Paul Simon To Bid His Final Farewell In Flushing Meadows Concert

PRNewsfoto/Legacy Recordings – Paul Simon

Paul Simon returns to his boyhood borough of Queens in New York for “Homeward Bound – The Final Performance” at Flushing Meadows Corona Park on Sept. 22.

That’s right – Simon will be the King of Corona Park, which hasn’t hosted a major concert in decades. He’ll bring his band for a career-spanning concert to close out his final tour, which has been receiving rave reviews since its launch last month in Vancouver, B.C.

“It seems more like fate than coincidence that I should do the final show on this final tour at Flushing Meadows Corona Park. I could have ridden my bike from home to the park in about 20 minutes, when I was a kid. But this is less a goodbye than a farewell. Thank you all for the ride, I had a great time,” Simon said in statement.

The show is being produced by The Bowery Presents and Madison House, and tickets go on sale Friday June 29 at 10 a.m. local time. A presale for American Express cardholders starts Monday June 25 at 10 a.m.

“When Paul Simon sings ‘Homeward Bound,’ there’s no doubt he means New York,” NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement. “The grit, beauty and complexity of this city are woven into Simon’s most haunting songs, and our greatest venues have formed the backdrop of his performing career. It’s only fitting that this son of Queens comes home to Flushing Meadows Corona Park.”

The announcement says Simon will present a “unique selection of songs” for the historic concert, sparking at least some speculation that his former partner, Art Garfunkel, may be involved in the production in some way.

Simon will be donating all personal net proceeds from the event to a previously-selected cause, which will be announced at a later date.

Simon’s year of farewells has been an eventful one, with the publication of a biography by former Los Angeles Times music scribe Robert Hillburn and tours of North America and Europe.

In announcing his final outing, Simon wrote:

I’ve often wondered what it would feel like to reach the point where I’d consider bringing my performing career to a natural end. Now I know: it feels a little unsettling, a touch exhilarating, and something of a relief.

I love making music, my voice is still strong, and my band is a tight, extraordinary group of gifted musicians. I think about music constantly. Sadly, we lost our lead guitarist and my friend of 30 years,

Vincent N’guini, who died last December. His loss is not the only reason I’ve decided to stop touring, but it is a contributing factor. Mostly, though, I feel the travel and time away from my wife and family takes a toll that detracts from the joy of playing. I’d like to leave with a big Thank You to the many folks around the world who’ve come out to watch me play over the last 50 years.

After this coming tour, I anticipate doing the occasional performance in a (hopefully) acoustically pristine hall, and to donate those earnings to various philanthropic organizations, particularly those whose objective is to save the planet, ecologically.

Once again, I am very grateful for a fulfilling career and, of course, most of all to the audiences who heard something in my music that touched their hearts.