When severe thunderstorms hit Chicago late afternoon, a few hundred people had mild panic attacks on social media wondering if Paul Simon would still be able perform at Huntington Bank Pavilion on Northerly Island—one of Chicago’s outdoor venues.
Concerns began to spread on Facebook when HBP announced that they were delaying doors for the show. “What does that mean?!” people exclaimed in the comments. “Say it’s not cancelled!” However, the rain gods were kind to us—knowing that we could all use a good dose of Paul Simon right now—and the storm passed, the only damage being a 90 minute delay to Mr. Simon’s set time. Bonus: one hell of a sunset. And yes, he played well past the 11pm noise curfew.
From start to finish the crowd was on its feet. The 24-song set spanned his career but pulled from the Graceland and the Simon & Garfunkel catalog the most. No complaints here! In fact, it was one of the best shows I’ve seen all year. Mr. Simon and his small army of crazy talented musicians put on an inspired performance. Honestly, I don’t think his voice has aged. He sounds incredible.
At the beginning of his second encore, Mr. Simon took a moment to acknowledge the charity that he’s donating all of his tour profits to—the Half Earth Foundation, which promotes better public understanding of biodiversity, among other things. Great night for a great cause!
