Feelin’ Groovy

I just got back from Simon and Garfunkel’s Old Friends concert at the MCI Center, easily the best concert I’ve ever attended. I went with Court, who is not only into free markets and coffee, but also knows all of S&G’s songs and so made the perfect person to enjoy it with.

For the past few years I’ve been much more into Paul Simon’s later work, with its South African and South American influences. Seeing the duo in action tonight, though, has renewed my appreciation for their early work, and also made me realize that I’ve dramatically underappreciated Art Garfunkel’s vocals. His “Bridge Over Troubled Water” elicited the longest stream of applause I’ve ever witnessed, and justly so.

The biggest surprise came about midway through the concert when Paul and Art began talking about the influence the Everly Brothers had on them. I knew in advance that there was going to be a set of the Everly Brothers’ music; I didn’t know that the Brothers themselves would be there to perform it. After a few songs on their own, S&G joined them for “Bye Bye Love.” Seeing these four legends on stage together was a once in a lifetime treat.

Other highlights included a jazzed up version of “Homeward Bound” (it works and I want a recording of it!), a haunting rendition of “Kathy’s Song,” and my favorite “The Only Living Boy in New York.” The concert closed on a second encore with a touching “Leaves that are Green” and then the entire audience dancing to “Feelin’ Groovy,” which by that time is exactly how we all felt.