Audio By Carbonatix
Perhaps we’ll never know how much Neil Diamond’s career was lengthened by his appearance in Saving Silverman, but it was one of many factors of late that gave the 70-year-old’s career some legs. The incessant Red Sox nation adopting Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” as an anthem certainly didn’t hurt his popularity in the Northeast, but it was never lagging there. Music critics can herald his 2005 album, 12 Songs, which was recorded with the late-career booster Rick Rubin.
Who knows, but when the tireless legend launches a lengthy tour across North America on June 1 at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, he might be thinking about getting inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year and his new fiance — or possibly his days with Jason Biggs and the dude from Full Metal Jacket in the 2001 screwball comedy about a Neil tribute band called Diamonds in the Rough.
Here in Saving Silverman, we see Biggs, Jack Black and Steve Zahn with a crowd of nearly 50 people eating out of the palms of their hands. Work it, boys.
Everything was groovy until Biggs’ character starts dating a crazy, controlling shrink, played by Amanda Peet, who gets in the way of his love of Neil Diamond.
Major spoiler alert: Neil Diamond hatches a plan to keep Biggs’ character from marrrying that hateful woman, and this is perhaps the most action “America” has ever seen (or should ever see).Always a showstopper, Diamond keeps the unhappy couple from saying “I do.” And the ultimate payoff: Diamonds in the Rough get to perform “Holly Holy” with their hero at the end.Neil’s words from the film (taken out of context, of course): “I’ve spent my whole life writing songs about the healing power of love, but up until now, they’ve only been words. This may be my chance to prove that these words really mean something… I believe in happy endings and if Neil Diamond has anything to do with it, this love story’s gonna have one.”He wasn’t talking about his 2012 North American tour, but we’ll pretend he was.
| TOUR ROUTING | |||
| DATE | CITY | VENUE | ON SALE |
| June 1 | Ft. Lauderdale, FL | BankAtlantic Center | Dec. 12 |
| June 3 | Tampa, FL | St. Pete Times Forum | Dec. 5 |
| June 6 | Atlanta, GA | Philips Arena | Dec. 5 |
| June 8 | Wantagh, NY | Nikon at Jones Beach Theater | Dec. 5 |
| June 14 | Washington, DC | Verizon Center | Dec. 5 |
| June 16 | Uncasville, CT | Mohegan Sun Arena | Dec. 5 |
| June 18 | Philadelphia, PA | Wells Fargo Center | Dec. 5 |
| June 21 | Montreal, BC | Bell Centre | Dec. 12 |
| June 23 | Boston, MA | TD Garden | Dec. 5 |
| June 26 | Toronto, ON | Air Canada Centre | Dec. 12 |
| June 28 | London, ON | John Labatt Centre | Dec. 12 |
| July 1 | Cleveland, OH | Quicken Loans Arena | Dec. 5 |
| July 3 | Detroit, MI | DTE Energy Music Theatre | Dec. 5 |
| July 6 | Chicago, IL | United Center | Dec. 5 |
| July 8 | Milwaukee, WI | Summerfest | Dec. 10 |
| July 11 | St Paul, MN | Xcel Energy Center | Dec. 5 |
| July 13 | Saskatoon, SK | Credit Union Centre | Dec. 12 |
| July 16 | Edmonton, AB | Rexall Place | Dec. 12 |
| July 18 | Calgary, AB | Scotiabank Saddledome | Dec. 12 |
| July 21 | Vancouver, BC | Rogers Arena | Dec. 12 |
| July 23 | Seattle, WA | Key Arena | Dec. 5 |
| July 28 | Salt Lake City, UT | Rio Tinto Stadium | Dec. 5 |
| August 7 | San Jose, CA | HP Pavilion | Dec. 5 |
| August 29 | Phoenix, AZ | US Airways Center | Dec. 5 |
| September 1 | Las Vegas, NV | MGM Grand Garden Arena | Dec. 5 |
Neil Diamond. June 1 at BankAtlantic Center, 1 Panther Parkway, Sunrise. Tickets go on sale December 12. Click here.
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