April 20, 2005
Hot August (31st) Night
Way back in 2002 I had the amazing opportunity to catch Neil Diamond on tour at the Excel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN. It was my first live experience with Neil and, to be perfectly honest, I believed it would be my last. The man was 60 years old at the time and had been touring with his band for 30 some odd years. That's a long time! The 3rd longest papacy in history only lasted 26 years. (Let it be known that in no way am I trying to compare Mr. Diamond's impact on the world with that of Pope John Paul II...only his sheer rock endurance.)
So...imagine my surprise and boyish delight when I found out that the man himself would be returning to the stage once again for a World Tour in 2005! C'mon a yeah huh!!!! And so it pleases me to announce that I will be rocking and swaying and "getting my Neil on" at the Target Center in Minneapolis this August 31st. Diieeeaaaggguh!!!!
I leave you now with lyrics from the song "Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show" which communicate how I will be felling come August 31st when I walk into the arena.
"Room gets suddenly still
And when you'd almost bet
You could hear yourself sweat, he walks in.
Eyes black as coal
And when he lifts his face
Every ear in the place is on him."