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With the sound of helicopters hovering overhead, the country singer Lee Greenwood took a phone call on Thursday while standing backstage at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.

The five-night L.A. stint kicks off the 22-date tour, which features shows in Chicago, New York, Houston, Las Vegas and Washington, D.C., as well as London and Paris.

Simon — who happens to be composer-in-residence at the newly troubled Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. — noted in a preconcert talk that his initial idea for a “Good News Mass” came from his awareness during the pandemic of the essential need for community.

Born and raised in an affluent suburb of Washington, D.C., his younger years were plagued with what he called “complete buffoonery” — street fights, misplaced aggression and behavior that resulted in multiple arrests.

Already, Washington D.C. is in the government’s sights.