Like Cher and The Who, Paul Simon‘s retirement is over.
Last fall, he played his “final” shows in New York. But they were so lackluster, and he even seemed surprised he’d announced the end of his touring. There was no Garfunkel, and the whole thing kind of dissipated as it sputtered to an end.
Of course, there was a loophole: he’d do one-off shows for good causes. And now, with a year off come August, Rhymin’ Simon is back. I actually feel better it worked out this way.
Simon will headline something called Outside Lands on August 11th, which coincidentally the weekend of the 50th anniversary Woodstock shows. The San Francisco show sounds like it will be the anti-thesis of the crazy Woodstock-related festivals. Outside Lands in San Fran is eco-oriented.
Simon says on his website: “I’m looking forward with great anticipation to playing at Golden Gate Park this summer. This will be my first appearance there, and it’s an honor to join the long line of musicians who’ve given the park its sanctified musical heritage. I’m equally pleased to be playing in San Francisco with its well-deserved reputation for being in the forefront of environmental issues. I’m grateful for the opportunity to be of service to this vital cause.”
The full line up will be announced this coming week. I’ll bet Jackson Browne is one of the performers.
