Paul Simon Splits the Dome

The NOLA masses turned out in force for Paul Simon’s Homeward Bound: the Farewell Tour. The three-hour set included sixteen musicians interspersing Simon’s classics with more obscure song selections, but instead of getting the phone-it-in CD carbon copies of the originals, the retooled arrangements of even the classics kept the fans entertained. The songs worked best, though, when paired down to the six-member orchestral ensemble (cello, clarinet, trumpet and three violins) or when Simon took the stage solo for several songs, including the opening of the first encore hitting all the high notes on the 1966 classic “Homeward Bound.” It was also one of the few pre-1970 Simon and Garfunkel songs that made it into the show until the final encore, which may have left the casual fan a bit disappointed. But the rest of the crowd stood, sang and swayed throughout the performance, which was set in a sold-out lower bowl at the New Orleans Arena. Since we don’t have any mid-size local venues capable of accommodating a 6,000-seat show, this seemed a good idea as every seat in the house had a great view of the band and the mega-sized screen that spread the entire length of the back of the stage. With just two weeks left in Paul Simon’s legendary touring career, he seems to have plenty left in the tank so don’t be surprised if the diminutive singer pops up from time to time to give his fans a little taste of his latest recording.