Paul Simon began his first tour since 2018-2019 with a transcendent 19-song acoustic performance on Friday night (April 4) at New Orleans’ historic Saenger Theater. “I’m as excited as you are,” he admitted on stage, “and you’re probably not as nervous as I am.”
In fine voice again, Simon devoted the opening set of this aptly named Quiet Celebration Tour to 2023’s Seven Psalms, a gorgeous uninterrupted 33-minute meditation on struggles with faith that had never been performed in its entirety. After a brief intermission, he returned with an engaging – and a bit more lively – second set that alternated between his most familiar songs and some intriguing deep cuts.
Simon, 83, probably wouldn’t have been allowed to leave the ’20s-era Emile Weil-designed theater without playing tried-and-true favorites like “Slip Slidin’ Away” and “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard.” But he also made room for “Train in the Distance” from 1983’s Hearts and Bones, “Under African Skies” from 1986’s Graceland and “Spirit Voices” from 1990’s Rhythm of the Saints, among other lesser-known gems…