Paul Simon, one of the pillars of American music, said so long to the Twin Cities on Friday at Xcel Energy Center as part of his farewell tour. Here are 15 Ways to Leave Your Followers.
1. Simon bookended his concert by opening with Simon & Garfunkel's "America" from 1968 and encoring with his own "American Tune" from '73. Although this great American songwriter is known more for songs of introspection than political commentary, both tunes about the American dream — and immigrants — resonate as loudly today as when they were recorded.
2. After the jaunty "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover," the usually self-serious Simon joked about what does "final" mean. He said he's excited to see "what opens up."
3. This generous, musically rewarding and crowd-pleasing show was not a take-a-bow victory lap with rote recreations of greatest hits. He even dusted off some obscurities including 1983's "Rene and Georgette Magritte with Their Dog After the War" and "Can't Run But."
4. Unlike his peer Bob Dylan, Simon re-imagines his oldies so they are recognizable yet musically intriguing. For example, he recast the folk-cum-orchestral "The Boxer" as a Nashville shuffle.
5. The smart set list showed Simon's consistency throughout the years — four tunes from the 1960s, six from the '70s, six from the '80s, four from the '90s and four from the '10s.
6. Yes, he's still vital after all these years, still writing compelling music. "Wristband" from 2016 came across as a humorous ditty about backstage access, but it's really about inclusion. And 2011's "Questions for the Angels," about homelessness, was probably as pretty and poignant as anything he's written.
7. Simon still challenges himself with new collaborators. New to his touring band were yMusic, a chamber string/winds sextet, and Nigerian guitarist Biodun Kuti, who replaced longtime Cameroonian sideman Vincent Nguini, who died in December.
