Welcome back Mr. Paul Simon

He had said goodbye to concerts also for problems related to his hearing, but he didn’t make it and so Paul Simon He kicked off his first tour from 2018 – 2019 with an acoustic performance of 19 songs on April 4 at the Senger Theater in New Orleans.

“I am as excited as you,” he admitted on stage, “and you’re probably not as nervous as me.” Simon dedicated the opening set of the “Quiet Celebration Tour“At the album” Seven Psalms “of 2023, an acoustic album, inspired by the book of psalms, which reasoned on the” struggles “with faith. The disc, practically a single song, had never been performed live in full. After a short interval, he returned with an engaging second set – and a little more lively – which alternated his most familiar songs to other songs.

Simon, 83 years old, probably would not have been able to leave the theater, a historic structure of the 1920s of the last century, without having played his “battle horses” like “Briefs Slidin‘ Away“(1977) and”Me and and Julio Down by tea School“(1972). But he also made room for”Train in tea Distance“from” Hearts and Bones “of 1983,”Under African Skies“Graceland” of 1986 and “Spirit Voices“Rhythm of the Saints” in 1990, among other less known songs.

The American singer -songwriter had closed his live career in 2019 with the “Homeward Bound: The Final Tour”, which in September 2018 had stopped in the nearby Basket Arena in New Orleans. The decision to stop was due to the fact that Simon’s hearing had arisen, who lost most of the hearing from his left ear. Speaking of the problem in 2023 he said “” I didn’t accept it completely, but I’m starting to do it “.

The situation improved and a few months before returning to the stage he said he was more optimistic than in the past on the possibility of resuming to play in concert.

And in fact in September 2024 Paul Simon had climbed on a stage performing acoustic to the Loft Soho Seho Sessions in New York for about 150 spectators for whom he played seven tracks from his repertoire in a charity concert.

Last February the songwriter e Sabrina Carpenter they had duetted in acoustic, on the notes of “Homeward Bound“, Simon & Garfunkel single of 1966, on the occasion of the 50 -year celebrations of the Saturday Night Live announcing a few days after the departure of the” Quiet Celebration Tour “.

This new tour is smaller and much more intimate, with 50 concerts scheduled for medium -sized rooms. On the first date in New Orleans, who recorded the sold out with 4,000 seats, Simon spoke almost confidentially, telling stories about “St. Judy’s Comet“(from There Goes Rhymin ‘Simon of 1973),”The Late Great Johnny Ace” And “Rene and Georgette Magritte with their dog after the war“, both taken from” Hearts and Bones “. To accompany him a group of musicians who sometimes were almost a dozen, whom Simon seemed to direct with a gesture of the hand.

Edie Brickellwho achieved a success from Top 10 in 1988 with “What I Am”, joined her husband on stage for three songs: “The Sacred Harp” And “Wait“They were among the six songs of” Seven Psalms “who made their debut live. Brickell also replaced Linda Ronstadt in the duet of”Under African Skies“. (They changed the text from” Tucson, Arizona “, the hometown of the Ronstadt, to” Dallas / Fort Worth “, Brickell’s hometown).

Simon has only rarely returned to his fundamental work with Simon and Garfunkel. “Homeward Bound“It was presented at the beginning of the second set. It started an encore of two songs with”Tea Boxer“And then he remained alone to conclude with”Tea Sound of Silence“. The Quiet Celebration Tour will end on August 3 in Seattle.

Paul Simon, April 4, 2025
Quiet Celebration Tour
New Orleans Scaletta

Set 1: Seven Psalms
“The Lord”
“Love is like a Braid”
“My Professional Opinion”
“Your Forgiveness”
“Trail of Volcanoes”
“The Sacred Harp”
“Wait”

Set 2:
“Graceland”
“Slip Slidin ‘Away”
“Train in the distance”
“Homeward Bound”
“St. Judy’s Comet”
“The Late Great Johnny Ace”
“Spirit Voices”
“Rene and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After The War”
“Me and Julio Down by the school”
“Under African Skies”

Encore:
“The Boxer”
“The Sound of Silence”

The trailer