Paul Simon returns to the stage and to the cinema: he talks about his rebirth

After seven years of absence from touring and a long battle with hearing problems that had put his live future in doubt, Paul Simon (here is our review of his latest live in Prague) celebrates its return with a new concert film and a live album. “Paul Simon: The Quiet Celebration Concert” will debut on June 26 on Disney+ and Hulu, while the related record release will arrive on October 9. The project documents the tour that marked the American singer-songwriter’s return to the stage in 2025, after a long stop during which Simon admitted that he didn’t know if he would ever be able to perform in front of an audience again.

Filmed during the concert held last August at McCaw Hall in Seattle, the film shows Simon engaged in a setlist that combines the recent album “Seven Psalms” with the great classics of his solo career and the Simon & Garfunkel repertoire, from “Graceland” to “The Boxer”. There is also no shortage of rarities taken from “Hearts and Bones”, a 1983 album often underestimated by critics and the public. “This tour allowed me to get back to playing with other musicians, which I had really missed,” Simon said.

The band includes historical collaborators and musicians also involved in the creation of “Seven Psalms”including Jamey Haddad, Steve Gadd, Matt Chamberlain and his wife Edie Brickell, present on stage at various times during the show. “There was a strong sense of enthusiasm and complicity between all of us,” added Simon. “He made this one of the most amazing tours I’ve ever done, maybe even the most joyful.” In the meantime, the tour will continue in the United States until mid-July, confirming one of the most surprising and touching second artistic lives of recent years.