It still drives him crazy, all these years later.
Paul Simon retired from touring in 2018, Concluding his farewell tour with a concert at Flushing Meadow Park in the New York borough of Queens, where he grew up.
Since then, Legendary singer-songwriters Rarely performed Dealing with hearing loss There was something wrong with his left ear. But the 82-year-old legend returned to the stage for a private, intimate performance at the Soho Sessions Loft Space on Monday night.
The star-studded event featured everyone from Jerry Seinfeld, Kevin Bacon and Mariska Hargitay to Whoopi Goldberg, Amy Schumer and Jackson Browne — all to benefit a Stanford initiative to cure hearing loss.
“It's a room that's conducive for them to play at this level, and I think it was a mutual trust,” said Greg Williamson, who produces and curates the Soho Sessions with Nicole Rechter to benefit various causes. “And we approached them about it, and the team trusted us, and it all worked out.”
“It gave him a place to be able to play in an environment that works for his hearing ability, while also amplifying a cause that’s really important to him, it’s working out pretty well,” said Rechter, who also created the annual with Williamson and designer John Varvatos Love Rocks NYC We benefit for the love of God.
From the moment he stepped into the Soho Sessions loft – located on the former site of Chung King Studios – Simon felt right at home.
“I think when he first came in here, he immediately felt at home because of the intimacy of the room,” Williamson said. “This building has music and intimacy in its DNA. And I think he immediately saw all the photos of our Love Rocks concerts on the wall … which feature a lot of artists he knows and is friends with and respects.”
In fact, Williamson said Simon was “so happy” the whole night. “His voice was great. His sense of humor was great,” he shared. “It was exactly what Soho Sessions is meant to be, which is a sense of informality, and it's a really great place where artists can elevate causes and be in front of a small but mighty crowd, and it just feels absolutely natural and organic.”
It all made for a “magical” night from start to finish.
“From the first song, 'Mrs. Robinson', to the last song, “The Sound of Silence,” I mean, you’re hearing songs that are the tunes of our lives,” Williamson said. “Paul Simon is out there playing songs that you may have heard in many different circumstances in your life.”
Simon's banter lasted just as long as his music. “He was cracking jokes with the crowd all night, [former New York Yankee] Bernie Williams,” Williamson said. “We've done a lot of shows, and thank God, 90 percent of them have been good. But not everybody comes in in a great mood, and sometimes it takes a minute. He was up to it right away, in a way that made us all comfortable.”
And the stars came out to meet up close and personal in a rare performance “50 Ways to Leave Your Boyfriend” icon. “It was next level,” Williamson said.
“We knew there were people who would want to come for Paul. And I think a lot of them had been here before, but some of them hadn't. And I think that was kind of the experience for them as well when they walked into the room, they immediately felt at home… We just try to make everybody feel comfortable right away, and that's very helpful in terms of immediately setting the mood and the tone.”
For Williamson, Simon was the biggest booking the Soho series — which launched in 2021 — had seen so far.
“it is Paul Simon“This is Mount Rushmore,” he said. “To me, he's the greatest songwriter of all time. To have him at our place, it was a surreal moment, and you're pinching yourself.”
Williamson and Rechter will keep the music going Thursday night with the City Parks Foundation Dinner and Concert in Central Park with Peter Frampton and Patti Smith. The event will honor John McEnroe and Patrick McEnroe and Nadir Settles of Nuveen Real Estate.
“We're going full speed ahead and everything is full of energy and adrenaline right now,” Williamson said. “It's exciting for us.”
