Paul Simon returned home to Queens on Saturday night to close out his Homeward Bound Farewell Tour in appropriate fashion at Flushing Meadows Corona Park—just a few miles from where he grew up—offering the same career-spanning, 26-song performance that he has been showcasing for the entire tour, which is billed as the final such outing for the legendary singer-songwriter.
Saturday’s stage was set up on the World’s Fair grounds next to the New York State Pavilion, which hosted classic shows from acts like Led Zeppelin, the Grateful Dead and Santana in the ’60s, and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and Queens Borough President Melinda Katz introduced Simon at the top of the night.
As with Friday night’s show at Madison Square Garden, Simon welcomed out his wife and fellow singer-songwriter Edie Brickell, who led the way on the iconic whistling section of “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard.” Simon also welcomed collaborators from NYC chamber ensemble yMusic for the next few songs, “Rene and Georgette Magritte with Their Dog After the War,” “Can’t Run But” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”
Simon addressed the audience at a few points during the farewell performance, reflecting on his school days and even playing catch at one point, along with nodding to fellow folk legend Joan Baez and referencing the current political climate, calling these “strange times.” The show also featured Simon & Garfunkel classics like “America,” “Homeward Bound,” “The Boxer” and their first hit, “The Sound of Silence,” which served as the grand finale for Saturday’s tour closer.
See the full setlist below, along with some fan-shot video from the night.
Paul Simon
Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens, NY
America, 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover, The Boy in the Bubble, Dazzling Blue, That Was Your Mother, Rewrite, Mother and Child Reunion, Med and Julio Down by the Schoolyard*, Rene and Georgette Magritte with Their Dog After the War^, Can’t Run But^, Bridge Over Troubled Water^, Wristband, Spirit Voices, The Obvious Child, Questions for Angels, The Cool Cool River, Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes, You Can Call Me Al
Enc: Late in the Evening, Still Crazy After All These Years, Graceland
Enc II: Homeward Bound, Kodachrome, The Boxer, American Tune, The Sound of Silence
Notes: *w/ Edie Brickell
^w/ yMusic
Source: setlist.fm
7 Comments comments associated with this post
Sid Arthur
November 11, 2018 at 12:41 amSimon is a collaborative musician. He hears riffs out of jams and builds songs around them–but it’s his ear that finds the potential hit. Yes, Heinrich Hassler or JS Bach composed “American Tune” but after a few centuries that’s public domain. And that’s the pop process. Simon’s longtime musicians, including the Graceland sidemen, stayed with him year upon year so it doesn’t seem they were too unhappy. He paid Olodum, the Brazilian drum group on “Rhythm of the Saints,” around half a million dollars upfront, estimating that would have been their share of the royalties (instead of letting them trickle in). I saw that last S&G tour and Garfunkel was a TOTAL drag, slowing everything down so he could linger over his so-called beautiful voice: BO-ring. Glad he wasn’t there in Queens. Simon is a total musician and you can’t deny all those songs.
Sid Arthur
November 11, 2018 at 12:47 amOh, and his lyrics. Start to finish. Lyrics. They are a big part of songs.
Jeff
September 28, 2018 at 11:07 amWhy should he have brought out Garfunkel for 1 or 2 “token” songs? They did a reunion tour in 2003, it was great, but that’s done. Paul Simon has been releasing excellent albums for the past 50+ years, and his solo career goes well beyond the decade he spent working with Garfunkel. Out of 26 songs, 5 of them were Simon and Garfunkel songs, all of which Simon wrote because Garfunkel wasn’t a songwriter, just a singer. Paul Simon is one of two artists to be nominated for Album of the Year in 5 decades (the other being McCartney), and anyone who follows him knows he should’ve been nominated in the 10’s for “So Beautiful or So What.”
As for the Graceland “controversy,” the only artist ever to complain was Los Lobos. Simon had no problem crediting numerous other songwriters on that album (and on many others), so why would he leave off Los Lobos? It makes no sense. Paul Simon is the greatest American songwriter, and I’m glad I got to see him on the final tour.
FIX THE FUCKING FONTS ALREADY
September 26, 2018 at 12:32 pmHe gets a credit for “The Boxer”. And so what? How many did Bill Kreutzmann & Mickey Hart contribute and we still have to put up with them. A total douche bag move by the wife beater…
Cleeet
September 25, 2018 at 7:17 pmWhich of those songs did Art write?
Jerry's Ghost
September 24, 2018 at 3:01 pmAnd fucked the musicians who recorded Graceland with him. Douchebag always and forever.
Still a Douche Bag After All These Years...
September 24, 2018 at 12:56 pm…for not inviting Art Garfunkel. He did nothing notable solo after “Graceland” and relies heavily on the S&G catalog. What a douchey way to go out.