An animated Paul Simon at the Mpls Convention Center
Star Tribune photo by David Brewster
Tuesday was the big event — Paul Simon at First Avenue, the first two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer to perform at Minneapolis' most famous music venue.
The staff even put up a Paul Simon star on the building's facade before the concert. (Note to rock fans: Don't confuse this guy with Paul Simonon of the Clash, Gorillaz, et al.)
And there was a special ticketing system because all the tickets were "will call" (take that, scalpers) and six entrances were used for this special sold-out performance.
How was the show?
It was packed with baby boomers, many of whom seemed like fish out of water at First Ave (few of them were filming anything for YouTube), and younger fans, who probably knew Simon from their parents' records or perhaps from such au courant Simon-influenced groups as Fleet Foxes and Vampire Weekend. All 1,500 First Ave-goers will remember this night for a long, long time.
Tuesday's concert may have been historic, but Simon's performance Monday at the Minneapolis Convention Center auditorium was superior because he was more animated, talkative and assertive vocally. He seemed to be enjoying himself more on Monday; he even shook hands with many fans at the edge of the stage. At First Avenue, he seemed tired, he didn't reach out to the crowd and he didn't sing loud enough. Or his vocals were too soft in the sound mix. At one point, some fans chanted in unison to turn it up. During quieter numbers (and there were several of them), the conversational din was louder than Simon's voice. Moreover, his excellent eight-man band sounded muddy at times, especially compared to the pristine sound at the Mpls Aud.
