Raspy Singing a Painful Letdown
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PubDate: 08-26-08 Page: 2A Edition: 2 Replate: User: dreasoner Color:K A2 THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH TUESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2008 BREAKING NEWS: DISPATCH.COM REVIEW NEIL DIAMOND Raspy singing a painful letdown By Aaron Beck while Diamond’s feral-sound- THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH ing throat croaked Solitary Man, more than 70 people While a back-up singer did were standing in line at a her part during You Don’t customer service walk-up in Bring Me Flowers last night in the lobby asking for refunds Value City Arena, Neil Dia- for tickets — face value $19.50 mond sat at a white linen- to $120. draped table for two and Heidi Boyle, in Columbus sipped a glass of red wine. for business, was one. She He should have pounded said she’s attended “maybe a four shots of honey and a pint dozen concerts” in her life — of Robitussin, and then five of them by Diamond. She climbed into a time machine saw a show in July in Minnea- and journeyed far away from polis. the stage, because this show “It was phenomenal,” Boyle should not have gone on. said. “This is not what it From the beginning of the sounded like. This was just concert at 8:15 when he sad because I love his music. barked, “Hello, Columbus” It’s not even about the money. (and laid waste to the lyrics of It’s about the time. People in Holly Holy) through the end of front of me drove from Kansas the set at 10 p.m. (with the to go to the show.” campy rock-gospel, we’re-all- (As of deadline — 12:15 a.m. God’s-children number Broth- today— details about refunds er Love’s Traveling Salvation were sketchy. Boyle said ven- JAMES DECAMP DISPATCH Show), the Jazz Singer’s pipes ue representatives were taking Neil Diamond performs to a large crowd at the Value City Arena. Last night’s hoarse set left many people seeking refunds. coughed up words to familiar names and numbers and songs in sounds that can be promising to call upset ticket Diamond called himself out during the sing-along Sweet The set list was packed with and returned (in less than a described only as painful. holders today.) not once during the show, Caroline and the clanging the usual hits — Cherry, Cher- minute) to bang out America No one who’s been check- Typically when a singer which was akin to pretending America). ry; Forever in Blue Jeans; Love and the aforementioned ing in on Diamond’s 67-year- goes on with the show, de- a house isn’t on fire when all The stage show, which in- on the Rocks — all delivered in Brother Love’s Traveling Salva- old voice could have seen saw spite an obvious ailment, the four walls are going down in cluded a noncloying senti- a hellishly dry, Howlin’ Wolf- tion Show. it coming. Recent YouTube singer’s acknowledgment of flames around you. mental journey in the form of like rasp. It also contained “It was a hot August night,” clips from the tour find him in the distraction after the first It was all a letdown for a film footage from Diamond’s three tunes from Diamond’s Diamond hoarsely sang-spoke fine form, and although his song diffuses the distraction. few reasons. The 14-piece working-class New York latest low-key, songwriterly as he began the song. voice on his latest albums has Audience members then pull band was classy all night, stomping grounds (during album, Home Before Dark. Not really. It was more like a naturally deeper, more grav- for the singer to power sounded great, never dis- Brooklyn Roads), was not the The proper set ended with an anticlimactic August night elly quality, it’s nowhere near through every tune and they tracted from their leader in overblown, Las Vegas-style the recent Hell Yeah (a tribute that a lot of people who paid Tom Waits/Bob Dylan/Joe will wholeheartedly applaud black and it was grandiose affair most people might to Johnny Cash from 2005’s 12 a lot of money to witness will Cocker territory. with a raucous combination only when a song called for a expect from the man who put Songs) before Diamond left try to forget. Which is why an hour in, of sympathy and enthusiasm. smidge of pomp (OK — a lot the spangle in spangled shirt. the stage, changed his shirt [email protected] will gesture aimed at reviving METRO & STATE expands from the six who Clippers packing up BUSINESS the peace process. U.S. Secre- filed the suit to any division tary of State Condoleezza Ohio State conducting employee who can show the relics from Cooper Nationwide subsidiary Rice, who arrived later in the trials of heart device policy violated his or her The kitchen sink might not be to lay off 30 workers day, acknowledged that a medical privacy rights. B1 on the list of transferable A large international study GatesMcDonald, a Nation- broad peace deal is a long items when the Clippers move SPEED started yesterday at Ohio wide subsidiary that’s a third- shot before President Bush from Cooper Stadium to Hun- State, possibly opening the SCIENCE party administrator for work- leaves office, but she said tington Park, but the Paul door for heart-failure patients ers’ comp programs, will lay progress is important. A3 Astronomers’ huge Bunyan-size Clipper hat currently ineligible for a re- off 30 people after it lost a above the door of the souvenir synchronization device. Ac- sky survey continues contract. The layoffs will start Some dining halls shop is. As is just about every- cording to researchers, as Dec. 31. C10 More than 300 astronomers thing else that isn’t part of the are ditching trays many as 1 million patients are collaborating in the Sloan permanent structure. The READ nationwide could benefit if PharmaForce may The days of piling dining-hall Digital Sky Survey, a massive team plays its final game on the trials are successful. B1 Top stories trays high is over at some search of space for new dis- W. Mound Street on Monday, expand in New Albany colleges and universities. A coveries that has resulted in against Toledo. C1 inside growing number of schools U.S. Postal Service more than 1,500 scientific PharmaForce, a Columbus are doing away with trays in stamping out machines articles during the past eight Nadal bordering on pharmaceutical company, an effort to cut food waste years. So far, more than 340 might build a $35 million Breaking news all day and conserve water used in The U.S. Postal Service is million images of stars and tennis greatness facility in New Albany that at Dispatch.com removing stamp-dispensing would add 200 jobs over three dishwashing. Students aren’t galaxies have been taken and Rafael Nadal appears to have machines from the 24-hour years. But Massachusetts and necessarily sold on the idea, 3-D maps of wide slices of ushered in a new era of men’s NATION & WORLD lobbies of post offices. The New Mexico are competing however. A8 space have been created. B4 tennis by completing the machines are obsolete and for the project. The state of adaptation of his game to all Video shows teenage parts are no longer available, Ohio is offering more than Ex-prime minister three surfaces. The 22-year- according to postal officials SPORTS $14 million in loans to keep bombing suspect old Spaniard gained the No. 1 Thatcher has dementia who said customers can go to the company here. C10 OSU’s Boeckman spot on the ATP Tour on Aug. Iraqi police released video groceries and pharmacies for Margaret Thatcher, Britain’s 18 after spending a record 160 yesterday of a teenage girl stamps after hours. B1 exudes confidence Topping the wearing an explosives vest prime minister from 1979 to weeks at No. 2 behind Roger that she says relatives forced 1990, is suffering from de- Police suit ruled With a season as Ohio State’s Federer. Nadal’s current streak ‘perfect 10’ her to wear. The release of the mentia, her family has con- starting quarterback under his of 39 wins in 40 matches — firmed. The news has come as a class-action case belt, Todd Boeckman enters the latest a first-round win in Eleven is the Hyde Park Res- video might be part of an taurant Group’s newest cre- effort to turn Iraqis against a blow to Britons and col- 2008 as the confident leader the U.S. Open yesterday — leagues who recall Thatcher, A lawsuit against the Colum- of the OSU offense. “He has includes two tournament ation, a small-plates and insurgents, who are recruiting bus Division of Police over cocktail bar adjoining its Hyde female bombers. A3 now 82, as “ageless, timeless overcome a lot of things to get championships each on clay, and 100 percent cast-iron forcing employees to divulge to this point,” said his father, grass and hard courts. C1 Park Prime Steakhouse on the damage-proof.” Daughter their illness when they return Tim Boeckman. “Now you can I-670 cap on N. High Street. Israel frees 198 Carol Thatcher writes in a from sick leave can be tried as see his maturity.” OSU coach C10 Palestinian prisoners memoir of the pain of having a class-action suit, a judge has Jim Tressel sees a player who to tell her mother over and ruled. The city would have to has “great command of what Israel released 198 Palestinian over that her husband, Den- pay a lot more if it loses be- we’re trying to do.” C1 prisoners yesterday in a good- nis, died in 2003.