Robinson,” “Feelin’ Groovy,” “Sounds of Silence,” “Cecilia,” “Homeward Bound,” “The Boxer.” It was wonderful to hear the “Li la li” chorus coming from the entire audience in a live theater venue in these days of COVID. The musicians behind them do a fabulous job with the arrangements and do not disappoint. While his voice isn’t an exact replica, he does credit to Garfunkel’s persona with a high, sweet, clear voice and great harmonies. Brendan Smith has an uncanny likeness to Art Garfunkel - blond, curly hair and hands in his pockets as he stands at the microphone. George Clements’s guitar playing is flawless and, like Simon, he stands playing with the guitar most of the time. You can’t help but be immersed in the memories elicited by the music and story of the two guys from New York who went on to become one of the world’s most successful music duos of all time. I’ll admit, it took a few moments to let go of my own expectations of “seeing a Simon and Garfunkel concert” without “seeing Simon and Garfunkel.” However, what you do see, if you’re willing to let go of the disbelief, is silhouettes of New York’s Central Park and the Brooklyn Bridge, footage of Vietnam, Woodstock, the Civil Rights Movement, and other events of the 1960s and 1970s using video projection and lighting, and a fantastic live band with accomplished vocalists. Benjamin Cooley (as Art Garfunkel) and Taylor Bloom (as Paul Simon) in ‘The Simon & Garfunkel Story.’ Photo by Lane Peters.ĭespite the production’s deference to the acclaimed musicians, there were things that were missing that might have left you wanting: no shots of album covers, no images or photographs of the original artists. At the performance I saw Saturday night they were George Clements as Simon and Brendan Smith as Garfunkel. If you were there you didn’t see the originals but you got the experience of their music and its chronology - a concert-style presentation by two young singers, who look and sound quite a bit like Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel. The national tour of The Simon & Garfunkel Story stopped at DC’s National Theatre for two shows last weekend. Robinson,” “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “Scarborough Fair” - and memories are evoked. Simon and Garfunkel didn’t want their biggest influences to actually open for them, so the Everlys were called onstage in the middle of the show to perform “Wake Up Little Susie,” “Let It Be Me” and “All I Have to Do Is Dream” before Simon and Garfunkel came back out to join them on “Bye Bye Love.” Seeing two of the most combative duos in rock history all sharing the stage was a pretty incredible sight.All it takes is a measure or two of their songs - “Mrs. “I said, ‘Phil, look, if you’re going to retire, you might as well come out one more time and take a bow and let me at least say what it is that you meant to us and to the culture.'” “They basically came out of retirement for us,” said Paul Simon. ![]() ![]() They hadn’t even spoken in about three years, let alone performed together. ![]() Don and Phil Everly had an even worse history of fighting than Simon and Garfunkel. See Where Simon and Garfunkel Rank on Our List of the 100 Greatest Artists They were their single biggest influence, with no close second. As teenagers, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel used to sing Everly Brothers songs on the grounds of Forest Hills High School. When Simon and Garfunkel reunited for a world tour in 2003 they knew only one group could possibly share the bill with them: the Everly Brothers.
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