Confession: I’ve resisted a few tempting out-of-town gigs during the last few weeks—gigs that tugged at my heartstrings like they were tuning an old Telecaster. Built To Spill played the entirety of Perfect From Now On in Richmond last night and, well, BTS singer Doug Martsch and I clearly go way back. I also thought I’d try to save some Benjies by skipping Mogwai’s set in Richmond last week, and now the word is that their drummer was recently hospitalized due to pacemaker issues. So I won’t be traveling to catch the band’s return to the U.K.
But what kept me going through these tough weeks was a voice, small but unshakeable, that repeated "Neil, Neil." And who’s to say if the voice really meant "Neil Young" or not. (It did.) But the voice didn’t lie, and Neil Diamond is now slated to perform at the John Paul Jones Arena on December 8.
Now, I’ve saved my pennies, people—is Neil Diamond worth the dough? Or should I hold out for the other Neil?
