NEPA Scene Staff

Folk icon Art Garfunkel gets ‘Close-Up’ at F.M. Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre on April 24

Folk icon Art Garfunkel gets ‘Close-Up’ at F.M. Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre on April 24
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From a press release:

It was announced today that Grammy Award-winning folk music icon and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Art Garfunkel will return to the F.M. Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre on Friday, April 24 at 8 p.m. as part of his In Close-Up Tour.

His previous visit to the Kirby Center was in 2018. Garfunkel’s current In Close-Up solo tour delights fans with intimate “evening with” performances. He, along with a guitarist and keyboardist, performs Simon & Garfunkel songs, solo hits, and select covers in addition to reading excerpts from his book, “What Is It All But Luminous (Notes from an Underground Man).”

Tickets, which are $39.50, $59.50, $79.50, and $99.50, plus fees, go on sale this Friday, March 6 at 10 a.m. and will be available at the Sundance Vacations Box Office at the Kirby Center (71 Public Square, Wilkes-Barre), online at kirbycenter.org, and by phone at 570-826-1100. A Kirby Member pre-sale begins Thursday, March 5 at 10 a.m.

Blessed with what the New York Times described as a “beautiful countertenor,” singer Art Garfunkel has made an indelible mark on the music world as both a solo artist and half of the unrivaled Simon & Garfunkel. He has also enjoyed a successful film career, published a book of poetry, and released 13 solo albums.

Garfunkel was originally revered for his Grammy-winning, chart-topping songs and albums with partner and fellow New York City native Paul Simon. Their greatest hits collection, which includes “Mrs. Robinson,” “Scarborough Fair,” “The Sound of Silence,” “The Boxer” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” among others, is one of the biggest selling albums ever.

After Simon & Garfunkel parted ways in 1970, Garfunkel landed several major film roles, including “Carnal Knowledge” (opposite Jack Nicholson), “Catch 22,” and Nicholas Roeg’s “Bad Timing/A Sensual Obsession.”

Garfunkel’s debut solo album “Angel Clare” spawned the Top 10 hit “All I Know.” His other solo albums include “Breakaway” (featuring the hit “I Only Have Eyes for You”), “Watermark” (featuring “[What A] Wonderful World” with James Taylor and Paul Simon), “Garfunkel” (greatest hits), and “Songs from a Parent to a Child.”

“Taking on the fear and vulnerability of a live show keeps you vital,” says Garfunkel, who relishes the opportunity to perform new and classic material for fans around the world. “I’m a singer trying to get away with a lucky job. I try to soothe, to lift… That’s my life.”

Garfunkel earned his bachelor of arts degree at Columbia College, majoring in art history. Later, he earned his master’s degree in Architecture at Columbia University. Garfunkel is an avid reader and has chronicled every book he’s read since June 1968 on his website. His autobiography (of sorts), “What Is It All But Luminous (Notes from an Underground Man),” was published in 2017 by Alfred A. Knopf.