Paul Simon brought his nearly 70 years of professional experience to Blossom Music Center on June 23, 2026 for the first time in almost a decade. Simon alleged he was retiring in 2018 due to severe hearing loss. It seems to be a right of passage for musicians with AARP cards to “retire” make the “farewell tour” — call it quits in some capacity. (Elton John played Cleveland for “the last time” a minimum of three times!) As long as the performer can still put on a solid show, I’m 100% favor in unretirements. Paul Simon proved tonight that he absolutely still has something left in the tank.
Walking into Blossom, the atmosphere and tone matched that of a Cleveland Orchestra concert – -just with much stronger hints of marijuana in the air. The laid back vibe and generally experienced concert goers (read: euphemism for “older”) definitely was more similar to our world-renowned string players than of the upcoming Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie co-headlining tour.
Tonight was “An Evening With Paul Simon.” As a concert patron North of 40 years of age, I LOVE a no-opener show. The show started a tad late due to ‘technical difficulties,’ although it could have also been code for, “Clevelanders don’t understand that there’s no one opening and they need to get their butts in their seats already!” We’ll never know for certain.
As Paul took the stage with about 14 other musicians, the crowd rose to their feet. It would be one of the few times the audience stood until the last few songs. Paul opened the evening by performing his 2023 ‘Seven Psalms‘ album in its entirety. Simon has noted in interviews that this will likely be his last record. (Stop me if you’ve heard this jig before!) He announced the album sequence by telling fans we were about to experience 33 minutes of music with no break; something that only a Paul Simon audience would be excited to hear! Even Nickelback fans would groan, “That’s just entirely too much Nickelback.” (Editor’s note: Any amount of time is too much Nickelback.)
As Paul took his seat, so did the Blossom faithful. He was true to his word. He took fans on a journey through all ‘Seven Psalms,’ starting with the first track, “The Lord” The crowd didn’t know how to show proper appreciation. As the band made their way through each song, the audience couldn’t resist their instincts to clap in between each movement. On more than one occasion, Paul actually waved off the applause. Eventually, he was joined for the last two tracks, “The Sacred Harp” and “Wait,” by musician and wife, Edie Brickell. The audience couldn’t have been more excited to see her grace the stage.
Following ‘Seven Psalms,’ Paul (and us “experienced” concert fans) all earned a break. This was the time when all the latecomers were able to settle in, for real. The cool weather was settling too, with the sun finally sinking below the trees. It was a beautiful night for beautiful music.
The first familiar hit of the nigh, “Graceland” kicked off the second set. No sooner did the audience stand before returning to a seated position.. Paul is 84 years young and deserves to be able to sit during his shows. As an audience member, it gave me permission to do the same. This is a norm that I could get on board with!
The rest of the night turned into a casual yet satisfying song and story time. Paul would share stories about each song before performing it. He mentioned all the little identifying guitar intros he would write just to get people excited for each song. He talked about the day he heard on the radio that R&B legend Johnny Ace died and the profound effect it had on him. He later put that into his song, “The Late Great Johnny Ace,” which he also performed this evening. With an audience filled with both new and longtime Paul Simon fans, some including multi-generations that came in one car, everyone was interested in what he had to say. It wasn’t until “Homeward Bound” that Paul performed his first Simon and Garfunkel song, which received tremendous applause. (There’s still time for Paul and Art to do a tour at some point, right?)
The stage was filled with wonderfully talented musicians. They surrounded Paul in a semicircle. The stage was relatively simple. A large screen where the audience could see photos from the past and references to songs he was performing. Sometimes, less is more. With the band’s talent and Paul’s catalog of songs, it was easy to forget that the 84-year-old may, at times, show his age. What was never lost was that all in attendance are in the presence of a legend.
The second set ended with “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes.” Though the audience knew there was going to be an encore. the standing ovation he received made it seem as if this was the real end of the show.
Brickell reprised her role on the stage for the upbeat “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard.” With the sun fully set, the complete experience was being enjoyed by all. Paul performed three more songs, including Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Boxer,” before he said goodnight to the rest of the band. For his final song, it was just Paul and a guitar. While seated, the guitar slowly begins. “Sound of Silence.” Fans, now all on their feet, felt a sense of completion upon hearing one of, if not his most treasured tune, which undoubtedly topped many folks’ ‘need to hears’ for the night. This was a shared experience felt by everyone, including Paul. There was a sense that this night was special. If this is the last time Paul plays Blossom, it was indeed, A Quiet Celebration.
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