What a way to start out the season! The first act I got to see was the amazing Paul Simon. This iconic songwriter gave a fantastic show and I didn't even mind that I saw him twice! Simon began his career as part of the great Simon and Garfunkel duo. They were one of the most popular acts in the 1960's and had great songs like "Mrs. Robinson", "The Sounds of Silence", and "Bridge Over Troubles Water". They are one of my favorite artists and I play the Bridge Over Troubled Water record I have all of the time. Simon wrote nearly all of the duos material and crafted some of the best pop songs of all time. After they broke up in 1970, Simon had great success as a solo artist. He debuted his first solo album in 1972 and continued releasing popular albums throughout the 1970's. One of the great things about his songs are the way he incorporates sounds from around the world. His album Graceland is a wonderful example. he recorded the album in South African and wrote pop songs that went along with more traditional African rhythms. The album was a huge success and at the age of 45, he was on top of the musical world! Lately, he has been touring and continuing to write songs while occasionally teaming up with Art Garfunkel again. He's one of the most popular American songwriters of his time and his work is timeless.
Overall, Simon gave a great performance! I honestly don't know that many Paul Simon songs but he played all the songs I knew along with some great Simon and Garfunkel tunes as well! He was great at changing between slow folky songs and more upbeat material. The best part was the range of genres he and his band were able to play. From blues to zydeco, he went through a good deal of his material and really kept the crowd engaged. Both shows were sold out but for my first couple shows, they weren't hard at all! The weather was a little rainy the second day but it cleared up by the end of the night.
The best part of the performance to me was the final song Simon did. Standing alone with just his guitar, he did a beautiful rendition of "Sounds Of Silence". It quieted the crowd in a way few artists can do at Wolf Trap and instantly reminded me why I decided to come back!
Looking forward to more shows in the future!
DC
Simon and Garfunkel
Simon in 1976
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