September 3rd, 2008
By Gem
I know, I know why is a 26 year old going to a Neil Diamond concert. But I am an unabashed Neil Diamond fan. While growing up in Connecticut, music always filled my home. I was raised on a healthy music diet of Julio Iglesia, Juan Luis Guerra, Billy Joel, Elton John, Neil Diamond and various other legends of music. So when a couple of college friends asked about going to Fenway to see Neil in all his glory, I of course, jumped at the offer and dragged my husband along for the 3 hour ride to Boston.
According to Neil’s homepage he is 67 years old and man does this man still have it. To begin, he sold out Fenway. He started exactly at 8 pm with no start up band just him, his band and a couple of back up singers. For two solid hours with no intermission he entertained thousands.
It was amazing. I was not alive for the original Hot August Night concert but I am positive Neil delivered in 2008 as he did in the 70s. It just proves that with little or no drugs all singers can keep their voices intact. Listening to Neil live was like listening to him on the radio in my living room years ago.
The first song of the night was Sweet Caroline, the Red Sox anthem and got the whole crowd cheering, dancing and singing. He quickly followed with all of his world famous favorites like Cherry Cherry, You don’t Send me Flowers, Love on the Rocks, Thank the Lord for the Nighttime, Brooklyn Roads, Solitary Man, I’m a Believer, Song Sung Blue, Forever in Blue Jeans, Cracklin Rosie, two more renditions of Sweet Caroline and a few songs from his new CD. PHEW! Again, no intermission just two solid hours of Neil Diamond. Come on, no one performs like that. We only paid $45 per ticket and got one of the best performances.
Even though our group of eight were the youngest people in the entire stadium by at least 20 years we had a ball! Neil Diamond Rocks! (And I have the t-shirt to prove it.)
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