It was 36 years ago tonight (September 19th, 1981) that Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel reunited in front of a reported 500,000 fans for a free concert in New York’s Central Park. Although the duo had performed together several times after their 1970 break up — most notably at a fundraiser in 1972 for Democratic Presidential nominee George McGovern, a handful of times in 1973 during Simon’s first solo tour, and on Saturday Night Live — The Concert at Central Park was Simon & Garfunkel‘s first full-blown reunion concert. Back in 1975, Simon & Garfunkel scored a Top 10 duet with “My Little Town” in 1975, with the song appearing on both Simon’s album, Still Crazy After All These Years and Garfunkel’s Breakaway.
Prior to the Central Park show, Simon & Garfunkel butted heads about how the concert should be performed. Garfunkel preferred just the duo as they did in the ’60s; two voices along with Simon’s guitar. Simon insisted on a full band, including a horn section. Simon explained in Simon & Garfunkel – The Definitive Biography how he convinced Garfunkel to see his way: “I kept saying to him ‘Artie, the band will jell and when it does, you’ll want to sing. You’ll like it.'” The majority of the backing band was familiar with the songs’ arrangements, having backed Simon on his then-recent One Trick Pony tour.
The show was mainly comprised of Simon & Garfunkel’s ’60s classics, including “Homeward Bound,” “America,” “The Sound Of Silence,” “Mrs. Robinson,” “The Boxer,” “Old Friends,” “April Come She Will,” “Scarborough Fair,” “The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy),” “America,” “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” and others.
The duo also performed several of Simon’s ’70s hits, such as “Kodachrome,” “Me & Julio Down By The Schoolyard,” “50 Ways To Leave Your Lover,” “Still Crazy After All These Years,” “Slip Slidin’ Away,” “American Tune,” and Simon’s latest hit, 1980’s “Late In The Evening,” which was featured twice in the show, being reprised as the concert’s final encore. The pair made two nods to early influences, playing the Everly Brothers‘ “Wake Up Little Suzie,” and performing Chuck Berry‘s “Maybellene” in a medley with Simon’s “Kodachrome.”
Art Garfunkel’s book tour dates (subject to change):
September 25 – Doylestown, PA – Doylestown Books at Holicong Middle School
September 26 – New York, NY – Barnes & Noble Midtown (book signing only)
September27 – Cambridge, MA – Harvard Bookstore at the Brattle Theatre
September 28 – New York, NY – Kaufmann Concert Hall
October 2 – Washington, D.C. – Politics & Prose at St. Paul’s Church
October 4 – Dallas, TX – Highland Park United Methodist Church
October 6 – St. Louis, MO – St. Louis County Library Foundation Author Series
October 9 – Seattle, WA – The Neptune Theatre
October 11 – San Francisco, CA – The Castro Theater
October 13 – Los Angeles, CA – Grand Performances
October 15 – Miami, FL – Books & Books at Chapman Conference Center – Miami Dade College
Art Garfunkel North American tour dates (subject to change):
October 26, 27 – Boston, MA – City Winery
October 28 – Woonsocket, RI – Stadium Theatre PAC
January 25 – Carmel, IN – The Palladium
January 26 – Benton Harbor, MI – Mendel Center Mainstage
March 9 – Elgin, IL – Elgin Community College Arts Center
March 10 – Naperville, IL – Wentz Concert Hall & Fine Arts Center
April 17 – Modesto, CA – Mary Stuart Rogers Theatre
April 19 – Redwood City, CA – Fox Theatre Redwood City
April 20 – Monterey, CA – Golden State Theatre
April 21 – Napa, CA – Uptown Theatre Napa
April 28 – Lancaster, CA – Lancaster Performing Arts Center
April 29 – Los Angeles, CA – Walt Disney Concert Hall
