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West Valley City • To those of us who grew up in the 1960s with the Vietnam War raging and young people in the streets questioning everything, musicians such as Paul Simon provided the background music to our lives.
As we grew up, so did Simon. But he always seemed to be there on the cusp of current events with innovative music and sometimes obscure lyrics that, in their own way, spoke to us.
And so it was, as the 74-year-old troubadour and his crack nine-piece band worked their way through more than 50 years of classic music before a small but enthusiastic gathering the Maverik Center Sunday night, it was a lyric from a song from Simon's newest album, "Stranger to Stranger," that stood out.
With band members providing howls from their vocal chords and musical instruments and one even wearing a wolf mask, these words from the song "Werewolf" provided a sobering reality to those of us who are quickly aging:
"The fact is most obits are mixed reviews
Life is a lottery, a lotta people lose."
Other than a few parents who tried to introduce their teens to the music that meant so much to them, this was an older crowd. And, in many ways, the 25-song, two-hour concert that began with "Boy in the Bubble" and ended with a surprise encore acoustic performance of the1964 classic "Sounds of Silence," spoke volumes to those of us in our 60s and 70s.
What made the night amazing was this was not a performer content to simply reprise his hits, but one who had obviously carefully chosen songs from a lifetime repertoire and then put new musical twists on them.
There was no guessing that you were hearing classics, such as "Slip Slidin' Away," "Graceland" or "Still Crazy After All These Years," but the arrangements possessed a slightly different beat with often subtle changes that differed from the recorded versions.
While Simon and Garfunkel classics such as "The Boxer" and "Homeward Bound" brought cheers from the audience, there were surprises, too.
Throw in a haunting instrumental of "El Condor Pasa," with some songs from Simon's latest album, "Stranger to Stranger," and some of the less-familiar music was as satisfying as the hits. "Werewolf" was certainly a highlight as was "Wristband," which opened the first of two encores.
The set was simple, with just four large hanging lights, a few strobes and no video screen. Due to the fairly small crowd, the arena setup was smaller than some shows, which created an intimate feeling that Simon seemed to thrive on.
Though the band was loud and creative, with two drum sets, a horn section, an accordion and assorted wind instruments and guitars, it was easy for the most part to hear Simon's voice and lyrics.
Simon offered little banter, never even recognizing that he was in Utah. The only time he really talked was telling a funny story about visiting a healer in the introduction to "Spirit Music."
Instead, as he always has, Simon let his music speak for him. As the concert progressed, he became warmer and warmer, often recognizing cheers with a smile, a point or a gesture. And the audience was on its feet for danceable songs such as "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard" and "You Can Call Me Al."
In the end, this was a night that could have been dominated by nostalgia but, instead, featured a musician still trying new things who was more than capable of a few surprises.
Twitter @tribtomwharton —
Paul Simon in Utah
The veteran troubadour and his crack nine-piece band put together a satisfying 25-song, two-hour set with new takes on songs spanning Simon's 50-plus year career. There was no opening act.
When • Sunday, May 22, at the Maverik Center, West Valley City