From the New York Times, a look at the restored Beacon Theater in Manhattan, where Paul Simon will be performing Friday and Saturday nights.

During a rehearsal on Wednesday, Paul Simon, the headliner for the reopening celebration on Friday night, said: “I’ve performed here many times and it was always fun, but I was overwhelmed to see how beautiful it is now.

“It’s a great house with a great vibe and its funkiness matched the music in a way,” he added. “But it’s nicer to have clean seats.”

There are a handful of musicians performing in New York this weekend who have a connection to Simon. Marc Anthony, star of the Capeman, is at Madison Square Garden on Saturday; C.J. Chenier, son of Clifton Chenier (name-checked in “That Was Your Mother”), is at Connolly’s on Sunday; and Vusi Mahlasela, who performed in the “Under African Skies” shows as part of “Love in Hard Times” at the Brooklyn Academy of Music last April, is at the Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday.

The Internet is flooded – flooded! - with rumours that Art Garfunkel will be joining Paul Simon for a few numbers at this Friday’s Beacon Theater concert. Garfunkel is in the middle of a tour of Florida, with stops in Key Largo on Thursday and Fort Pierce on Saturday, so a quick jaunt to New York for a performance Friday night is feasible, if a little silly. According to someone using the handle “adambomb,” Garfunkel announced at a show in St. Augustine that he would be appearing with Paul on Friday in New York, so stay tuned.

Are other surprises in store for the two-night stand? Surely, Simon must have something up his sleeve for those of us who will only be in town for the Saturday night kicker, right?

That’s Japanese for “Proof,” captured in all its goofy glory in this YouTube video dating back to May 14, 1991, at the Tokyo Dome. Note Paul’s spotting of a Hanshin Tigers fan during the non-musical interlude.

As we reported earlier, Paul Simon will re-open the Beacon Theatre in New York City with a pair of concerts on February 13th and 14th. If you’re interested in attending, please note that tickets begin to go on sale this weekend.

In typically frustrating fashion, the TicketMaster website will only reveal that the American Express pre-sale runs from this Sunday, January 25, at 9 a.m. until Saturday, January 31, at 10 p.m. (EST). While it’s not entirely evident, it appears that there is no pre-sale password to track down, but tickets might be reserved for those who pay with an American Express card. No word on whether the billing address must be in the U.S.

Regardless, these pre-sales have a habit of featuring mostly lousy tickets – or they feature so few tickets that the good ones disappear in seconds. The public on-sale is a week later, Sunday, February 1st (though at 10 a.m. EST).

Good luck!

Paul Simon will be re-opening the Beacon Theatre in Manhattan following the landmark venue’s $15 million restoration. Simon will perform on February 13 and 14. Tickets go on sale January 25 at 9 a.m. (eastern), though this appears to be a limited pre-sale. The main ticket sale is February 1 (no word on the pre-sale conditions yet). Tickets are priced between $80 and $265.

Simon played three memorable shows to wrap up his 2000 tour supporting You’re The One at the Beacon in December 2000.

Details:
The Beacon Theatre
www.paulsimon.com
Tickets

Here’s an impromptu “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” featuring the brilliant Patti Austin, recorded live at the Montreux Jazz Festival last July.

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A performance of “America” in Montauk, New York, at some point in the early 1990s, featuring Billy Joel on vocals and piano.

Art Garfunkel need not fear for his part-time job.

Davy Graham

In memory of Davy Grahm, who died on December 15th, here’s Paul and Eddie Simon performing Graham’s “Anji” on the Kraft Music Hall in 1968: