A Quiet Celebration: The Opening Night of Paul Simon at the Beacon Theatre

Paul Simon at the Beacon Theatre (photograph by Jake Edwards)

Increasingly, as many entertainers reach their senior years, retirement tours are on the rise. Retirement does not always prove to be the glory that it was imagined to be, however. In numerous cases, after a few years of relative silence, entertainers return to their craft and to the road to perform before live audiences.

Purported to be his last-ever live performance, Paul Simon’s Homeward Bound Farewell Tour in 2018 ended in front of some 30,000 cheering fans at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. In subsequent years, deteriorating loss of hearing in his one ear added to the unlikeliness of him recording more music and returning to the stage. In 2023, though, he recorded and released Seven Psalms, a subdued 33-minute, seven-part acoustic composition that suited his impairment. In February of this year, Simon surprised his followers by announcing that he would once again perform live with a full band. 

Simon's post-farewell tour would take him and his musicians across the United States and into Canada from April to August. They would not return to the arenas, but instead perform in intimate venues, selected for their optimal acoustics. Billed as “A Quiet Celebration,” the concerts would feature the live debut of the “Seven Psalms” suite, along with an assortment of vintage radio hits and deep cuts. 

In New York City, five night at the Beacon Theatre sold out quickly. His fans were eager to hear his music again. By showing up, they also had the opportunity to honor one of America's most celebrated songwriters one more time.

On the first night of a five-night residency at the Beacon Theatre, strategically situated signs instructed the audience that this would be a device-free evening and that cell phone usage was prohibited during the performance. Journalists from the largest publications were denied photo privileges. Only one unobtrusive house photographer was allowed to service images. By and large, the audience complied; individuals here and there took a few clandestine photographs, but ushers stopped anyone who took more than a quick shot.

The house lights dimmed as Simon and his musicians gathered on the stage. Wearing a blazer and not wearing his usual baseball cap, the New York born-and-bred singer songwriter stood still and gallantly received his standing ovation. He then spoke to his fans.

“Tonight’s show has two parts,” he explained. “The first is Seven Psalms. It’s a 33-minute piece. It’s uninterrupted; there are no breaks between songs. The second half, we’ll play a bunch of hits, some deep cuts, songs that I've never played or seldom played. We hope you have a great time.”

Paul Simon at the Beacon Theatre (photograph by Jake Edwards)

As he spoke, Simon’s voice was weak and seemed forced with effort. The range was radically limited. This was not a good sign as to how the concert would progress.

Simon and his crew began the meditative piece known as “Seven Psalms.” At any point, up to 12 musicians joined Simon on the stage. Simon and the musicians played at a very low volume. Unlike most other shows at the venue, earplugs here were impractical.

Seven Psalms was a critics choice when released in 2023, but it received little mainstream airplay and was by far the lowest charting collection of Simon’s solo career. Live, the composition’s seven movements were separated by brief guitar interludes, as projections of the titles on the large screen above the stage helped the audience distinguish the parts of the suite. Simon confidently showcased his frail vocals, without relying on musicians or support vocalists to mask his limitations. Simon made the best use he could muster by keeping within a limited range, and the audience gradually got used to his deficiency. During the suite’s final two segments, “The Sacred Harp” and “Wait,” Simon’s wife, vocalist Edie Brickell, emerged from behind the curtain and, in very brief cameo appearances, sweetly locked voices with her husband.

While “Seven Psalms” cerebrally experimented in a new direction, it did not match the power and engagement of his earlier music. With no breaks between the movements, the audience was unable to express its approval or lack thereof until the end. At its conclusion, the first part of the show concluded with an enthusiastic response from pockets of diehard fans and a tepid ovation from most everyone else.

Paul Simon with Edie Brickell at the Beacon Theatre (photograph by Jake Edwards)

After intermission, a more casual-looking Simon returned wearing a tan baseball cap, pale blue jeans, a peach-colored t-shirt and a purple velour windbreaker. Simon began the retrospective portion of the program, performing songs at age 83 that he sang differently many decades ago. Fortunately, by this time in the concert, the fan base had grown acclimated to the fragility of Simon’s vocal delivery.

Simon met the challenge by starting the second set with “Graceland,” illuminating the complex song with fresh touches to the arrangement. Unlike the hushed and reverent silence that greeted “Seven Psalms,” the audience was now lit. Simon’s vocal debility was still apparent, yet was offset by stimulating instrumental contributions from the musicians.

As the set unrolled, three Simon and Garfunkel classics heightened the fervor, along with four of Simon’s best-known solo songs and a curious catalog of songs that have rarely been performed live. The enthused audience cheered thunderously during the final song of the main set, “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard,” which featured Brickell as a whistler, and the three songs that followed in the encore. By the time Simon culminated the evening with a solo acoustic interpretation of “The Sounds of Silence,” the lyric “hello, darkness, my old friend” felt very personal and tangible.

Paul Simon at the Beacon Theatre (photograph by Jake Edwards)

In the end, Simon’s return to the stage was unlike the money grab of some of his contemporaries. While embracing his constraints, he staged a uniquely classy show instead of a poorly performed litany of familiar songs. Chances are very slim that Simon will ever return to the arenas of his previous tour, but he may complete a few more victory laps in finer venues before he really calls it quits.

The second performance of A Quiet Celebration at the Beacon Theatre will be on Wednesday. The shows sold out long ago, but tickets remain available at secondary markets at inflated prices. The final night in New York City will be on June 23 before moving to Philadelphia for three nights and then the west coast.

Paul Simon at the Beacon Theatre (photograph by Jake Edwards)

Setlist

Set 1

1. The Lord
2. Love Is Like a Braid
3. My Professional Opinion
4. Your Forgiveness
5. Trail of Volcanoes
6. The Sacred Harp (with Edie Brickell)
7. Wait (with Edie Brickell)

Set 2

1. Graceland
2. Slip Slidin' Away
3. Train in the Distance
4. Homeward Bound (Simon & Garfunkel song)
5. The Late Great Johnny Ace
6. St. Judy's Comet
7. Rene and Georgette Magritte with Their Dog After the War
8. Rewrite
9. Under African Skies
10. Spirit Voices
11. The Cool, Cool River
12. Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard (with Edie Brickell)

Encore

1. 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover
2. The Boxer (Simon & Garfunkel song)
3. The Sound of Silence (Simon & Garfunkel song)

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The Manhattan Beat reports on New York City's live music circuit. All articles are written by Everynight Charley Crespo. All photographs are taken by Everynight Charley Crespo, except when noted otherwise.

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