Paul Simon and Sting together on stage
Took my wife to see the Paul Simon and Sting show last night at the Bell Centre in Montreal (a birthday gift for her as she's a fan of each). I'll admit to some scepticism when I bought the tickets as to how well this would come off (I did not view these two as natural partners) but I have to say it was fantastic.
Nearly 3 hours long, the setlist was interesting from each artist. Each had about a third of the show to himself and the other third was a combined performance. The bands worked seamlessly together and all the musicians were top notch. Sting and Paul Simon clearly enjoyed playing together (I'd say Simon got along a lot better with Sting than with Garfunkel judging by the warmth they generated whenever they were together on stage). On several occasions, each sang lead on another's song (for example, Simon did the vocals for Sting's Fragile while Sting performed a great version of America).
A note about the sound: the Bell Centre, like most hockey/basketball arenas, is not an especially favourable venue for sound. Too often it's way overloud and an acoustical nightmare. Not last night. While clearly not as good as a dedicated concert hall sound would have been, I was nevertheless mightily impressed with the overall sound quality. Moreover, it was not too loud. No ringing ears. In fact, I could converse with my wife without raising my voice and yet the arena was filled with clear, non-distorted sound.
Overall, if you have a chance to see this show (presuming you're a fan of one or the other or both), see it. Well worth it. If they release a BD of this show, it will be an instant purchase for me.:T:T
Nearly 3 hours long, the setlist was interesting from each artist. Each had about a third of the show to himself and the other third was a combined performance. The bands worked seamlessly together and all the musicians were top notch. Sting and Paul Simon clearly enjoyed playing together (I'd say Simon got along a lot better with Sting than with Garfunkel judging by the warmth they generated whenever they were together on stage). On several occasions, each sang lead on another's song (for example, Simon did the vocals for Sting's Fragile while Sting performed a great version of America).
A note about the sound: the Bell Centre, like most hockey/basketball arenas, is not an especially favourable venue for sound. Too often it's way overloud and an acoustical nightmare. Not last night. While clearly not as good as a dedicated concert hall sound would have been, I was nevertheless mightily impressed with the overall sound quality. Moreover, it was not too loud. No ringing ears. In fact, I could converse with my wife without raising my voice and yet the arena was filled with clear, non-distorted sound.
Overall, if you have a chance to see this show (presuming you're a fan of one or the other or both), see it. Well worth it. If they release a BD of this show, it will be an instant purchase for me.:T:T
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