On August 13, 1999 at Foxwoods Casino the opening notes of "Friends of Mine" began playing and while it sounded familiar I initially couldn't identify it until Nick's keys kicked up a notch and Simon walked on stage in a cowboy hat. During the pause between the first 4 verses and the next 4, Simon eerily said, "This is not a nice song." As Simon went through the lyrics, he got to the verse: "Running cold, the water's running cold", he then improvised by saying, "I'll be the first to admit", and then continuing the next verse "It's time that you were told, I think you're growing old". At the time he was 40, Nick was 37 and Warren was 42.
"My parents, brother, and I left Iran in 1980, shortly after the revolution. After a brief stay in Italy, we packed all our belongings once again and headed west to the exotic and the unknown: Vancouver. We had recently been accepted as landed immigrants, meaning Canada graciously opened its doors and we gratefully accepted; we arrived at Vancouver International Airport on my 10th birthday, three suitcases and one sewing machine in tow. After respectful but intense questioning at immigration, we were dropped off at a hotel on Robson Street, which was then still a couple years shy of becoming the fashionable tourist hub it is today. We were jetlagged, culture shocked, and hungry, so that first night, my father and brother courageously ventured out into the wild in search of provisions. I fell asleep before they returned. The next morning, I woke up at 5 a.m. and ravenously feasted on a cold Quarter Pounder with cheese and limp French fries that had been left by my beds...

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