With hardly an empty seat in sight, individuals both young and old piled in the H. Ric Luhrs Performing Arts Center on Saturday, to experience the vocal and lyrical genius Art Garfunkel.

In 2010, Garfunkel was plagued with a damaged vocal chord that resulted in a traumatic decline in his vocal range and overall singing ability. Garfunkel views his returned voice as a reborn gift, that with love and gratitude, he must share. While this adverse circumstance resulted in some of the darkest and lowest moments of his life, he stands before his fans today as a public display of passion, vulnerability and recovery.

“Can you believe I’m still doing this job?” Garfunkel said to the crowd, as he took center stage as a single bright light focused on him. Hushing the frenzied applause that followed Garfunkel remark, “OK, let’s get to work.”

Garfunkel started the night off with the Simon and Garfunkel song, “April Come She Will.” Breaking up the music, Garfunkel shared a piece of prose from his second autobiographical composition of prose poems that will be released late next year. In this new composition of prose poetry, Garfunkel opens the door to his personal life, inner thoughts and the many experiences that have come along with fame.

Garfunkel continued to alternate between song and prose throughout the remainder of the concert, which provided the audience with a unique experience where words were brought to life in two different literary art forms.

Rather than saving all the fan favorites for the end, Garfunkel treated the audience with “The Boxer” early on, followed by “Scarborough Fair,” “Homeward Bound” and “For Emily, Wherever I May Find Her.”

Intertwining his passion of writing prose poetry with his musical gift, Garfunkel performed the song “Perfect Moment,” which he told the audience derived from one of his prose poems from his 1989 composition, “Still Water.”

Garfunkel has an emotional connection with the song “Perfect Moment,” as he had always hoped to turn one of his bits of writing into lyrics for a song. The deep and soothing vocal and emotional spectrum that Garfunkel conveyed during his performance of “Perfect Moment” harmoniously highlighted and captured his passion for the song.

“Here’s the song that changed my entire life,” Garfunkel said as he commenced the last hit song of the night, “Sound of Silence.”

The entirety of the concert was uplifting and soul captivating as his words and recovered gentle yet powerful voice holds the ability to unite and inspire individuals to rise above the circumstances and never give in to defeat.

“Art Garfunkel: In Close Up” was undeniably more than a concert as it offered both music and a story. It was almost like fans were sitting around the campfire with Garfunkel in genuine conversation and song. 

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