Paul Simon made a surprise appearance at Newport Folk Festival on Saturday (July 23), where
he joined Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats at the end of a tribute set to his music.
Simon previously announced his retirement from touring in 2018, playing his final ever concert
in Queens, just minutes from where he grew up. The veteran singer-songwriter ended his
that ended with two separate encores. His unannounced appearance at Newport Folk Festival
saw him being backed by Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, as well as Jerry Douglas on
guitar. He kicked off his set with ‘Graceland’, followed by a special updated rendition of
‘American Tune’ featuring Rhiannon Giddens on vocals. Following this, he played ‘The Boxer’ joined
by Douglas, Lucius, Rateliff and Lukas Nelson, closing out the evening with a performance of
by Douglas, Lucius, Rateliff and Lukas Nelson, closing out the evening with a performance of ‘The Sound of Silence’ by himself.