Paul Simon is winding down his farewell tour, which I can’t believe. The last show will be in Flushing, Queens in the World’s Fair Park, under the shadow of the Unisphere and a stone’s throw away from where Simon grew up with Art Garfunkel. The show is set for September 22nd, the last of four shows in the New York area.
I did think it was going to be Central Park, as September 22nd would be the anniversary off by a day of Simon and Garfunkel’s famous concert there in 1981.
So now the drama begins: will Garfunkel be part of the show? And the answer has to be yes, because if it’s not, there will be such disappointment that no one will ever get over it. Six months ago while I was interviewing Garfunkel for a piece about his autobiography, What Is All But Luminous, he kept teasing me that “something big” was happening that he couldn’t discuss. I can only imagine this is what it is. Simon can’t end his amazing career without singing the duo’s hits AS the duo. No matter Simon’s huge accomplishments over the last 50 years, Garfunkel is always going to be a major part of his story.
What a week for all us so called old-timers. Simon hanging it up, McCartney issuing new music. Somewhere the Stones are doing a show. Ringo’s on the road with the All Starr Band. Cher is in a new movie. Tina Turner’s life is is coming to Broadway. Lieber and Stoller are coming back to Broadway this summer. And the beat goes on.
PS Friday night brings Micky Dolenz and Mike Nesmith of the Monkees to the Beacon Theater. I’m hearing their tour is so good that Rhino has decided to issue a live concert album. Peter Tork could have been in on all of this, but apparently doesn’t get along with Nesmith– after 50 years! Davy Jones is in heaven and we miss him!
