Paul Simon may have broken the record for standing ovations Wednesday night at Symphony Center.
The first was simply for stepping out on a Chicago stage for the first time in seven years. Since launching a farewell tour in 2018 and subsequently settling into retirement, the 83-year-old folk-pop legend has been battling a severe case of hearing loss, making it nearly impossible to continue his craft. Overcoming that feat alone makes this year’s A Quiet Celebration tour a loud and triumphant return, if not also a reminder that neither age nor physical limitations can ever stop the creative spirit.
“I’m very grateful to be here because this is the first time since before COVID I get to play with my fellow musicians on the stage … I hope you enjoy yourselves,” Simon shared as the sold-out crowd finally took their seats in the listening hall.
The environment was a stark difference from the last time Chicago saw the legend at the United Center all those years ago. After working with the Stanford Initiative to Cure Hearing Loss and his production crew to redesign the stage to make touring possible again, Simon purposely chose intimate rooms with prime acoustics for this latest tour.
Over the course of two-plus hours and two distinct sets, the setting proved to be the perfect playground for the 16-time Grammy Award winner and twice-inducted Rock & Roll Hall of Famer to eloquently ramble through his deep song collection while supported by an ensemble of 11 musicians. From flute to strings, three extra guitars (in addition to Simon’s trusted acoustic), bass, keys and a dizzying selection of percussion, the collective added incredible dimension to each number while being tuned perfectly to not drown out Simon’s gentle vocals, which have naturally dimmed with age.
Helping him “improve the performance vastly” (his words) was his singer-songwriter wife of 30 years, Edie Brickell, who guested on several numbers, including “The Sacred Harp,” “Under African Skies,” and even a brief whistling spotlight on “Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard.” The duets were some of the most memorable of the set, a reminder of how much Simon has always thrived in collaborative moments.
While the tonality of Simon’s vocal delivery has markedly changed, the message of songs like the perseverance poem “The Boxer” has only grown stronger and more magnetic with time and circumstance. His emotional touch on the classic, and his catalog overall, has become much more acute as he explores even more what it means to be human and mortal.
This was no more apparent than in the first set of the night, a 35-minute meditative retooling of Simon’s 2023 spiritual epoch “Seven Psalms” that dives into conversations on faith, the life cycle, and preparing for the “great migration” into the great beyond. As a chorus of “Wait” repeats, “Life is a meteor/ Let your eyes roam / Heaven is beautiful / It’s almost like home / Children! get ready / It’s time to come home,” it was akin to a prophetic vision from someone at peace with his stage in life, and took on an artistic gravitas on par with David Bowie’s “Blackstar.” The set was played without interruption and interpreted with such reverence and fragility that even clearing your throat felt like a sin.
Set two loosened things up with a 12-song grab bag of Simon’s biggest hits (from his solo career and those with Art Garfunkel), along with what Simon described as “some deep cuts, some songs I always liked and some I never played live before,” as well as conversationalist stories about song origins, like his adolescent memory of learning about the Russian-roulette death of “late great Johnny Ace” from a radio DJ. As a jubilant “Graceland” and “Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard” dominated the second set, it suddenly felt like a sin not to get up out of your seat and move to the beat (though one boisterous woman in the crowd was scolded by some in the audience when doing so).
But that is the beauty of Simon. He is the ringmaster of whiplash vibes, where whimsy and deep ruminations can coexist in perfect harmony. It’s how he can gear shift from the comical “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” to a set-ending, one-man soliloquy of “The Sound of Silence” just two songs later, edifying its place as one of the most beautiful songs ever written, and garnering the evening’s most profound standing ovation. Using it as a finale also brought the show full-circle, transforming it into a living elegy for a cultural ambassador whose contributions will go always go loud into the night.
Paul Simon returns to Symphony Center Friday and Saturday nights.
SET LIST
Set 1: Seven Psalms
The Lord
Love Is Like A Braid
My Professional Opinion
Your Forgiveness
Trail of Volcanoes
The Sacred Harp (with Edie Brickell)
Wait (with Edie Brickell)
Set 2:
Graceland
Slip Slidin’ Away
Train in the Distance
Homeward Bound (Simon & Garfunkel song)
The Late Great Johnny Ace
St. Judy’s Comet
Under African Skies (with Edie Brickell)
Rene and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After the War
Rewrite
Spirit Voices
Mother and Child Reunion
Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard
Encore:
50 Ways to Leave Your Lover
The Boxer (Simon & Garfunkel song)
Encore 2:
The Sound of Silence (Simon & Garfunkel song)