Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard." (video below) Simon brought out Edie Brickell for the whistle solo in the middle of the song (she nailed it!) and afterward he mentioned how much fun it was to sing about "Rosie - the Queen of Corona" actually in Corona Park. This was one of the major highlights in a set filled with them.
The classical musicians of yMusic joined Simon for the next three songs starting with "Rene and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After the War", then "Can't Run But" and Simon and Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water." The first half of this classic had a bit of a jazzy arrangement until the full band kicked in mid way through having a very powerful effect and bringing the closing of the song to the next level. Prior to playing it, Simon talked about how for this final tour he was taking back ownership of this song that he previously had given away. He thanked Aretha Franklin afterward for her version, but Art Garfunkel was never mentioned at all throughout the night, just semi referenced here. (Though he would show up in a couple of pictures in a video montage during the final encore section of the show).
"Wristband", "Spirit Voices", "The Obvious Child", "Questions For the Angels" and "The Cool, Cool River" were next before ending the main set with the dance the night away one two punch of "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes" and "You Can Call Me Al".
The first encore set opened with "Late In The Evening" which I wish I filmed as it was another of the highlights of the set in my opinion. This was followed by "Still Crazy After All These Years" and ended with a joyous "Graceland" which also featured the full band bows and ovations as the second encore set would end on a more personal and somber, but fitting note. (see Graceland video below)
The final five song encore set contained three Simon and Garfunkel classics starting with the namesake of this show "Homeward Bound"(The giant "Welcome Home" banner which hung on the stadium just to the right of the stage was a nice touch). The last full on dance along number of the night was next with "Kodachrome" and then an almost slightly countrified arrangement of "The Boxer" with the full crowd helping out on the "Lie-La-Lie" section. A great "American Tune" followed somewhat ending the show (before the final song) with the same theme with which it began.
And then it was just Paul on the stage alone with his acoustic guitar for a moving version of "The Sound of Silence." When it ended, there was no long speech, everything had already been said. Just heartfelt waves to the audience and his final words of "It means more than you could know." video below
If this truly is Paul Simon's final performance, he could not have gone out on a higher note.
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