Art Garfunkel @ RTH 3/14/09 review/setlist

[TimmyB]

I have been listening to a lot of Simon & Garfunkel over the past couple of years. It likely has a lot to do with the fact that I have traveled to New York City on multiple occasions during that time. Though I have passed Garfunkel by on every previous occasion that he came my way, minus 2003 when he was on stage with Paul Simon, I felt this time I would quench my thirst for many of those Simon & Garfunkel songs by attending his stop in Toronto in 2009 and I was not disappointed.

I do not know if it was because of Garfunkel recently sharing the stage again with his old friend Simon at the reopening of the Beacon Theatre this past Valentine's Weekend, but Garfunkel played far more Simon & Garfunkel songs than expected to my pleasant surprise. Maybe he is warming those songs up for the possible upcoming Simon & Garfunkel tour that has been discussed since the Beacon gig.

With nine out of twenty songs from the Simon & Garfunkel canon, including "For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her" which I did not hear the two of them perform in 2003 I was very pleased with the setlist. Another highlight was "Scarborough Fair/Canticle" that was merged with Bob Dylan's "Girl From the North Country" a fitting merge of the two songs as both songs are discuss fairs.

Art Garfunkel brought out his son James to help him sing on "Mrs. Robinson" and "Cecilia" with James also tackling the old Fleetwood's song "Mr. Blue" solo.

Other songs selections surprised me with Garfunkel performing a beautiful rendition of Billy Joel's "An So it Goes" and one from one of Garfunkel's favorite songwriters Randy Newman's "Texas Girl at the Funeral of Her Father," which was a nice surprise as he usually performs the Newman song "Old Man" from his debut solo ablum 'Angel Clare.' A classic performed from Art's debut was the Jimmy Webb hit "All I Know."

Unfortunately the show was under ninety minutes which is the minimum for an acceptable length for a headlining show, it clocked in at 1 hour and 25 minutes. In the end I enjoyed Art's vocals and his son's and he had a good back up band. Who know's maybe next time I see Garfunkel again will be with Simon and they will definitely play more than eighty-five minutes.

Peace,

Tim

Art Garfunkel

Roy Tompson Hall

Saturday March 14, 2009

1. El Condor Pasa (If I Could)

2. So Easy to Begin

3. The Boxer

4. And So it Goes

5. Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars (Corovado)

6. Perfect Moment

7. Texas Girl at the Funeral for Her Father

8. I Remember You

9. For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her

II: 10. The Promise

11. Scarborough Fair/Canticle>

12. Girl From the North Country

13. Mrs. Robinson (with James Garfunkel)

14. Mr. Blue (James Garfunkel solo)

15. All I Know

16. Bridge Over Troubled Water

17. Cecilia (with James Garfunkel)

Encore: 18. Kathy's Song

19. The Sound of Silence

20. Goodnight My Love

Edited March 16, 2009 by Guest

[Booche]

[TimmyB]

I loved that recent episode of 'Flight of the Conchords' with the brief scene with Art Garfunkel. I can't wait to see the Flight of the Conchords in April.

Peace,

Tim