While Paul Simon retired from touring in 2018, he’s done the occasional show since, and an all-star list of guests were treated to one such rare performance at an NYC loft space on Monday night (9/23). The invite-only event happened at the SoHo Sessions loft in Nolita, as New York Times reports, and was put on Nicole Rechter and Greg Williamson, who also produce the annual Love Rocks NYC benefit for God’s Love We Deliver. Monday night’s show benefitted the Stanford Initiative to Cure Hearing Loss, and Simon, who has discussed his own hearing loss, invited the institute’s Dr. Konstantina Stankovic to speak.
Variety, who was there, writes:
Simon was in a cheerful mood and joked frequently with the audience, saying that his whistling wasn’t up to snuff and asking if anyone in the audience could accompany him on “Julio” — to the surprise of all, Williams put his hand up. Simon made another Yankees-related reference when he recalled telling Phil Rizzuto that he was a vegetarian, and getting the great shortstop and announcer’s trademark exclamation, “Holy cow!,” in response.
Simon also played classics like “Mrs. Robinson, Slip Sliding Away,” “Mother and Child Reunion,” “Homeward Bound,” “The Boxer,” and “The Sound of Silence,” with Mark Stewart joining him on guitar and cello. The audience of around 150 people included Whoopi Goldberg, Kevin Bacon, Amy Schumer, Jerry Seinfeld, Michael Imperioli, Mariska Hargitay, Christopher Meloni, Jackson Browne, and more. See a few pictures and the setlist below.
SETLIST: PAUL SIMON @ SOHO SESSIONS LOFT, 9/23/2024
Mrs. Robinson
Slip Slidin’ Away
Mother and Child Reunion
Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard
Homeward Bound
The Boxer
The Sound of Silence