Saw Paul Simon's Farewell Tour last night
 

I’m home from Paul Simon’s Farewell Concert, and still processing what it was that I just experienced. Music was such a large part of my life when I was growing up, and Paul Simon was such a large part of that music. Seeing him walk out on stage, with his guitar, and sing SO MANY absolutely incredible songs - with his absolutely incredible band - and tell stories of playing the guitar as a 12 year old, or how & when he wrote some of his tunes, it was an extremely emotional experience for me.

This world is changing. The world I grew up in is disappearing, replaced by a strange new world that I often don’t recognize. Hearing these songs from my youth - from that older fading world - was like looking out the rear window of a space ship on a one way trip to far away, and seeing the earth grow smaller and smaller in the distance. The realization that I’ll never see that world again is very strong.

Sorry to be a bit philosophical about it all - it was a wonderful concert.

Here's a CONCERT REVIEW from The Tennessean.

This is terribly powerful. Thank you for writing it. Middle age rears its ugly head to me from time to time. This is very well put.

Well said!

Well said. I would love to see this show. The only Paul Simon song I play is Slip Sliding Away. Your post reminded me of it. :D

PorkPieGuy speaks for me as well here.

I also think this is well put! Yes middle age rears it's head, but really, Paul Simon's standard of excellence, like many of his contemporaries from that era was just so high, is unmatched in today's era of "fix things in the mix" recording that has become so prevalent in today's music. And with Paul Simon that standard was high throughout his entire career! I was blown away by how good his band was during the last Simon and Garfunkle reunion tour that I witnessed live. So it's not just middle age and regaling life in "the good 'ol times", it's saying goodbye to one of the greats! Every summer I visit my hometown of Montauk LI NY and he lives there parts of the year, so hopefully I can run into him sometime and thank him for the music.

We all get it. I did a John Prine show two weeks ago, and to see the guy I've been following for most of 45 years, and to watch him do the golden classics as well as his new releases was very moving.

The world is changing.

Great write-up!

For Mr. Simon as well as myself, middle age is way behind us. It's not so ugly as you make it out to be. Relax, it's nothing personal--

This world is changing. The world I grew up in is disappearing, replaced by a strange new world that I often don’t recognize. Hearing these songs from my youth - from that older fading world - was like looking out the rear window of a space ship on a one way trip to far away, and seeing the earth grow smaller and smaller in the distance. The realization that I’ll never see that world again is very strong.

815C, so well said! When I saw him in Boston earlier this month, I wasn't sure why I had such a visceral and emotional response to his show, what you've said above really crystalizes what I was feeling that night.

My wife and I were so taken by his show in Boston, we've decided to try to get tickets to his very last show on Saturday, Sept. 22nd at Flushing Meadow Park (I grew up a few miles away in another part of Queens, NYC). Even my 16 year old, who spends most of her musical time these days listening to rap music, has asked that we take her with us to see him.