Encore, Simon!

I was privileged to be a member of the audience at Paul Simon’s concert at the Wiltern Theatre Nov. 16. It was an inspiring and triumphant show for this artist, who has continually demonstrated his remarkable gifts over the decades. It was in this atmosphere that a particularly loving and grateful audience demanded five encores, each one more appreciated than the next.

Therefore I was flabbergasted, after his otherwise glowing and respectful review, to read Robert Hilburn’s comments regarding these encores, describing them as “many” and “unnecessarily drawn out” (“Simon’s Still a Rock,” Nov. 18). Did Simon draw those encores out? I was pretty sure it was the audience, stomping and screaming for more, that kept him coming back onstage.

Perhaps Hilburn was tired and needed to go home and those encores were just too challenging to stay up for. The rest of us appeared glad and would have stayed on all night to hear even one more song.

RONA ELLIOT

Los Angeles