My niece Tammy and I went to see Neil Diamond in concert last Friday. I've lost count of how many times I've seen Neil in concert - is it six or seven now? - dating back to the early 1980s, but I hadn't seen him in concert since 1996, so I was glad to have the opportunity to see him again. I've been a Neil Diamond fan since I was about 14 years old (!).
And as usual, the "Solitary Man" put on a fantastic show! He is 67 but has the energy of someone half his age, and he is on stage for an entire two hours - no opening act, no intermission. While he isn't able to perform ALL his hits (I would have liked to hear "If You Know What I Mean," "Desiree" and "September Morn," all of which I've seen him do in past concerts, but which were left out this time around) he sings MOST of them, and what he gives you isn't an abbreviated verse and chorus as part of a medley, either! He gives you the entire song! His audience absolutely adores him (none of the other performers I've ever seen in concert has such a close rapport with their audience, none), and he has people out of their seats and dancing for tunes like "Cherry Cherry" and "I'm A Believer." And no Neil Diamond concert is complete without him and his fans singing the chorus of "Sweet Caroline" over and over and over! (So good, so good, so good!) (Pun intended!)
A very moving moment is when he sings the achingly poignant "Brooklyn Roads," a song about his boyhood in New York, and on a large screen behind him is shown home movies from his teen years with his parents and his brother. VERY nice, Neil - hard to keep a dry eye while watching that footage and listening to that beautiful biographical song!
Also new since the last time I saw him in concert is the slow dance he and Linda Press do while singing "You Don't Bring Me Flowers." Just beautiful! (And she gets PAID to do that - sigh...)
Here's hoping Neil keeps rocking for many years to come - your fans sure do love you, Mr. Diamond!
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