Paul Simon Ends New York Concert With ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’

Last night, Paul Simon returned to Forest Hills Stadium in Queens to play the second of two shows near the New York City home where he grew up. Thursday night’s concert marked the first time the Forest Hill High alum played in borough since a 1970 Simon & Garfunkel performance and Friday’s U.S. tour finale featured the first rendition in over two years of a rarely played song first performed by that legendary duo.

Rain delayed the start of the main set Friday that mirrored Thursday’s setlist, with classics like “The Boy In The Bubble,” “The Obvious Child,” “Homeward Bound” and others mixed with songs from his recently released album Stranger To Stranger, including the title track, “The Werewolf” and the first encore opening “Wristband.” Simon again started the second encore with a cover of the Elvis Presley hit “That’s All Right” and followed with “The Boxer.” Next came a rendition of Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Sound Of Silence” ahead of the show closing “Bridge Over Trouble Water.”

With Simon having recently alluded to retiring from recording and performing, his first live performance of the song since 2014 might have also been the last one he ever plays in his beloved native city. Audience-shot footage of “Bridge Over Trouble Water” was captured by angela450nyc, watch here: