2008-04-15 23:58:33 -
- For Neil Diamond: Dvora Englefield, B/W/R Public Relations, (310) 248-6161 denglefield@BWR-la.com Kim Estlund, B/W/R Public Relations, (310) 248-6127 kestlund@BWR-la.com Michael Moses, B/W/R Public Relations, (310) 248-6171 mmoses@BWR-la.com or For AEG Live: Hannah Kampf, Scoop Marketing, (213) 639-6160 hkampf@solters.com Eve Samuels, Scoop Marketing, (213) 639-6160 esamuels@solters.com To the delight of
his millions of fans, legendary singer, songwriter and performer Neil Diamond will return to concert stages this summer for a 37-city North American tour, promoted nationally by AEG Live. Tickets for the North American tour, scheduled to kick off July 19th in St. Paul, Minnesota, will go on sale in select markets beginning Monday, April 28th. Fans should visit neildiamond.com and check local listings for updated information. The North American leg follows a series of European dates starting May 24th in Rotterdam, with new dates recently added to accommodate an overwhelming demand for tickets.
With a four-decade long career that has seen more than 125 million records sold worldwide, 36 Top 40 hits, a Grammy, a Golden Globe and thousands of sold-out shows all over the globe, Neil Diamond remains one of the most vital and innovative forces in modern music. The 2008 summer tour will deliver a familiar yet unique fan experience featuring amazing production, innovative stage design and, of course, an unparalleled set list of Diamond's most beloved hits. In addition to classics such as "Sweet Caroline," "I'm a Believer," and "Cherry, Cherry," Diamond will perform new, never before performed live songs from his upcoming, highly anticipated album, Home Before Dark, his second collaboration with renowned producer Rick Rubin, to be released by Columbia Records on May 6th.
Diamond announced the tour in a surprise televised appearance at the Boston Red Sox season opener at Fenway Park on April 8th. During the traditional eighth-inning sing-a-long of Diamond's classic "Sweet Caroline,"--a longtime Fenway tradition--the singer appeared in a televised, big-screen broadcast, proclaiming to fans that he will be performing live in concert at the historic Fenway Park on Saturday, August 23rd, 2008.
American Express is providing a special opportunity for their cardmembers to purchase 'Early On-Sale' tickets (in select markets and venues) one week prior to the general public on-sale. All tickets available during the American Express presale can be purchased via Ticketmaster, at ticketmaster.com. Additionally, I Love All Access is proud to be the exclusive provider of VIP ticket package experiences for the tour. Fans should visit iloveallaccess.com for more information and to purchase VIP tickets.
Diamond's prolific body of work includes "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" (the powerful duet with Barbra Streisand), "I Am, I Said" and "Cracklin' Rosie," as well as hits from his album and movie The Jazz Singer ("America," "Love on the Rocks") and from his acclaimed 2005 album 12 Songs. The album marked his first project with Rubin, which entered the Billboard Top 200 at No. 4 - marking Diamond's highest-charting debut to date - and offered a stripped-down, emotionally honest and passionately compelling approach that continues on Home Before Dark.
Like all great Neil Diamond albums, Home Before Dark is a powerful work, crossing generational lines with an extraordinary range and level of songcraft. Imbued with the same style of inspired melodies that has made his music so enduring, the album's highlights include the stunning lead single "Pretty Amazing Grace" and a striking duet with the Dixie Chicks' Natalie Maines entitled "Another Day (That Time Forgot)." The new collection was written by Diamond and recorded in Los Angeles with guitarist Mike Campbell, keyboardist Benmont Tench (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers), bassist/acoustic guitarist Smokey Hormel and guitarist Matt Sweeney. The album will also be available as a deluxe version that includes two bonus tracks and a DVD with rare footage of Diamond in the studio. -0- NEIL DIAMOND 2008 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES July 19 St. Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center 22 Sioux City, IA Tyson Events Center 24 Omaha, NE Qwest Center Omaha 26 Chicago, IL United Center 29 Indianapolis, IN Conseco Fieldhouse 31 Detroit, MI The Palace of Auburn Hills August 3 Cleveland, OH Quicken Loans Arena 5 Washington, DC Verizon Center 7 Hartford, CT XL Center 9 Philadelphia, PA Wachovia Center 12 New York, NY Madison Square Garden 14 New York, NY Madison Square Garden 18 Pittsburgh, PA Mellon Arena 20 Albany, NY Times Union Center 23 Boston, MA Fenway Park Columbus, OH Value City Arena at The Schottenstein 25 Center 27 Green Bay, WI Resch Center 29 St. Louis, MO Scottrade Center September 14 Winnipeg, MB MTS Centre 16 Edmonton, AB Rexall Place 18 Calgary, AB Pengrowth Saddledome 20 Vancouver, BC General Motors Place 22 Portland, OR Rose Garden 24 Seattle, WA KeyArena at Seattle Center 26 Sacramento, CA ARCO Arena 28 San Jose, CA HP Pavilion October 1 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl 2 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl 7 San Diego, CA San Diego Sports Arena 10 Phoenix, AZ Jobing.com Arena 12 San Antonio, TX AT&T Center 14 Houston, TX Toyota Center 16 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center 19 Oklahoma City, OK Ford Center 21 Tulsa, OK BOK Center 24 Tampa, FL St. Pete Times Forum 26 Ft. Lauderdale, FL BankAtlantic Center 28 Orlando, FL Amway Arena Orlando 30 Jacksonville, FL Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena
About AEG Live
AEG Live, the live-entertainment division of Los Angeles-based AEG, is dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performance, touring for a variety of programming, and multi-media production. AEG Live, the nation's second-largest concert promotion and touring company, is comprised of special event, broadcast and exhibition divisions, fourteen regional offices, and numerous state-of-the-art venues nationwide. The company's national promotion arm is currently producing tours and productions including Bette Midler "The Showgirl Must Go On" and Cher at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas; and "Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs," an international tour of the artifacts of King Tut. Recent and upcoming promoted concert tours have included artists such as Justin Timberlake, Bon Jovi, Hannah Montana, Spice Girls, Prince, Christina Aguilera, Kenny Chesney, So You Think You Can Dance, Paul McCartney, High School Musical, American Idols Live and The Color Purple. Goldenvoice, the company's Southern California-based regional promotion division, created and operates the award-winning annual Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival as well as Stagecoach: California's Country Music Festival. The company operates NOKIA Theatre at Grand Prairie in Texas, NOKIA Theatre Times Square, and recently opened NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE. For more information, go to www.aeglive.com.
Legendary Singer To Launch 37-City North American Tour Starting
July 19th in St. Paul, Minnesota
Tour Coincides with the May 6th Release of Highly-Anticipated New
Album HOME BEFORE DARK
