Paul Simon‘s headlining set at Outside Lands culminated in a surprise. Just when you thought he’d showed his whole hand (Rolling Stone points out that he did “Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes,” “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard” and “You Can Call Me Al”) Simon brought out Bob Weir for a rendition of “The Boxer.”
Introducing Weir, Simon told a short story about approaching the Grateful Dead to play the Monterey Pop Festival back in 1967. “Bob Weir opened the door, and we’ve been friends ever since,” said Simon. “But actually, this is our first duet.”
Paul Simon’s “farewell tour” wrapped in 2018, but the Outside Lands set is a sign he might still perform for special occasions. In an appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert earlier this year, Simon joked(?) that “the farewell tour was basically just to bump the prices up.” He’s since appeared on The Late Show a second time, with Colbert playing washboard on the Graceland classic “That Was Your Mother.”
In 1987, SPIN spoke to Simon about Elvis, baseball, and the creative process behind Graceland; revisit that feature here, and check out a clip from Simon’s performance of “The Boxer” with Bob Weir below.
