Rock icon Paul Simon made a surprise return to the stage with a performance alongside Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats at the Newport Folk Festival on Sunday (July 24).
Rateliff and his band were already celebrating Simon before he took the stage. The group’s entire set was made up of material by the folk rock legend, and included plenty of big names. Among the notable guests, Marcus Mumford of Mumford & Sons joined for a rendition of “Cecilia,” Lukas Nelson performed “Homeward Bound” and Lucius delivered “Mother and Child Reunion.”
Still, it was the man himself, Paul Simon, who received the biggest welcome when he stepped on stage.
Alongside Rateliff and the Night Sweats, the 80-year-old delivered a rousing rendition of his beloved track “Graceland.” Simon would then be joined by Rhiannon Giddens for “American Tune,” before performing the Simon & Garfunkel classic “The Boxer” with the entire ensemble of guests. Simon closed the set with a solo performance of the iconic tune “The Sound of Silence.”
Watch footage from Simon’s performance below.
“It’s hard to put into words the joy we felt bringing the great American songwriter Paul Simon to the Newport Folk stage,” Rateliff said via social media. “Thank you, Paul, for your songs, your voice and your presence.”
“What a joy working with Nathaniel and his incredible band,” Simon said of the experience. “The atmosphere at the festival was nothing short of wonderful.”
Simon retired from touring in 2018, but he left the door open for occasional one-off performances. Since then, his sporadic appearances have included a headlining set at Outside Lands, a Central Park show with Bruce Springsteen and a two-song set during Global Citizen Live.
