Highly accurate and impeccably performed, Simon & Garfunkel Through the Years will leave fans, old and new, hooked with nostalgic brilliance
A truly delightful tribute to the legendary work of Simon & Garfunkel.
From their opening songs, I understood that Dan Haynes and Pete Richards (the duo that make up The Bookends Band), have a deep love for performing, they understand each and every song inside out, yet their renditions are completely effortless. The night, of course, featured all the hits from Simon & Garfunkel’s discography, including ‘Mrs. Robinson’, ‘The Sound of Silence’ and ‘Bridge over Troubled Water’ as well as deep cuts like ‘Red Rubber Ball’ and ‘Richard Corey’.
If, like me, you’re a Simon and Garfunkel fan or you just prefer a more laid back gig I highly recommend grabbing a ticket. The pair opened on a dimly lit stage with a single guitar and two microphones, kicking off their set with ‘America’, one of my all time favourites from the Bookends album, which immediately set the tone for an evening of exquisite harmonies.
The audience was guided through the evening with limited chat, but what was said, reflected their vast scope of knowledge and fondness for Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel and their work. Between songs, the duo discussed how Simon & Garfunkel formed, their early years, eventual split and incredible facts about how certain songs were written, which lets you see the lyrics in a completely new light. This struck a chord during a rendition of ‘The Only Living Boy in New York’, Paul Simon refers to Art Garfunkel as ‘Tom’ in this, which harks back to the band’s early days, when they went by the early stage name ‘Tom and Jerry’. Haynes and Richard’s anecdotes helped me with the context in which these songs were written; amidst war and conscription in 1960s America and an ever turbulent lifelong friendship between Simon & Garfunkel. Simon & Garfunkel Through the Years lets the music speak for itself, it’s a no fuss, all quality gig.
The duo’s vocals are faultless, a bewitching homage to the music, Richard’s harmonies intertwine seamlessly with Haynes’ acoustic guitar and at times I couldn’t even tell who was singing what. I found ‘Scarborough Fair/Canticle’ was particularly chilling, their isolated vocals left hairs standing up on the back of my neck. The same should be said for their arrangement of ‘El Condor Pasa (If I Could)’.
The only issue I have with the Simon & Garfunkel Through the Years tour is that Dan and Pete’s friendship has stood the test of time, which is a wholly inaccurate testimony. I left the concert humming songs I haven’t heard before and I’ve been listening to Simon and Garfunkel on repeat since. In all, the concert was beautiful, it left me feeling both refreshed, and with a nostalgic sentiment for something I haven’t experienced yet.