Original image of pre-concert scene at Starlight Theatre by There Stands the Glass.
Watching my father sing along to “The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy)” on a jalopy’s radio is among my earliest childhood memories. Incongruity made the moment memorable. Neither a hippie nor a pop fan, my country-oriented dad wasn’t aligned with Simon & Garfunkel. I’d like to believe he belted out lines like “I’ve come to watch your flowers growin’” merely to amuse me.
About sixty years later, I reckoned it was time for me to finally attend a Paul Simon concert. Hard to believe, right? Even though I’ve seen Art Garfunkel perform twice, I’d never caught up with Simon. Seeing a forecast promising an ideal evening, I ponied up $81 for the least expensive seat at Starlight Theatre on Tuesday, June 16. Having done no advance preparation, the format, setlist and even Simon’s age (84!) were unknown to me.
Simon and his large band (I think it was 11 or 12 pieces) played the entirety of his clerical 2023 song cycle Seven Psalms in the opening set. The audience of about 7,000 politely indulged him. Grumbling began in the second set. Not only was the volume too low for people at the back of the venue, Simon favored deep cuts. Art songs like “René and Georgette Magritte with Their Dog After the War” didn’t go over in Kansas City.
A third of the people in my section walked out during a pair of selections from my favorite post-S&G album The Rhythm of the Saints. A furious woman’s profanity-laced tirade about the setlist compelled me to relocate. Simon’s gumption is admirable, I guess, but I found it difficult to immerse myself in the music when almost everyone around me was upset. I felt more grateful than groovy as I tromped back to my car.
