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San Francisco Chronicle
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Paul Simon's quiet power remains strong in San Francisco concert
Witnessing singer-songwriters mature over decades can often reveal the true substance of their work. For Paul Simon, his light, nuanced tenor — that first emerged as part of the folk duo Simon & Garfunkel to help define the sound of the 1960s — has changed into something lower and softer at age 83. It commands that you lean in at times. His growl is like the grain of the wood barrels that age whiskey. It colors and underlines Simon's abilities as a songwriter, the stunning poetry that's been a part of American culture for seven decades. More Information Davies Symphony Hall Setlist Act 1: 'The Lord' 'Love Is Like A Braid' 'My Professional Opinion' 'Your Forgiveness' 'Trail of Volcanoes' 'The Sacred Harp' 'Wait' Act 2: 'Graceland' 'Slip Slidin' Away' 'Train in the Distance' 'Homeward Bound' (Simon & Garfunkel song) 'The Late Great Johnny Ace' 'St. Judy's Comet' 'Under African Skies' 'Rene and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After the War' 'Rewrite' 'Spirit Voices' 'Mother and Child Reunion' 'Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard' Encore One: 'Father and Daughter' '50 Ways to Leave Your Lover' 'The Boxer' (Simon & Garfunkel song) Encore Two: 'The Sound of Silence' (Simon & Garfunkel song) That lived-in voice, shaped by time and experience, met a fitting match in the intimate setting of Davies Symphony Hall where Simon — onstage just a few weeks after his emergency back surgery — performed the first of three shows on Saturday, July 19, as part of his A Quiet Celebration tour in support of his latest album, 'Seven Psalms.' One of the most affecting moments of the two hour-long concert came when he sang 'Homeward Bound.' About a young man who seeks his calling in the world but eventually feels the pull back to where he came from, the song has a different poignancy. You feels the miles he's traveled in his voice, and there's a new wisdom Simon now imbues into the 1966 Simon & Garfunkel classic. Tears welled in the eyes of many in the largely baby boomer audience. It was a moment that made clear that some great storytellers and their material can get better with age. A member of the Rock & Roll and Grammy Halls of Fame, Simon helped form the soundtrack of 1960s counterculture with folk-rock hits written with Art Garfunkel, including 'The Sound of Silence' and 'Mrs. Robinson' — the latter forever tied to the Bay Area thanks to its use in the 1967 film 'The Graduate,' where it plays as Dustin Hoffman drives across the Bay Bridge. Albums 'Graceland' (1986) with its Southern African influences and 'The Rhythm of the Saints' (1990) drawing from Brazilian folk traditions were best sellers and artistic successes. 'This tour is the first opportunity I've had performing with my band since before COVID,' he told the audience referring to his excellent ensemble that included Caleb Burhans (viola), Jamey Haddad (percussion), Gyan Riley (guitar), Mick Rossi (piano, keys), Andy Snitzer (saxophone), Nancy Stagnitta (flute), Mark Stewart (guitar), Eugene Friesen (cello), Steve Gadd (drums) and Bakithi Kumalo (bass) Then he went on to explaining the first act of the evening would be his 'Seven Psalms' showcase; he promised 'the greatest hits' would come later. The 'Seven Psalms' acoustic set was performed on a mostly dark stage, the lighting suggesting a campfire. The material, inspired by the Book of Psalms, is nuanced and reflective, with a quiet intensity. The opening track, 'The Lord,' set the mood with lyrics like 'Tribal voices old and young. Celebrations a history of families sung. The endlеss river flows.' It conjured a sense of looking back, tinged with melancholy but also with a sense of eternity. The night came alive in a new way when singer Edie Brickell, Simon's wife, took to the stage for a transcendent 'The Sacred Harp.' The bends and curves of Brickell's voice gently wounds its way around Simon's lyrics, her sweetness giving lovely contrast to Simon's rougher sounds. The couple finished the first act with 'Wait,' whose lyrics — 'I'm not ready. I'm just packing my gear. Wait. My hand's steady. My mind is still clear' — remind you that 'Seven Psalms' is a powerful late-career album by Simon that contemplates bigger mortal themes. Act two began with a spirited 'Graceland,' the title track from Simon's seventh solo studio album released in 1986. 'Slip Slidin' Away' (1977) and 'Train in the Distance'(1983) are among the songs that feel very different in Simon's mature vocals. The lightness on these and others are gone, but a new character colors them. The ayahuasca-inspired 'Spirit Voices' (Simon joked about the song's source in one of his sparse addresses to the audience) was another smooth, joyful highlight of the second act. So was the concluding 'Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard' from his 1972 self-titled album, which has become such a shorthand for a certain kind of cool in pop culture (especially after its use by Wes Anderson in his 2001 film 'The Royal Tenenbaums') that it got a roar from the crowd. For his encores, Simon was joined by his band to sing 'Father and Daughter,' from the soundtrack to 2002 animated film 'The Wild Thornberries,' followed by '50 Ways to Leave Your Lover' (1975) and the Simon & Garfunkel hit 'The Boxer'(1970). Then, on stage by himself, he performed 'The Sound of Silence,' a fittingly gentle way to bid us goodnight.
San Francisco Chronicle
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- 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)
Los Angeles Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
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.'
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Richard Gere Slammed by Paul Simon's Daughter for Selling Her Childhood Home to Developers Who Will Demolish It
Lulu Simon, the daughter of Paul Simon and Edie Brickell, took to her Instagram Stories with a message to Richard Gere after he sold her childhood home to developers Richard and his wife Alejandra Gere purchased the property from Paul and Brickell in 2022 for $10.8 million Gere then sold it for $10.75 in October 2024 amid his move to Spain The house is now being demolished to make room for a nine-house developmentPaul Simon's daughter Lulu has some strong words for Richard Gere. The singer, 30, took to her Instagram Stories on Tuesday, July 8, to express her anger over the Pretty Woman star's decision to sell her childhood home to real estate developers. The property is now being demolished to make room for nine new homes. Lulu claims Gere promised her family that he would 'take care of the land' when he purchased it from the Simon & Garfunkel musician and his wife Edie Brickell for $10.8 million in 2022. While she claims it was a "condition of his purchase" to protect the home, she does not go into any further detail on the alleged agreement. 'Just in case anyone was wondering if I still hate Richard Gere – I do!' Lulu wrote in white text over a selfie and a screenshot of a news article about the home's impending destruction. She continued, 'He bought my childhood home. Promised he would take care of the land as condition of his purchase. Proceeded to never actually move in & just sold it to a developer as 9 separate plots :).' 'Hate! Him!' she added over the photo. A representative for Gere did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment. In a second slide, she wrote, 'I hope my dead pets buried in that backyard haunt you until you descend into a slow and unrelenting madness.' The caption was written over an old photo of Gere seemingly surrounded by the cats and dogs Lulu had as a child. Her post was then followed by a meme of a frog sitting in front of a colorful sky along with the caption, 'Time will put your enemies in the ground.' PEOPLE reached out to representatives for both Lulu and Gere but did not receive an immediate response. Two years after he purchased the New Canaan, Conn., property from Paul and Brickell, Richard and his wife Alejandra Gere officially sold the abode for $10.75 million in October 2024. In May, it was revealed that the historic 1930s home was scheduled for demolition in order to make room for a nine-property development on the site. The news came after the couple had already moved to Madrid so Richard and Alejandra, who is originally from Spain, and their children could be closer to her family. The pair share sons Alexander, 6, and James, 5. Alejandra is also mom to son, Albert, 11, with ex-husband Govind Friedland, while Richard shares son Homer, 25, with ex-wife Carey Lowell. "For Alejandra, it will be wonderful to be closer to her family, her lifelong friends and her culture," Richard told Vanity Fair Spain in April 2024. "She was very generous in giving me six years living in my world, so it is only fair that I give her at least another six living in here." Alejandra has since shared that they do plan on moving back to the U.S. in a "few years." Despite the property being set for demolition, salvage experts from New York-based Hudson Valley House Parts worked to extract some of the architectural gems from the home to be repurposed. As detailed in an Instagram Reel shared in May, the company offered an inside look at the massive property and some of the historic pieces they were able to save. 'For the past month we have been fascinated by this estate as our team has been working on location salvaging many architectural elements,' they wrote in the caption. 'Formerly owned by Richard Gere who purchased the property from Paul Simon and Edie Brickell, this 1930s home is scheduled for demolition with the intention of dividing the 32 acres into nine large lots," the caption continued. Read the original article on People
New York Post
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Paul Simon's daughter blasts Richard Gere for selling her childhood Connecticut home to real estate developers: ‘Hate him!'
Richard Gere, you're breaking my heart. Lulu Simon, the daughter of legendary singer Paul Simon, blasted the 'Pretty Woman' actor after he sold her childhood Connecticut home to real estate developers who plan to demolish the property to build new houses. 'Just in case anyone was wondering if I still hate Richard Gere – I do!' Simon wrote in an Instagram story posted on Tuesday. 8 Lulu Simon slammed Richard Gere in an Instagram story posted on Tuesday. Instagram / lulusimonofficial The singer, 30, claimed that the Golden Globe-winning star vowed to 'take care' of the 31.8-acre estate in New Canaan as part of the conditions when he purchased the mansion in 2022. 'He bought my childhood home,' Simon said. 'Promised he would take care of the land as [a] condition of his purchase. Proceeded to never actually move in & just sold it to a developer as 9 separate plots.' The daughter of the Simon & Garfunkel hitmaker didn't go into details about the alleged agreement Lulu, who has just over 2.5K monthly listeners on Spotify, continued her social media rant when she posted an edited photo that showed her old childhood pets surrounding an image of Gere. 'I hope my dead pets buried in that backyard haunt you until you descend into a slow and unrelenting madness,' Simon captioned the post. 8 Simon posted this seemingly edited image after slamming Gere. Instagram / lulusimonofficial 8 Simon expressed her 'hate' toward the actor after the sale. Instagram / lulusimonofficial 8 The property also featured a separate 2,400-square-foot guest house. The Post has reached out to Gere's rep for comment. Despite Lulu Simon's lament about the lost property, the estate has not proven to be a fruitful investment for its owners. Both the 16-time Grammy winner Paul Simon and Gere, 75, took a loss during their separate sales of the 8,800-square-foot mansion. 8 Richard Gere won a Golden Globe for his performance as Billy Flynn in the 2002 film 'Chicago.' Getty Images The 'Sound of Silence' singer and his wife, singer Edie Brickell, bought the home where he 'recorded many of his hit albums' for $16.5 million in 2002, according to Town & Country. In 2019, the couple tried to sell the Georgian-style estate for $13.9 million. The asking price fluctuated for three years until the 'Chicago' star purchased the estate for $10.8 million in 2022, The Post reported. The main home has six bedrooms, seven bathrooms, three powder rooms and multiple fireplaces. The property also featured a separate 2,400-square-foot guest house, a pond, a pool and a courtyard. Gere had planned to turn a portion of the property into a farm, according to Realtor. 8 Gere purchased the property in 2022. 8 The home is being demolished after it was sold to real estate developers. @hudsonvalleyhouseparts/Instagram 8 Lulu attempted to follow in her father's footsteps and has released a series of original songs. Children's Health Fund After owning the property for only two years, Gere and his wife, Alejandra, took a slight loss on the property and sold the house in an off-market deal to real estate developers for $10.75 million in October 2024. The couple sold the home so they could move to Spain and be closer to Alejandra's family, Gere shared during an interview with Vanity Fair Spain in April 2024. 'Alejandra was very generous in giving me six years of living in my world, so it's only fair that I give her at least another six years of living in hers,' he told the outlet.
