One song. Paul Simon at Yale. It won’t be grunge; it won’t be hip hop; it won’t really be anything this pocket of New Haven has seen in recent years. And it certainly won’t be “Mr. Jones” or “Steal my Kisses,” even though Simon’s influence on Yale’s choice performers is unmistakable.
Half of the sixties folk-rock duo Simon and Garfunkel, singer-songwriter Paul Simon will pass across the Yale Bowl stage tonight, one song in the climactic tercentennial circus of musical acts. There will be a cappella, there will be jazz, and maybe there will be the “Sound of Silence.” Or maybe it’ll be “You Can Call Me Al.”
But no matter what he decides to play, Simon will be a one-trick pony.
A solo artist since 1971, Simon has been performing almost constantly since he was in junior high school with Art Garfunkel, where the two performed as “Tom and Jerry.” Since then, he has won his second album of the year Grammy, written a Broadway musical, consistently produced critically acclaimed material that has bridged the generation gap between our parents and us.
In recent years Simon has headlined with Bob Dylan on a series of national tours, highlighting his folk rock heritage. Audience members generally report that Simon’s talents and charisma eclipes those of the wildly popular Dylan performances, which bodes well for his moment at Yale.
His most recent album, “You’re the One,” was released last year and received a third Grammy nomination for Album of the Year. In March of last year, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Simon is the one of who most frequently covered musicians and has become a virtual cornerstone of campus a capella. Tonight, Yale will finally experience a Paul Simon gem in its full glory.