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July 12, 2011 - Germany
Mainz - Zitadelle Mainz

Setlist

The Boy in the Bubble
Dazzling Blue
50 Ways to Leave Your Lover
So Beautiful or So What
That Was Your Mother
Hearts and Bones/Mystery Train/Wheels
Slip Slidin´ Away
Rewrite
Peace Like a River
The Obvious Child
The Only Living Boy in New York
The Afterlife
Questions for the Angels
Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes
Gumboots

Encore:
The Sounds of Silence
Kodachrome/Gone at Last
Here Comes the Sun
Crazy Love Vol. II
Late in the Evening

Encore:
Still Crazy After All These Years
You Can Call Me Al

The band (not all members are present at all shows)

Vincent Nguini - Guitar
Bakithi Kumalo - Bass
Mark Stewart - Guitars, Cello, Saxophone, selfmade instruments
Tony Cedras - Accordeon, Keyboard, Guitars
Andy Snitzer - Saxophone, Synthesizer
Jamey Haddad - Percussion
Mick Rossi - Piano, Percussion
Jim Oblon - Drums, Guitars

Fans who attended this show

As Mainz was open air we were very lucky with the weather, when we stood in line to get in it rained and there was a little thunderstorm. About an half hour before the concert started it was completely dry and even the sun came out. Susi and I talked with Tony Cedras before the concert and he told us they were worried in the early afternoon they had to cancel the concert! How lucky we were! It was a seated concert, I had a good seat in the 6th row, right before the speakers -good sound- and could see Paul and the band very good. Paul said he was glad to be back in Mainz and welcomed the sun and the good weather :) It was nice to see the performance in the open air by daylight for a change, it is a whole different atmosphere, I liked it. The setlist was different again, he left out Vietnam/Mother And Child Reunion and played YCCMA at the end. Halfway the concert everyone stood up and stayed up to dance and enjoy the concert. Tony said to us we should come back after the concert, if there was time he wanted to invite us for a drink backstage. But unfortunately after the concert he came and said there was no time, they had to leave early because they wanted to drive the same evening to the Swiss border. We talked a little, Tony walked back, we waited till the other bandmembers and Paul came out, they were too far away but Paul waved goodbye. The concert was great, good atmosphere, good audience. It was a nice closure for me. Now I hope I can see Paul in concert again sometime in the future.

I was prepared for a sort of quiet concert and was very happy to see that both the beautiful melancholical songs as well as the fast songs were played. So first half of the set was good for laying back and enjoying and the second half for dancing. I like the studio work of Paul Simon anyway as the sound is just great, agreeable, relaxing. It´s like with a good massager: they can make you feel every bone of your body and make you feel worse than before or they touch you in a very sensitive way which kind of causes some strange good harmony inside. The same case with Paul´s music! And see and hear him live is even better! It´s great to finally visually recognize certain sounds of the album you´ve been wondering about as instruments you´ve never seen before ;-)
It was a very driving concert with extraordinary musicians. Paul Simon is one of the little musicians I know who don´t have to make a big show to move people. The music does already. It seems to be above everybody who´s playing it. If there should be a godlike idea about music, this must be it! This and some things that Paul said like it´s better to concentrate on the music, not the success, made me get back to make music myself. Thank you!

Coming from Holland I saw Bob Dylan playing Mainz in june. To be back there just a few weeks later to see Paul Simon was incredible! I respect them both SO MUCH. This was my first Paul Simon concert and I loved it all the way through, just as Charlotte and Henrieke did who joined me. He - just like Bob Dylan - has so much to give us with his long time experience. Together with his incredible band he ´painted´ us songs like Van Gogh in his best years. Hard to describe something that touches the heart so deeply. Just go, see, hear and feel for yourself. Enjoy!