The Simon and Garfunkel Story brings history to stage

“The Simon and Garfunkel Story,” a concert-style synopsis of the lives of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, brought a dose of nostalgia to the Keith Albee for people in the audience.

Audience member Eric Wagner recalled when he first became a fan of the original duo.

“The show was amazing, the band was awesome, and the crowd was phenomenal,” he said. “I am forty-seven years old, so I’ve been a fan for forty years. ’Sound of Silence’ is my favorite, it’s a great song.”

Wagner, who brought his daughter along with him to enjoy the tribute to two of his favorite artists, said that the show was a great way to spend the night.

Taylor Bloom and Ben Cooley arrived on stage along with their four-piece band and started into one of Simon and Garfunkel’s biggest hits, “The Sound of Silence,” with Bloom playing Paul Simon and Cooley portraying Art Garfunkel.

After a few songs, Cooley left the stage while Bloom sang some of Paul Simon’s solo music to represent his time in England away from Garfunkel, singing “Kathy’s Song” and then was joined again by Cooley for “I Am a Rock.”

The two singers then took turns between songs telling the story of Simon and Garfunkel’s careers while a slide show behind them showed images of the Vietnam War and the peace movement, as well as other events happening in the U.S. during the 1960s.

At one point, the two singers left the stage while the screen behind them flashed events that happened between the years of 1970-1981, while the duo was broken up.

When Bloom and Cooley returned to stage, they were dressed for the 1981 Central Park concert where Simon and Garfunkel did their reunion show after ten years apart.

The duo concluded the show with a cover of a song that the real Simon and Garfunkel often closed shows with, “Bye Bye Love” by the Everly Brothers.

Bloom and Cooley were met with a standing ovation and returned for an encore, singing “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and “The Boxer.”

Emily Hayslett can be contacted at [email protected].

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