Neil Diamond: 'The Jewish Elvis'?

By Paulette Tobin

So I thought it had to be more than a coincidence when I opened my mail three weeks ago to find a copy of "He Is ... I Say: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Neil Diamond," a book with Diamond's handsome face (from a picture taken 30 years ago) on the cover.

As we all know, Neil Diamond is coming to our fair city this weekend, with an 8 p.m. show Nov. 22 at the Alerus Center. So, no, the arrival of this book definitely was NOT a coincidence. The author, David Wild, a music critic who writes for Rolling Stone, has a major jones for Diamond and is not afraid to admit it, even if that makes him totally "unhip." Apparently there are a lot of music critics out there to whom Diamond is just not cool, no matter how many hits he's had.

Is it "unhip" to be a Neil Diamond fan? I imagine so, especially to younger music fans -- possibly to anyone younger than 40. Even in the '70s, when I was a young woman and Neil had way more hair and way less wrinles, he seemed like kind of a throwback to Bobby Darin or -- dare we say it -- Elvis?

Still his songs were powerful: "Sweet Caroline." "Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show." "Thank the Lord for the Nighttime." My personal favorite? "Kentucky Woman." I loved it and played it over and over on my record player. (Yes, I am WAY over 40.) I also liked "I'm a Believer," but could never really decide if I liked Neil's version best, or the one recorded by the Monkees. 

Wild calls Diamond "the Jewish Elvis." That's based on Wild's long admiration for Diamond's music, with multiple interviews with the star and after writing liner notes for Diamond recordings and producing Diamond's "Behind The Music" segment.

Alerus officials refuse to say how many tickets they've sold for the Neil Diamond concert, or even how many tickets will be available. (It's part of their contract with the concert producers.) So we have no idea whether the Diamond concert will take on Cher-like proportions. When she came here on her farewell tour, I thought: "Hmm. Aging star. Way more glitter than talent. Who'll pay to see that?" Which is why I don't go to the track. Cher was the biggest concert so far for the Alerus Center, selling 20,000 tickets. How will our Mr. Diamond do? We'll see.

Tobin is arts & entertainment reporter for the Grand Forks Herald, Grand Forks N.D.

Posted by: tobin on 11/20/2008 at 4:14 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Down Lo and Deploi-ed Thursday in Grand Forks

The Los Angeles hip hop artist Deploi (far left) is shown with his band House of Vibe

By Paulette Tobin

Midwesterners love to poke fun at the warm, sun-soaked state of California and its residents, especially the entertainment culture. Oh, those L.A. types, we say. Sure, they may not be subject to frostbite, but they’re so superficial, all flash and not much sense or substance.

So, imagine what was going through the mind of Southern California hip-hop artist Deploi when he visited Grand Forks one real cold night last winter for an appearance in Crosstown Lounge.

“We pulled up in the alley behind the Crosstown, and this guy walks up to our van,” Deploi said, disbelief and bemusement in his voice. “And he’s wearing sandals, shorts and a wife beater (men’s undershirt). And it’s negative 20 degrees outside.”

I interviewed Deploi, a rapper and lyricist, earlier this week. He will be back in the Grand Forks at 10 p.m. Nov. 20 at the Crosstown Lounge, performing with the St. Paul funk, reggae and jam band called Down Lo.

Check out Deploi's myspace page 

Make sure to play songs "Rise" and "Cali Cruisin.'"

Visit Down Lo's myspace page and listen to "Party Joint" (With Deploi) and "World War."

Tobin is arts & entertainment reporter at the Grand Forks Herald in Grand Forks, N.D.  

Posted by: tobin on 11/18/2008 at 1:31 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink

I feel 'Wicked'

By Paulette Tobin

It's not easy being green. Kermit the frog may have said it first, but the musical "Wicked" says it best.

I'm just back from seeing "Wicked" in Minneapolis, which has sold out 40 shows at the Orpheum Theatre, and here's what I liked best about it. First of all, the two leads are women. Second, it tells a great story, filling us in on what was really going on in "The Wizard of Oz," especially in the relationship between Glinda the Good Witch and The Wicked Witch of the West. Third, the show looked gorgeous, with amazing sets, costumes and dance numbers.

With all due respect to musical theater, the characters in "Wicked" come across so much richer and deeper than most characters in those productions. It's a show that could redefine what you think makes a person "Wicked."

Glinda the good witch starts the show having a tremendous time playing the beautiful, ambitious, popular blonde who everyone loves, even though it's not always clear why. She's kind of like Elle Woods from "Legally Blonde" and Cher from "Clueless" rolled into one.

Elphaba (the Wicked Witch) is smart, fiery and misunderstood, in large part because her skin is bright green. After years of scorn and neglect, she's prickly and good at hiding her feelings with clever, cutting comebacks. She and Glinda meet at school, where Elphaba has been sent by her cold and distant father primarily to look after her younger sister. Then Glinda and Elphie become roommates.

The Wizard of Oz, the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion, even the Flying Monkeys, all play parts in this show, again, in most unexpected ways. The wizard becomes a disarming but corrupt politician with a history of philandering. His press secretary is a master at spinning the news to create the villains and heroes she needs to advance the Wizard's agenda. There are authorities determined to silence the voices of those with different opinions and politics. And there are the angry torchbearing villagers of Oz who are only too willing to believe the official pronouncements.

The show was funny, too. When Glinda made fun of Elphie's flying broom, Elphie replied: "Not all of us can travel by bubble!" Nor could Glinda's propensity for mangling the English language have been a coincidence, especially considering who has been living in the White House for the last eight years.

For my money, "For Good" was the showstopper song, a beautiful ballad that (surprise!) the female leads, Glinda and Elphie, sang to each other about their feelings for each other and their relationship, from its girlish confidences to its most painful betrayals.

"It well may be
That we will never meet again
In this lifetime
So let me say before we part
So much of me
Is made of what I learned from you
You’ll be with me
Like a handprint on my heart
And now whatever way our stories end
I know you have re-written mine
By being my friend...

"... Who can say if I’ve been changed for the better?
But because I knew you I have been changed for good."

Nothing Wicked about that.

Tobin is the arts & entertainment reporter for the Grand Forks Herald, Grand Forks N.D.

Posted by: tobin on 11/16/2008 at 8:51 PM | Comments (2) | Permalink

Falling 'Star' Alyson Gilbert

By Paulette Tobin

Tonight I watched Crookston native Alyson Gilbert get eliminated from "Nashville Star," the NBC show that's pitting country singers against one another to win a national recording contract and a chance to sing at the summer Olympics.

Gilbert was in the bottom two Monday night with the young singing duo Laura and Sophie, so viewers knew one of them would be going home. Alyson sang first in the elimination round, "She's in Love With the Boy," and she had her moments, but it was not a stellar performance.

Then Laura and Sophie sang (I forget what) and I thought: "Well, Alyson's safe because that sounded just like two girls who'd get an honorable mention ribbon at the county fair."

Judges Jewel, John Rich and Jeffrey Steele blasted both performances. I think they were right in saying Alyson was having some real problems keeping her head in the game. But to send her home and keep Laura and Sophie??? What were they smoking?

I think the judges were way too generous Monday night when they compared Laura and Sophie's singing with a high school talent contest. Those girls do not have the chops for a national contest. It could be a different story in a few years from now -- the girls are very young -- but right now? No.

With Gilbert, on the other hand, it wasn't a lack of talent that caused her star to fall. For whatever reason, she just could not make things happen when it counted. Among the judges' comments Monday night to Gilbert: "We've heard you sing so much better than this."

Gilbert is talented and beautiful and classy, the total performer package. Who knows what her second act will be?

In the meantime, another local girl -- Ashlee Hewitt of Lancaster, Minn. -- continues to rise on "Nashville Star." She was chosen to sing first Monday night, which means she's doing really well. She seems to be making all the right moves, so stay tuned. She could very well be the next "Nashville Star."

(Tobin is arts and entertainment reporter at the Grand Forks Herald, Grand Forks, N.D.)

Posted by: tobin on 6/30/2008 at 10:22 PM | Comments (3) | Permalink

P.S. -- You were OK.

By Paulette Tobin

Here's another in my "series" of movie reviews for people like me, who generally see movies six to 12 months after they've been released.

"P.S. I Love You" (2007) was a frustrating movie.The first five minutes were so contrived and lame, I was tempted to turn it off. Lucky for the producers, I will take a lot of abuse to watch Gerard Butler.

As love stories go, this was a heart breaker. Even so, the premise (which I won't discuss just in case there are readers who haven't seen it) could have shown us much more of what drew Holly (Hillary Swank) and Gerry (Butler) together in the first place.

Good stuff: Holly's friends (Lisa Kudrow and Gina Gershon) were superb. Kathy Bates (as Holly's mother) gave the movie its center of gravity.

Bad stuff: The whole Harry Connick Jr. story line was a waste. I never bought his friendship with Holly, much less a romance. Also, Holly's misadventures in the karaoke bar. It wasn't funny. It wasn't particularly moving. What was the point?

Other good stuff: Holly's great shoe designs.

I'd put "P.S. I Love You" on my "movies that seemed like a good idea but never fulfilled their premise" list.

(Tobin is arts & entertainment reporter at the Grand Forks Herald, Grand Forks ND.)

Posted by: tobin on 6/30/2008 at 5:10 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink