Neil Diamond 2001-2002 Concert Reviews
Tampa, FL - February 16, 2002
ST. PETERSBURG TIMES REVIEW
Diamond all a glitter at Ice Palace
By GINA VIVINETTO, Times Pop Music Critic
© St. Petersburg Times
published February 18, 2002
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TAMPA -- Neil Diamond's fans came out in force to Saturday's sold-out Ice Palace concert
featuring pop music's legendary songwriter and showman. Diamond, 60, dressed in all black
with shimmering sequined shirt, kicked things off with an explosive America, complete with
gigantic American flag backdrop and about 17 times the bombast you already associate with
that ultra-patriotic anthem.
Diamond's crowd featured folks of every age who lept to their feet, swiping for their own
the singer's notoriously unfunky dance moves. Many among the more than 15,000 fans --
Diamond reported 15,982 from the stage -- clapped along to the classics Solitary Man, all
punched up by strident trombone and sax, the delightful Cherry, Cherry, with Diamond
strumming acoustic guitar, and Sweet Caroline.
Diamond's band was as big as his bravado, featuring 10 players, singers and a string
quartet. Their onstage business added to the night's non-stop energy. It's true, what
you've heard about Diamond delivering the goods in a live setting. He sings, claps and
boogies with the gusto of a fellow half his age.
A songwriting icon, Diamond is responsible for dozens of pop classics, many made famous by
other artists. Red, Red Wine, the tune that scored a 1980s hit by British reggae band
UB40, was slowed down, treated to piano and the strains of pedal steel guitar, ending in a
cheesy-but-fun island riff.
The Monkees made I'm A Believer their own back in the 1960s, but it's signature Diamond.
The singer tossed his stand to the side, clutched the mike, snapping fingers with his free
hand, belting out those famous lines about seeing a young woman's face and casting out any
doubt about love.
It wouldn't be Diamond -- king of pop schmaltz -- had he not crooned the chorus's
"I'm in love" while waving his hand across the audience. One of pop's early
hearthrobs, Diamond still dazzles his female fans, proven during Girl, You'll Be A Woman
Soon, which found Diamond lip-locked with one young blonde who approached the stage. Those
tender kisses turned into a make-out session so steamy, afterward Diamond asked the crowd
for a cigarette.
"Well, that's the show tonight, folks," Diamond said, joking about being too
flustered to continue. His patter throughout the night was humorous and filled with
off-the-cuff stories, as well as heartfelt sentiments about our country's heroes -- the
rescue workers and law enforcement in New York, and those fighting the war in Afghanistan.
Sure, Diamond's sentiments get overwrought. His bombast may obscure his simple, economic
pop masterpieces. Yet, look at this former boy from Brooklyn. By concert's end, he was
again singing in front of the American flag. Is Diamond not a metaphor for the country?
Behind his pageantry is a whirlwind of hard work and heart.
BRADENTON HERALD REVIEW
CONCERT REVIEW - Neil Diamond lets music state his case
ROD HARMON
Herald Staff Writer
Neil Diamond has learned a thing or two from his 40-year career, and one of the most
important is that you need to have a great band to put on a great show.
Diamond's concert Saturday at the Ice Palace delivered few surprises, serving up the same
setlist as previous shows in his 2001-02 "Mission of Love" tour. He opened and
closed with "America," led an a capella version of "Sweet Caroline"
and dedicated "Captain Sunshine" to late band member Vince Charles. Even
Diamond's black, sparkling outfit and stage banter were the same.
But his elaborate band, which included a string quartet, two keyboardists, a horn section
and two backing vocalists in addition to the requisite drums, guitar and bass, transformed
the concert into a wall of sound that would have made Phil Spector and Burt Bacharach
proud. What's more, they did it without drowning out Diamond's unmistakable voice, which
still resonates like whiskey being poured down a sore throat.
For two hours, the man once referred to as the "white Barry White" poured on the
hits from his impressive catalogue, from 1966's "Cherry, Cherry" to songs from
his new album, "Three Chord Opera." It's no wonder the guy is able to sell
nearly 16,000 tickets despite not scoring a hit for nearly 20 years - he's got so many in
the bag, he doesn't have to worry about it anymore.
As if to drive the point home, Diamond also reclaimed songs made famous by other artists,
including the Monkees' "I'm a Believer" and UB40's "Red Red Wine,"
which he shifted midsong from its original acoustic dirge to the more popular reggae
version. "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother," which can arguably be called a
Hollies song, was dedicated to America's firefighters, police officers and military
personnel.
The highlight of the show was a sensual rendition of "Girl, You'll Be a Woman
Soon." Diamond picked a blonde out of the audience (it's always a blonde), and
proceeded to kiss and caress her hand as he sang. Whether he planned to have the woman
grab him by the neck and kiss him on the lips for a full minute is anybody's guess, but
his remark of "Anybody got a cigarette?" afterward seemed to imply that he
didn't.
That would make it one of the few spontaneous moments of an otherwise scripted show. What
made the difference between a bad show and a good one was that Diamond and his band
managed to make it seem fresh anyway.
And that, boys and girls, is what's called musicianship.
TAMPA TRIBUNE REVIEW
Diamond Shows Luster During Sold-Out Show At Tampa's Ice Palace
By CURTIS ROSS cross@tampatrib.com
Published: Feb 17, 2002
TAMPA - Forget angst, anger and art, at least the self-conscious kind. Neil Diamond
offered nothing but old-fashioned entertainment for a sold-out Saturday night Ice Palace
crowd of more than 15,000 (15,982, Diamond reported from the stage).
Watching Diamond banging out the opening chords of ``Cherry, Cherry'' was to be reminded
that Diamond is old enough to remember when rock 'n' roll was fresh and new. Diamond
conjured up memories of the Everly Brothers with the song's simple, powerful riff - those
three chords have been used time and time again but seldom as well as this.
It's probably no coincidence that Elvis Presley's former drummer, Ron Tutt, anchors
Diamond's 15-piece band, which was augmented by a pair of vocalists and Diamond on
occasional guitar and piano.
Diamond touched on all phases of his career, from the '60s hits he wrote for himself and
others through the singer-songwriter period of the late '60s and early '70s on to the
balladeer era which has brought him his biggest success.
A huge American flag covered the front of the stage as the concert began, rising as the
lights dimmed and an orchestral medley of his hits played over the loud speakers.
A spotlight hit center stage where Diamond stood, all in black save for the spangles on
his shirt.
He began with ``America.'' Not surprisingly, the rousing anthem was greeted with wild
enthusiasm.
For ``Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon,'' Diamond beckoned a woman from the audience to the
lip of the stage. What began with a kissed hand accelerated into a brief make-out sessions
which left Diamond asking for a cigarette.
Diamond closed in strong form with his longtime concert favorite, ``Brother Love's
Traveling Salvation Show.''
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