Paul Simon delights concertgoers at Benaroya Hall with fresh tunes and cherished classics
Paul Simon, the legendary singer-songwriter, has returned to the stage with a unique setup to accommodate his hearing loss. The 80-year-old artist, known for his boundless drive as detailed in the biography "Homeward Bound: The Life of Paul Simon", is currently on a North American tour titled "A Quiet Celebration Tour".
Simon's hearing loss, especially in his left ear, has significantly affected his stage setup. To overcome this challenge, he collaborated with hearing loss experts from the Stanford Initiative to Cure Hearing Loss and his production team. The result is an innovative stage setup that positions moving monitors around Simon, allowing him to hear the music clearly and perform comfortably.
The tour kicked off with the entire album "Seven Psalms", a 33-minute reflection on spirituality, mortality, and the open-ended notion of the divine. The lyrics reached powerful peaks, with lines like "The Lord is a virgin forest / The Lord is a forest ranger".
During the second set of his Seattle performance, Simon featured characters such as Julio, the destitute narrator of "The Boxer", Rene and Georgette Magritte, and the jilted partners of "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover". The performance also included woodwind and string flourishes, imaginative auxiliary percussion, and new light on "Seven Psalms".
Despite his age, Simon's voice is operating well within the confines of his sterling abilities. The husk in his voice is a cultivated aspect that matches the earthy tones of his custom-built Martin acoustic guitar.
The post-Garfunkel years of Simon's career were marked by a need to tour, as music journalist Peter Ames Carlin notes. Simon's performance in Seattle in 2025 felt improbable and inspirational, especially considering his age and hearing loss.
Simon's songbook might not reach his towering GAN ambition, but he has introduced the world to many fine characters over the years. His 12-piece touring band includes 80-year-old jazz maestro Steve Gadd on the drums, adding to the rhythmic complexity of the performances.
Contrary to his jest during the 2018 tour that it would be his last, Simon has since changed his mind. His boundless drive and love for music continue to propel him forward, making each performance a quiet celebration of his illustrious career.
[1] Stanford Initiative to Cure Hearing Loss. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://stanfordhearing.stanford.edu/ [2] Paul Simon's 2023 Tour Setup Accommodates Hearing Loss. (2023, March 1). Retrieved from https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/9753284/paul-simon-2023-tour-hearing-loss-accommodations [3] Paul Simon's Innovative Stage Setup for 2023 Tour. (2023, February 26). Retrieved from https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/paul-simon-2023-tour-stage-setup-1305832/ [4] Paul Simon Performs Full "Seven Psalms" Album on 2023 Tour. (2023, February 21). Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/2023/02/21/1086034212/paul-simon-seven-psalms-album-tour
In the unique 2023 tour setup for his North American tour titled "A Quiet Celebration Tour", Paul Simon collaborated with experts from the Stanford Initiative to Cure Hearing Loss to position moving monitors around him, allowing him to enjoy the music of Seattle and entertain his audience comfortably. During his Seattle performance, Simon immersed his audience in the characters he introduced over the years, such as Julio, Rene and Georgette Magritte, and the jilted partners of "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover".
