Paul Simon at The Fillmore

Paul Simon at the Fillmore

Paul Simon is touring in support of this new album, "So Beautiful Or So What."  On each city in his tour, he is trying to arrange intimate club gigs where he and his band can play more of his old songs, as well as other songs.  They played at Davies Symphony Hall on Monday night, the Fox Theater on Tuesday night, and then at the Fillmore last night.  The set list included several from the new album plus four from "Graceland," a few covers ("Wheels," "Vietnam" and "Here Comes the Sun"), two Simon & Garfunkel numbers ("Only Living Boy In New York" and "Sounds Of Silence") and more.

He was in fine form, and the crowd was enthusiastic about seeing him.  The more I think about it, the more I realize how rare and special it is to have the opportunity to see such a large show in such a relatively small and intimate setting (completely sold out, and it took over half an hour for the crowd to get out of the building).

UPDATE: Since several people seem to be searching for the setlist, I'm adding it here:

Setlist:
The Boy In the Bubble
Dazzling Blue
50 Ways To Leave Your Lover
So Beautiful Or So What
Vietnam (Jimmy Cliff cover)
Mother And Child Reunion
That Was Your Mother
Hearts And Bones
Wheels (Chet Atkins cover)
Slip Slidin' Away
Rewrite
Peace Like a River
The Obvious Child
Only Living Boy In New York
Getting Ready For Christmas Day
Love Is Eternal Sacred Light
Father And Daughter
Diamonds On the Soles Of Her Shoes
Gumboots

Encore 1:
The Sound Of Silence
Kodachrome
Gone At Last
Here Comes the Sun (Beatles cover)
Late In the Evening
Proof

Encore 2:
Still Crazy After All These Years

And Spinner has already posted a fairly ecstatic review.  Click here to read the entire review.

Excerpt: "All told, Simon didn't say much, except to introduce the songs, the band, say thanks and not much more. But he didn't need to. He's one of the rare legends that doesn't have to turn to nostalgia to make 30-year-old classics sound as fresh as his brand new ones...and his brand new ones as relevant as his 30-year-old classics. If Simon has been, lyrically, looking for redemption as of late, well, musically, he found it at the Fillmore on Wednesday."

UPDATE:  The San Francisco Chronicle reviewed the show in today's (Friday's) paper.  It does not wax rhapsodic like the Spinner review, but it is highly positive.  Click here to read it.

Excerpt:  "His voice was supple. His attire was predictably practical. But what made Paul Simon's sold-out concert at the Fillmore on Wednesday really noteworthy was his enthusiasm for just being there. After years of putting on alternately awkward and curmudgeonly performances in the Bay Area, the 69-year-old rock icon arrived here with something resembling a smile - as rare a sighting in his company as a bushy-haired Art Garfunkel.

Erratum:  "The new songs - including 'Love is Eternal Sacred Light,' 'The Afterlife' and an especially lively 'Rewrite' - fit squarely alongside the favorites..."  ("The Afterlife" was not in the setlist.  Since "The Afterlife" is the first single from "So Beautiful Or So What," one might expect it to be emphasized in concert, but it was not played at the Fillmore on Wednesday night.)

Deeper Understanding - The Official Video

Kate Bush - Deeper Understanding

Robbie Coltrane and Noel Fielding in the first Kate Bush video in about five years.

So which one is her son?

In case you missed it, here's the other Kate Bush-Noel Fielding connection:

Wuthering Heights

Easter with the Sisters

This first set of photos is mostly of the Easter bonnet contest, but also just general shots of the crowd in attendance.  Sorry, I didn't hang around for the Hunky Jesus Contest.

 

This second set of photos is the cast of the upcoming revival of the Cockettes' show, "Vice Palace" (with at least one original Cockette involved in the show).

It's Organic...

Seen on MUNI on my way to work today.  Everyone tried to pretend he wasn't there.  The driver quietly stated over the intercom, "No panhandling on MUNI."  And he quietly left the train at the next stop.

To protect the squeamish, I've put the full photo after the jump.  If you click on "Read more" below, you can't say you didn't look at it on purpose....

Deeper Understanding

Deeper Understanding

The first new Kate Bush in several years is a revision of "Deeper Understanding" from her album, "The Sensual World."  The single will be available on iTunes starting April 5.

Her remix/re-recording album, "Director's Cut," is scheduled for release on May 16, with the following track-listing:

Flower of the Mountain (*)

Song of Solomon

Deeper Understanding

Lily

The Red Shoes

This Woman's Work (new recording)

Moments of Pleasure

Never Be Mine

Top Of the City

And So Is Love

Rubberband Girl

(*) This is "The Sensual World" as originally written with lyrics based on text by James Joyce -- originally, James Joyce's estate would not give her permission to use the text, but they have given her permission this time around.

More info at the official Kate Bush website.

A BIT of Gomez

 Ben, Ian and Tom (3/5 of Gomez -- a "BIT of Gomez," get it?) performed a "Gomez: Unplugged" set at Swedish American Hall tonight. They played four songs from the upcoming Gomez album, plus one track from Ben Ottewell's recent solo album, plus a number of Gomez fan favorites.

Swedish American Hall is an alcohol-free space, so the crowd was a little less rowdy than might have been expected. Plus they actually put chairs out for people to sit in (which people used most of the time). But the crowd was enthusiastic and energetic, nevertheless. It was an intimate enough setting that it was often very clear just how many people in the audience were singing along. In between songs, someone in the back interjected a few deep-voiced "Oh, yeah!" and similar statements, which seemed to amuse Ben. He once said, "There's a uniquely American sound."

And, as seems usual for these shows, we wound up chatting with some very friendly people seated next to us.

A good time was had by all. More photos can be found by following this link or by playing the slideshow below:.