Simon in Hartford

About Simon

Simon is one of those artists who somehow manages to be both impossibly prolific and genuinely experimental. His catalog spans folk-rock foundations to world music collaborations to synth-driven pop, often within the same album. He's got this thing where he'll disappear into a project—a South African township collaboration, a Subway Stories documentary score—and come back with something that shouldn't work but does. What keeps people coming back is that underneath all the genre-hopping and studio tinkering, there's a genuinely precise way he writes about mundane moments and makes them feel like they mean something. The man's been making albums for fifty years and still seems more interested in solving compositional puzzles than in being a rock star, which is probably why people still take him seriously.

His shows are attentive, almost scholarly. The crowd leans in rather than loses it. He'll adjust arrangements on the fly, try new versions of old songs. You get the sense he's still working through ideas onstage. People don't scream; they listen.

Known for You Can Leave Your Hat On, The Obvious Child, Graceland, Call Me Al, The Boy in the Bubble

Simon in Hartford News

• Large Prison Sentence For Hartford Killer: State Patch · Jan 22, 2026
• James Taylor announces Bridgeport concert on summer tour Connecticut Post · Mar 10, 2025
• ’80s Classics Meet the Symphony New Haven Independent · Nov 20, 2024
• Review: Neil Simons' 'Lost in Yonkers' at Hartford Stage with Marsha Mason Showriz · Apr 18, 2022
• Carrie Simon Obituary (2018) - Hartford, CT - Hartford Courant Legacy | Obituary · May 20, 2018

Live Music in Hartford

Hartford's music scene has quietly rebuilt itself over the past decade, with venues like The Bushnell and smaller spots along the Park River corridor hosting everything from indie rock to soul to experimental stuff. It's not flashy, but there's real engagement here — people who actually care about showing up for artists. Simon should find a receptive crowd.

Hartford road trip to see Simon?

Stay in the West End neighborhood—it's got actual character and puts you near some decent restaurants. Head to Saluto for Italian that doesn't oversell itself, or The Sycamore for New American food done properly. Before the show, walk through Bushnell Park and check out the Elizabeth Park conservatory if the weather cooperates. After, grab a drink at Vaughan's Public House if you want to decompress somewhere that feels lived-in rather than designed. The Wadsworth Atheneum is worth an hour if you have time to kill during the day.