"It's more than a musical event, " said fan Rick Panero, who attended with his mother and brother.

WSJ: 'Sugar Man' Rodriguez plays to adoring NY crowd

On the Hudson River on Thursday, the impact was like "being inside a car that crashes, " passenger Alberto Panero said.

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Mr. Panero is managing editor of the New Criterion.

WSJ: Discovering Columbus | A Monumental Problem | By James Panero