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Scott Neal
12/30/01 setlist
Tue Jan 1 22:03:02 2002
Overture
America
Mission Of Love
Solitary Man
Cherry, Cherry
Red Red Wine
I’m A Believer
Play Me
Soolaimon
If You Know What I Mean
Beautiful Noise
Girl, You’ll Be A Woman Soon
I Haven’t Played This Song In Years
You Are The Best Part Of Me
At The Movies
–omits I Believe In Happy Endings
Forever In Blue Jeans
Star Flight
–omits Captain Sunshine
Holly Holy
Sweet Caroline
1 repeat
You Don’t Bring Me Flowers
Yes I Will/Lady Magdelene
Shilo
He Ain’t Heavy…He’s My Brother
I Am…I Said
(encore)
Cracklin’ Rosie
Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show
Anita
Las Vegas Last Nite
Mon Dec 31 21:53:09 2001
Was not there home sick 🙁 (I even had tickets for both nights) but, my best friend Nancy Gentes called me at 1:44 AM. Neil was in rare form, Neil did much more talking which included chastising her for having binoculars in row B on one side closest to the stage.
He ask her and another fan why they had binoculars and what they were looking at. He joked they had 300 power binoculars and he really picked on them in fun about what could they want to see. Nancy stood up and said it was to see him. At that point, he covered the side of his mouth and mouthed something to her and he ask her what did I say, I believe she said so when is the date or did you set the date.
He turned his attention to the audience and wanted them to know he wanted them to stand up not just sit here. He complained that all the people in the front rows were rich people with all their diamonds blinding him on the stage and they don’t stand up. He saw 6 sets in front empty so he looked behind the stage and told ushers to pick out 6 people and bring them down to these seats, which they did.
He was very upbeat, he only seemed frustrated when he sang, If You Know What I. Mean, many of the audience seemed dead when he sang this one. He did not sing Captain Sunshine. She and others went out after and ran into Linda Press who gave her a hug, she was looking for Starbucks.
By the way, while she was here in LA, at the first show on the 19th, Neil took her handkerchief and wiped himself. Then on the 3rd night he ask, she jumped up with another and he said on no you got one the other night, what are you trying to do get a set of my DNA and laughed. She’s having a great time, so happy or her.
shelbijack
Neil songs
Sat Jan 5 01:47:17 2002
The New Years Eve Concert was good and I had a great time. I missed however some of my favorite songs, which are Hello again and Love on the Rocks. I went to his December concert in LA and he didn’t sing them there either. I heard many people say they loved the show, but missed those songs I mentioned.I guess us oldies just keep on hanging on to the past. I do love all his new songs and play them often…Am Looking forward to more of his concerts…
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL REVIEW
Wed Jan 2 13:08:20 2002
Tuesday, January 01, 2002
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal
Diamond draws huge crowds to predictable show
By DOUG ELFMAN
REVIEW-JOURNAL
Hey, guess what. Neil Diamond filled about 22,000 seats at the MGM Grand Garden arena on Sunday and Monday. That’s more people than the combined sum of fans who saw Britney Spears, Jane’s Addiction, Erykah Badu and Sum 41 this year in Las Vegas.
And Diamond’s ticket prices were the highest of that bunch, at $50-$150 a cushion. For that price, he spent two hours and 10 minutes going over familiar tunes. Among them: “Red, Red Wine” (which was covered into a No. 1 hit by UB40), “I’m a Believer” (the hit he wrote for the Monkees), “Forever in Blue Jeans” (which was used in a Gap ad not too long ago), “Girl You’ll Be a Woman Soon” (which was covered by Urge Overkill and used in the film “Pulp Fiction”), and his signature hit “Sweet Caroline.”
Diamond’s dressed-up fans were mostly older. Presumably, they miss the days when soft-pop singers Barbra Streisand and Barry Manilow topped the very same pop charts that the hard-rock band Nickelback owns this week. These fans danced and sang along with high revelry. They weren’t real old, but at times, it looked like the movie “Cocoon,” where “mature” people became young again for a night, even if they were antsy.
“Why hasn’t it started? It’s a half-hour late,” a woman said behind me.
“It’s called Jewish standard time,” her husband joked. Diamond is Jewish.
A huge American flag curtained the stage. Once it was raised, Diamond appeared front and center in a bright haze of spotlights. He stood in a white sparkley shirt and black pants. And on a war-torn night, Diamond opened and closed with his immigrant-embracing “America.” At the song’s conclusion, he pointed at the ceiling. Wild applause ensued.
Diamond was more than kitschy. He was schmaltzy and cliché, but professional and commanding. He was predictable, yet dynamic.
My high school orchestra conductor claimed Diamond was the greatest living composer in 1984. I disagree, but Diamond at his peak was a very skilled composer and arranger. That was most apparent Sunday when he played with the nice octave jumps of “I Am … I Said.” And when his two female backup singers added the “do-do-do” counter vocals to “Cherry Cherry.” And when his 15-piece band — including a four-piece horn section and an all-woman string quartet — cemented a wall of sound on “I’m a Believer.” And when Diamond sang the classic uptick, half-steps of the slow-waltz chorus, “Play Me.”
Diamond’s bassy, cigarettes-and-coffee-in-the-morning rasp was as subjectively passable as usual, in the way he warbled his vibrato while talk-singing deeply to love songs. You either love that voice or you don’t.
And he was personable, joking with the crowd and apparently making out with A) a married woman in the front row, B) a married backup singer and C) a bald man’s head.
“It’s so soft. It’s so smooth,” he said seductively after kissing an usher’s noggin. “We’ll meet later for a drink.”
It was all better than I expected, but not great. Diamond fans who plan to complain about my muted glee can line up behind my funny girlfriend, who thought it was the best show of the last few years. But then, her picture showed up in the Indianapolis Star when she was 5, after she performed in a talent show as “Diamond’s Little Darling.” She’s from Indiana, both geographically and spiritually. She calls Diamond her “Jewish Elvis.” Yes, she does.
Scott Neal
12/31/01 setlist
Tue Jan 1 22:06:58 2002
Overture
America
Mission Of Love
Solitary Man
Cherry, Cherry
Red Red Wine
I’m A Believer
Play Me
Soolaimon
If You Know What I Mean
Beautiful Noise
Girl, You’ll Be A Woman Soon
I Haven’t Played This Song In Years
You Are The Best Part Of Me
At The Movies
I Believe In Happy Endings
Forever In Blue Jeans
Star Flight
Captain Sunshine
Holly Holy
Sweet Caroline
You Don’t Bring Me Flowers
Yes I Will/Lady Magdelene
Shilo
(MIDNIGHT)
Auld Lang Syne
–omits He Ain’t Heavy…He’s My Brother
–omits I Am…I Said
Cracklin’ Rosie
Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show
Gracie and Caryn
“Stand Up For Neil” in Vegas
Sat Jan 5 11:30:12 2002
“Stand Up For Neil” in Vegas
originally posted on January 5 2002 at 5:18 AM
Gracie and Caryn
from IP address 63.225.209.102
As we ascended into the magnificent city of Las Vegas…with Neil singing his gorgeous heart out on our CD player…we approached the MGM Grand…our excitement about to overtake us..our feet not even touching the ground in anticipation of seeing Our Neil…and as we walked in the doors…what did our eyes feast on?!? but Our Neil on big screen above the registration desk…we thought we had died and gone to heaven!! it was like Neil was welcoming us to the MGM Grand. The Vision of Neil was breathtaking!
We almost couldn’t concentrate on checking in…and the people could tell right off that we were diehard Neilies.. and that was only the beginning…Neil was EVERYWHERE in all his glory…his pics were around every corner of the hotel…Gracie sneaking out her camera every chance she got! and once she figured out that she could take as many pics that she wanted, she got some good pictures of the posters. And we both took every chance we had to TOUCH Neil !…we’re so baadddd but Neil looked sogoodsogoodsogood…it was very hard to keep our minds on the seriousness of gambling that day and that is Gracie’s fave thing to do…she screams out hysterically if she wins a buck! No lie! Bet Neil heard her in his penthouse suite!!
But we made it through the day and on to dinner with the girls…although still hard to concentrate on food…when visuals of Neil were dancing in our heads..
It was fun to meet other Neilies as crazed as ourselves… telling all our Neil fantasies to each other. We were all definitely on a NEILHIGH..
Then it was ON TO THE SHOW…the “sparkle sisters” and friends in their sparkles too…what a site we were to behold! we couldn’t pass the venue with all the gorgeous Neil goodies…altho we had just about bought everything at the Phoenix concert….but oh that gold Neil Vegas shirt and the Got Neil nightie got our attention….gotta have Neil!! and the dreams and Visual’s wearing Neil brings.
So we bagged it up and on to our seats…our excitement building by the second! And OOOHHHH YEAHHHH when the lights went out…the smoke and colored lights began and the vision of Our Neil coming up outta the stage….the light ascended on Neil…the visual overtook us…Gracie was telling us both to BREATHE…something we forget to do!
Neil was a gorgeous visual in his white silk shirt…with blue and crystal colored diamonds looking like they were poured over his body…(are we getting this picture vividly here??)
Neil then proceeded to do what we all love so much…pour out his heart and soul into the songs that always keep us coming back for more! We were immediately onour feet…much to the dismay of a lady behind us which she vocalized…but HEY TOO BAD…we came to dance and sing along with our Neil! He really needed us in the front row! We danced..we sang..we cried..we laffed..all those wonderful emotions that Neil brings out in all of us… and when he sang “Girl” we gotta say that she had to have taken Neil’s tonsils out…it was a very greeneyed moment for us thru the binoculars!!
Lucky lucky lady!!
Neil had lots of fun times talking with the audience…even kissed an usher on his bald head because he said he loves bald heads! And really gave it to a lady that was binocularing him in the second row! Neil’s voice was spectacular…not to mention his AWESOME VISUAL…what eyecandy he is for us all! It was sadddd to see him leave the stage…but we knew we would see him New Years.
We spent New Years Eve day…running around on the Vegas strip…visions of Neil on the MGM marquee …and on just about all the taxicabs there were pics of Neil…he was EVERYWHERE! We rode the rollercoaster at the New York New York…and we can truthfully say we thought we had died and gone to hell when it was over…good thing we had Neil to look forward to that night!
We found someone selling red sequined top hats and of course just had to have those to go with our sparkly shirts! And again had a tough time eating dinner with thoughts of Neil in our heads. We again met up with our Neilfriends..all excited and chattin again about our Neil…waiting very impatiently.. And then along with our friend Fawzia…we met up with the ANGEL of NEW YEARS EVE..his name was John..he gave us what we consider our New Years MIRACLE…4th row floor seats which were considerably closer to Neil than what seats we had! We will never forget this man and what he did for us!
Sooo..again we were off to find our seats…and Gracie was hyperventilating and having way to much fun, on a major high just being that close to Neil once again, when we saw how close to Neil we would be! OOOHHH YEAHHH and YUMMMMM are the key words here!!
As we sat we came to find out that there were a few of Neil’s family around us…what a thrill that was! Three people down a lady was talking to me and she told me the man sitting with her was Neil’s brother…well you know me…I said Yeah Right!…then I took a good look at him…alrighty then! Sure looked alot like Neil himself! and of course Gracie missed the greatness again being pulled to the right to answer questions, and missed seeing Neil’s bother, and the lights went down and that was it for the view.
Then the lights went off once again…and we wondered how Neil could top that shirt from the night before…WELL…he certainly did!!
PINK with burgandy and crystal colored diamonds poured once again over Neil’s gorgeous body….OOOHHHH MYYYY GOSHHHH…was looking at him from the fourth row with binoculars!!! Never saw a more beautiful man in pink our lives!! And again then came THE VOICE…it was almost more than our little hearts could stand! But OOOHHH what a way to go!
The silly woman on “Girl” wouldn’t even get close and kiss Neil…we were screamin at her! Took everything we had NOT to pole vault over everyone and get up there and show her what to do….geeezzzzz we wouldn’t have wasted that incredible moment! Why couldn;t we have had that chance!?!?
When Neil did Captain Sunshine, we had tears running down our faces, and missing Vince this night, and the awesome emotion Neil had, at the end of the song and Neil’s words for Vince, something pulled us to our feet, for a few seconds, thanking Neil for his memory of Vince and our’s.
When Neil did Yes I Will/ Lady Magdeline, wowww, chills, it was so great to see Neil at the piano, and the feeling in his face spoke volumms, awesome once again.
And at midnight…what can we say???? Neil in all his glory with confetti flying….what a fantasyland it was! And then the stage came up under Neil and he was high in the air belting out Brother Love….this is Gracie’s favorite…she was singing right along with him! What a visual he was and what a way to bring in the New Year! Was again so very saddd to see Neil leave the stage!
We did not get the extreme pleasure of meeting Neil after the show…but did get to meet, hug and get kisses from many of the bandmembers..what a thrill it was…Julie, King, Doug and Hadley…after all these years up close and personal ! A bunch of us Neilfriends reminiced about Neil till the wee hours…so many wonderful memories for us all…
Neil was just INCREDIBLE these two nights…he was AWESOME…Neil has always been INCREDIBLE over the years…but these nights Neil just seemed to make them magical…we will always remember them…THANK YOU NEIL….WE LOVE YOU! What a special gift you gave us…bringing in the New Year with you…like only you know how in your very special way!! Leaving Neil and the MGM Grand was a tough thing to do…but we listened and sang with Neil on CD all the way home….with memories Neil gave us that we will never forget!
This is our story and what a memory of 2001-2002 concert tour was for us. and this is the kind of story’s we like to tell and leave the griping out as to what Neil should or should not have do, don’t care what he drops for songs, just his presence is greatness for us.
Gracie and Caryn have left the building, hope you all enjoyed our story.
and hope this message post goes this time…
Neil Hugs and Love to all.