The final concert in the Wednesday night summer series at Anson Nixon Park was by a Neil Diamond tribute band called Real Diamond, and it drew the largest crowd of the summer. Curtis DiDomizio, who founded the band, sounds so much like Neil Diamond that when we walked in we thought recordings were being played on the PA system; nope, it was the band doing its sound check.
The group played all of Diamond's hits, old and new: I was singing "Shiloh" for days afterward. From the first song on, groups of little kids danced in front of the stage, and "Neil" -- dressed in a spangly black shirt and black pants -- seemed to enjoy coming down of the stage and interacting with them. His introduction to the ballad "September Morn" was funny and timely: he asked the kids if they were looking forward to going back to school.
After darkness fell, lots of grown-up dancers took the dance floor, perhaps more self-conscious than the uninhibited kids.
My regular readers know how much I've enjoyed these concerts in the park -- we didn't miss a single one, and despite threatening skies on a few July nights, only one show was cut short due to rain. A huge thank you to the organizers and sponsors! It was really an extraordinary lineup of talent in a beautiful setting.
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