Paul Simon Performs Intimate Set in New York City: Set List

Paul Simon does not play live very much these days, having retired from touring in 2018, but he made an exception on Monday evening, performing at the SoHo Sessions loft in New York City for around 150 people.

According to reporting by The New York Times, those in attendance included Whoopi Goldberg, Kevin Bacon, Amy Schumer, Jerry Seinfeld and fellow musician Jackson Browne. The SoHo Sessions series has been running since 2021, organized by Nicole Rechter and Greg Williamson, the same producers behind New York’s annual Love Rocks NYC benefit concert. So far, 14 SoHo Sessions have been held to raise money for various causes. Performers have included Warren Haynes, Taj Mahal, Joe Bonamassa, Gary Clark Jr. and more.

Simon’s Monday night performance helped collect funds for the Stanford Initiative to Cure Hearing Loss. Simon himself has struggled for the last several years with the affliction, having lost nearly all hearing in his left ear.

“As you can imagine, and as probably some of you already know, it is really frustrating as a musician, devastating, not to be able to sort sounds out,” Simon said just after finishing his performance.

You can view photos from the event via The New York Times, as well as Simon’s set list below.

READ MORE: How Paul Simon Declared His Independence With First Real Solo LP

“I would walk anywhere, go anywhere to see him,” Goldberg said. “Paul’s music always represented home.”

“Paul is an infusion of Queens beauty and sound,” Seinfeld said. “I grew up in Long Island; born in Brooklyn. Queens felt right somehow. He captured the hopeful melancholy of Queens. I feel the sound of his music goes inside of you.”

Paul Simon, SoHo Sessions 9/23/24, Set List:
1. “Mrs. Robinson” (Simon & Garfunkel song)
2. “Slip Slidin’ Away”
3. “Mother and Child Reunion”
4. “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard” (with Bernie Williams whistling during the chorus)
5. “Homeward Bound” (Simon & Garfunkel song)
6. “The Boxer” (Simon & Garfunkel song)
7. “The Sound of Silence” (Simon & Garfunkel song)