Train, Paul Simon

What two things do Paul Simon and Train have in common?

A) We saw them both this week, separately, at outdoor concert venues.
B) They both played "Call Me Al".

We got Train tickets from one of the guys in the band, a long-time friend of Mrs C's. We also got to go backstage after the show and hang out with (some of) the band - drink their beer, eat their snacks, listen to rock star stories. Our seats were in the guests-of-the-band section, so we had the owner of a golf course where the band had spent their afternoon on one side. On the other side was ... a guy in a hat. After the show we learned that he is a well-known guitar tech who current works for AC/DC and Aerosmith (among others). Ain't we special. Train's music is mostly not my cup of tea. Their first album was pretty good, but their recent stuff doesn't really click with me. Still, they're a good band and they put on a good show. They even played a fine version of Chris Cornell's "Black Hole Sun"! So, it was a good time.

There was no backstage loafing with Paul Simon for us. But, we did get to see him play and that was plenty good enough. He's surprisingly animated and fun to watch. His voice still has that fantastic tone, though he's lost a bit of his range. But best of all, he has that amazing Paul Simon song catalog to choose from! He played a solid two hours but I'm sure he could have played another two hours without having to play a bad song. He didn't play "Kodachrome" or "Slip Sliding Away" or "One Trick Pony" or "Mrs Robinson" or "Something So Right" or "Cecilia" or the other half of the "Graceland" album! And, this might be a first, but I would have even liked to hear more of his newer stuff - his recent two records are both very good! Very glad I got to see him.

4 thoughts on “Train, Paul Simon

  1. Rob Caldecott

    Ticket: £30
    Hotel: £90
    Train: £50

    And I’m solo. Actually very excited for a trip into fancy London and SPOON!!!

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