A fan paid Paul Simon $20 to play this song — and it worked
During the final night of his five-show run at Walt Disney Concert Hall on Wednesday, July 16, the legendary singer-songwriter paused his acoustic set when a fan shouted out a request for 'Kodachrome,' the beloved 1973 track he hadn't performed live since 2019.
'I don't take requests,' Simon quipped from the stage. 'But I'll do some of it for 20 bucks.'
The fan, unfettered, produced a $20 bill and offered it up.
Simon, 83, walked over, took the cash, and delivered on his promise — strumming through the first verse and chorus of the nostalgic tune to cheers and laughter from the audience.
The spontaneous moment was captured by concertgoers and quickly spread across social media.
One fan posted, 'Holy smokes I can't believe that just happened,' alongside video of the interaction.
The performance marked a lighthearted interlude in a series of otherwise intimate and contemplative shows.
Simon's current tour — his first major outing in seven years — follows recent surgery for severe back pain and comes amid ongoing struggles with hearing loss.
According to a Los Angeles Times review, his voice, guitar work and lyrical precision remain striking, particularly in performances of material from his 2023 album 'Seven Psalms.'
Simon is scheduled to bring his 'A Quiet Celebration' tour to San Francisco's Davies Symphony Hall on July 19 and 21-22, before wrapping the tour in Vancouver and Seattle.
The singer rose to fame in the 1960s as co-founder of the folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel, with hits such as 'Mrs. Robinson' and 'The Sound of Silence,' before launching his solo career in the '70s.
Simon's recent tour came as a surprise to many, after the musician indicated in 2018 that he was retiring from touring due to hearing loss. A year later, however, he performed a headlining set at San Francisco's Outside Lands festival.
To assist with live performances, Simon has worked with his production team and Stanford Initiative to Cure Hearing Loss to adapt his stage setup with moving monitors to ensure optimal acoustics.
For those hoping to hear a favorite deep cut, it seems a $20 bill might help.
July 16, 2025
Set 1
'The Lord'
'Love Is Like a Braid'
'My Professional Opinion'
'Your Forgiveness'
'Trail of Volcanoes'
'The Sacred Harp' (with Edie Brickell)
'Wait' (with Edie Brickell)
Set 2
'Graceland'
'Slip Slidin' Away'
'Train in the Distance'
'Homeward Bound' (Simon & Garfunkel)
'The Late Great Johnny Ace'
'St. Judy's Comet'
'Under African Skies' (with Edie Brickell)
'Rene and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After the War'
'Rewrite'
'Spirit Voices'
'The Cool, Cool River'
'Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard' (with Edie Brickell)
Encore
'Kodachrome' (abridged)
'Father and Daughter'
'50 Ways to Leave Your Lover'
'The Boxer' (Simon & Garfunkel)
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Paul Simon Delivers As ‘A Quiet Celebration' Tour Winds Down
Paul Simon performs on stage during his 'A Quiet Celebration' tour. Wednesday, May 21, 2025 at ... More Symphony Center in Chicago, IL 'Here's a… an old song,' said Paul Simon with a smile on stage in Chicago. 'I suddenly realized they're all old songs,' he said softly with a wink on opening night of a sold out three evening stand at Symphony Center, part of his 'A Quiet Celebration' return run. Few songwriters can match the canon of music Simon, 83, has meticulously crafted over the course of more than six decades. Partnering with Art Garfunkel, Simon moved over 100 million records globally, tacking on another 35 million albums sold as a solo artist, rendering him one of the best selling artists of all time. The duo's final studio album Bridge Over Troubled Water stood for a spell as the best selling album ever following its release in 1970, with Simon continually experimenting with an array of sounds in his wonderfully diverse body of solo work, going on to move in excess of 16 million copies of his 1986 opus Graceland. Paul Simon performs on stage during his 'A Quiet Celebration' tour. Wednesday, May 21, 2025 at ... More Symphony Center in Chicago, IL Following a farewell tour in 2018, Simon has appeared on stage a handful of times but 'A Quiet Celebration' marks his first full tour since, with the legendary singer and songwriter appearing for multi night runs in each city, performing in smaller theaters better equipped to support and showcase the nuance in his new music better than the arenas he could otherwise easily fill (a North American run which continues this weekend in San Francisco, California ahead of closing shows in Vancouver, British Columbia July 26 through 28 and Seattle, Washington on July 31 and August 2 and 3). At the heart of the incredible return run lies Simon's latest album Seven Psalms, a spiritual affair inspired by the old testament's Book of Psalms which appears on record as an acoustic suite: seven unbroken songs ruminating upon life and mortality which were designed to be absorbed by the listener in full, with the carefully chosen rooms on this tour supporting Simon's mission. Paul Simon performs on stage during his 'A Quiet Celebration' tour. Wednesday, May 21, 2025 at ... More Symphony Center in Chicago, IL On stage at Symphony Center, home to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Simon and company opened the show with the new album uninterrupted over the course of about 35 minutes, closing the performance with both deep cuts and hits over about two hours and 15 minutes. 'The Lord' read the screen flanking the band as Simon got going with sparse acoustic guitar while voices built the conclusion of the new album's opening track. Flute cut through xylophone and percussion early as more guitar and timpani rang out later. That dueling percussion lent 'My Professional Opinion' a bit of a shuffle while Simon plucked in an almost flamenco fashion during 'Your Forgiveness.' Paul Simon performs on stage during his 'A Quiet Celebration' tour. Wednesday, May 21, 2025 at ... More Symphony Center in Chicago, IL Vocalist Edie Brickell, Simon's wife of 33 years, joined for both 'The Sacred Harp' and 'Wait,' with the backing band swelling to 12 as Simon and Brickell harmonized on the chorus of the former while church bells brought the stunning full album performance of the new Seven Psalms to a close moments later. 'This is the first time since COVID that I'm able to play with my fellow musicians,' noted Simon at the top of the show, setting up the album suite. 'The second half is a bunch of hits. Some deep tracks - sort of,' explained the songwriter. 'Songs I always liked - but haven't played live much before. I hope you enjoy yourselves.' Slide guitar, flute and fiddle fueled a hootenanny as Simon donned his trademark baseball cap during 'Graceland." Simon started 'Slip Slidin' Away' solo acoustic before dusting off 'Train in the Distance' from 1983's Hearts and Bones record. 'Here's a song from the Simon & Garfunkel days,' he said, characteristically underselling 'Homeward Bound' as the second set began to find its footing. Paul Simon performs on stage during his 'A Quiet Celebration' tour. Wednesday, May 21, 2025 at ... More Symphony Center in Chicago, IL One of the great storytellers, Simon was in fine form on stage, returning to Hearts and Bones as he told the story behind 'The Late Great Johnny Ace,' a highlight on opening night in Chicago. 'Here's a song direct from a childhood memory…' he began. 'When I was an adolescent, there was a blues singer named Johnny Ace. His #1 record was 'Pledging My Love.' I loved that song,' Simon continued, explaining how Ace accidentally shot himself on Christmas day in 1954. 'I heard it the next day on the radio. The DJ said, 'We're gonna play his new song and from now on we're gonna call him the late great Johnny Ace.'' Simon conducted a bit as drums stomped in, gesturing left toward flute, violin and cello as images of John Lennon and John F. Kennedy appeared on screen as Simon namechecked them lyrically (also both victims of gun violence). Paul Simon performs on stage during his 'A Quiet Celebration' tour. Wednesday, May 21, 2025 at ... More Symphony Center in Chicago, IL 'This next song comes from the Graceland album and it's written about a specific person,' said Simon, reintroducing fans to Joseph Shabalala of South African vocal group Ladysmith Black Mambazo. 'Here to help me sing - and improve the performance vastly - is Edie Brickell,' said Simon dryly with a smile. While he experimented with South African sounds on Graceland (bassist Bakithi Kumalo, 69, who performed on the album, is back for this live run) it was authentic reggae he was after in 1972, working with Jimmy Cliff's backing band on 'Mother and Child Reunion.' Heading for home, Simon and company worked up 'Me and Julio Down Down by the Schoolyard' shortly thereafter as opening night neared encore. Paul Simon performs on stage during his 'A Quiet Celebration' tour. Wednesday, May 21, 2025 at ... More Symphony Center in Chicago, IL Returning to the stage, the Chicago faithful went berserk as Simon put his spin upon '50 Ways to Leave Your Lover,' clapping along slightly offbeat as he made his way back to the Simon & Garfunkel canon one more time. 'This song is called 'The Boxer,'' he said simply. Starting the legendary track on his own, the band came swooping in out of the first verse as the crowd roared, with Simon's arms spread wide as the band took a bow. Gazing to his left, Simon was clearly swept up in the moment as he wrapped up the evening with the iconic 'The Sound of Silence,' delivering both a stirring and stunning solo take on the unparalleled number to the rapt audience. 'In restless dreams I walked alone…' sang Paul Simon as 'A Quiet Celebration' drew to a close on opening night in the Windy City.
San Francisco Chronicle
2 days ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
A fan paid Paul Simon $20 to play this song — and it worked
Paul Simon may not take requests, but for $20, he'll make an exception. During the final night of his five-show run at Walt Disney Concert Hall on Wednesday, July 16, the legendary singer-songwriter paused his acoustic set when a fan shouted out a request for 'Kodachrome,' the beloved 1973 track he hadn't performed live since 2019. 'I don't take requests,' Simon quipped from the stage. 'But I'll do some of it for 20 bucks.' The fan, unfettered, produced a $20 bill and offered it up. Simon, 83, walked over, took the cash, and delivered on his promise — strumming through the first verse and chorus of the nostalgic tune to cheers and laughter from the audience. The spontaneous moment was captured by concertgoers and quickly spread across social media. One fan posted, 'Holy smokes I can't believe that just happened,' alongside video of the interaction. The performance marked a lighthearted interlude in a series of otherwise intimate and contemplative shows. Simon's current tour — his first major outing in seven years — follows recent surgery for severe back pain and comes amid ongoing struggles with hearing loss. According to a Los Angeles Times review, his voice, guitar work and lyrical precision remain striking, particularly in performances of material from his 2023 album 'Seven Psalms.' Simon is scheduled to bring his 'A Quiet Celebration' tour to San Francisco's Davies Symphony Hall on July 19 and 21-22, before wrapping the tour in Vancouver and Seattle. The singer rose to fame in the 1960s as co-founder of the folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel, with hits such as 'Mrs. Robinson' and 'The Sound of Silence,' before launching his solo career in the '70s. Simon's recent tour came as a surprise to many, after the musician indicated in 2018 that he was retiring from touring due to hearing loss. A year later, however, he performed a headlining set at San Francisco's Outside Lands festival. To assist with live performances, Simon has worked with his production team and Stanford Initiative to Cure Hearing Loss to adapt his stage setup with moving monitors to ensure optimal acoustics. For those hoping to hear a favorite deep cut, it seems a $20 bill might help. July 16, 2025 Set 1 'The Lord' 'Love Is Like a Braid' 'My Professional Opinion' 'Your Forgiveness' 'Trail of Volcanoes' 'The Sacred Harp' (with Edie Brickell) 'Wait' (with Edie Brickell) Set 2 'Graceland' 'Slip Slidin' Away' 'Train in the Distance' 'Homeward Bound' (Simon & Garfunkel) 'The Late Great Johnny Ace' 'St. Judy's Comet' 'Under African Skies' (with Edie Brickell) 'Rene and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After the War' 'Rewrite' 'Spirit Voices' 'The Cool, Cool River' 'Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard' (with Edie Brickell) Encore 'Kodachrome' (abridged) 'Father and Daughter' '50 Ways to Leave Your Lover' 'The Boxer' (Simon & Garfunkel)
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2 days ago
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Phil and Don Everly lit up the charts before the Beatles arrived. A new book restores their legacy
What is it about brothers? So competitive, so determined to outshine the other, so very male. In popular music, there are numerous examples of passionate sibling partnerships that have burned bright only to flame out, leaving recriminatory anger and the occasional lawsuit in their wake. The Everly brothers were no exception. Foundational pillars of 20th century popular music, they formed the first great harmony vocal duo to bridge country music and pop. Over a five year period from 1957 to 1962, the brothers recorded a series of singles — 'Wake Up Little Susie,' 'Bye Bye Love' and 'All I Have to Do Is Dream,' among them — that imprinted themselves into the pop-music canon, their soaring, wistful, close-interval harmonies gliding straight into our souls. You don't have to look too hard to find Phil and Don Everly's traces. The Beatles regarded them as the harmony group they longed to emulate; you can hear them sing a snatch of 'Bye Bye Love' in Peter Jackson's 'Get Back' documentary, and Paul McCartney name-checked them in his 1976 song 'Let 'Em In.' Simon & Garfunkel wanted to be the Everlys and included 'Bye Bye Love' on the 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' album. In 2013, Billie Joe Armstrong and Norah Jones recorded 'Foreverly,' an album of Everly Brothers songs. And yet, biographies of them are scant. Barry Mazor's 'Blood Harmony' is long overdue, a rigorously researched narrative of the duo's fascinatingly zig-zaggy 50-plus-year career, as well as a loving valentine to the pair's enduring musical power. In his book, Mazor is quick to refute many of the myths that have accreted around the pair, starting with the backstory that the brothers were reared in Kentucky, a cradle of bluegrass, and that their dad, an accomplished guitarist and singer, nurtured them up from rural poverty into spotlight stardom. In fact, Mazor's book points out that the brothers, who were born two years apart, moved around a lot as kids — Iowa and Chicago, mostly — soaking in the musical folkways of those regions and absorbing it all into their musical bloodstream. Though they were apprenticed by their father to perform as adolescents, they were their own men, with a sophisticated grasp of various musical genres as teenagers. 'They were as much products of the Midwest as they were of Kentucky,' says Mazor from his Nashville home. 'The music they learned and the culture they absorbed was in Chicago, where they lived with their parents for a time, and they picked up on the R&B there. All of this eventually adds up to what we now call Americana, which is music that has a sense of place.' The Everlys brought that country-meets-the-city vibe to pop music. Another misconception that Mazor clears up in 'Blood Harmony' is the notion that the Beatles were the first musical group to write and play its own songs. In fact, Phil and Don wrote a clutch of the Everlys' greatest records, including Phil's 1960 composition 'When Will I Be Loved,' which became a mammoth hit when Linda Ronstadt covered it in 1975. It's also true that Don is rock's first great rhythm guitarist, his strident acoustic strum powering 'Wake Up Little Susie' and others. George Harrison was listening, as was Pete Townsend. The Everlys produced hits, many of them written by one or both of the husband-and-wife team of Felice and Boudleaux Bryant: 'Bird Dog,' 'Love Hurts,' 'Poor Jenny' and others. But the Beatles' global success became a barricade that many of the first-generation rock stars couldn't breach, including the Everlys. 'Even though they were only a couple of years older than the Beatles, they were treated as old hat,' says Mazor. Complicating matters further: A lawsuit brought by their publishing company Acuff-Rose in 1961 meant that the brothers could no longer tap the Bryants to write songs for them. The same year, they enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve and found, just as Elvis had discovered a few years prior, that military service did little to help sell records. By the time the lawsuit was settled in 1964, both brothers had descended into amphetamine abuse. The Everlys had to go back to move forward. Warner Bros. Records, their label since 1960, had become the greatest label for a new era of singer-songwriters taking country-rock to a more introspective place. Future label president Lenny Waronker, an Everlys fan, wanted to make an album that would place the brothers in their proper context, as pioneers who bridged musical worlds to create something entirely new. The resulting project, called 'Roots,' drew from the Everlys' musical heritage but also featured covers of songs by contemporary writers Randy Newman and Ron Elliott. Released in 1968, the same year as the Byrds' 'Sweetheart of the Rodeo' and the Band's 'Music from Big Pink,' 'Roots' sold meekly, but it remains a touchstone of the Everlys' career, a key progenitor of the Americana genre. ''The 'Roots' album was one last chance to show they mattered,' says Mazor. 'And there was suddenly room for them again. It wasn't a massive seller, but it opened the door.' If anything, it was their own fraught relationship that tended to snag the Everlys' progress. Their identities were as intertwined as their harmonies, and it grated on them. Mazor points out that they were in fact vastly different in temperament, Phil's pragmatic careerism running counter to Don's more free-spirited approach. This push and pull created tensions that weighed heavily on their friendship and their musical output. 'Phil was more conservative in some ways. He was content to play the supper club circuit well into '70s, while Don wanted to explore and was less willing to sell out, as it were,' says Mazor. 'And this created a wedge between them.' Perhaps inevitably, from 1973 to roughly 1983, they branched out as solo artists, making records that left little imprint on the public consciousness. They had families and eventually both moved from their L.A. home base to different cities. But there was time for one final triumph. Having briefly set their differences aside, the brothers played a reunion show at London's Royal Albert Hall in September 1983, which led to a collaboration on an album with British guitarist Dave Edmunds producing. Edmunds, in turn, asked Paul McCartney whether he would be willing to write something for the 'EB 84' album, and the result was 'On the Wings of a Nightingale,' their last U.S. hit, albeit a modest one. 'The harmony singing that the Everlys pioneered is still with us,' says Mazor. 'If you look back, the Kinks, the Beach Boys, all of these brother acts all loved the Everlys. But there's also a contemporary act called Larkin Poe, who called one of their albums 'Blood Harmony.' They set an example for how two singers can maximize their voices to create something larger than themselves. This kind of harmony still lingers.'
