American Values, September 28

As at an Elvis show, you can’t be in a bad mood while jamming at a Neil Diamond concert. There’s the innocence of his music, his infectious passion and energy, and the communal emotional ride taken with thousands of fans. Emotions ran high during his Three Chord Opera world tour, which began on September 28, 2001, in Columbus, Ohio, soon after the September 11 attacks, and traveled to 90 cities in 16 months. Following the tragedy, many performers canceled performances out of respect for the victims and their families. Some bands, however, decided to continue their tours, recognizing that many people felt the need to bond together, explaining in part the popularity of this Diamond tour. The Irish rock band U2 in fact, decided not only to keep its Elevation tour on track, it actually added nine shows to its lineup. Ask fans today, and they’ll tell you that U2’s decision to play to heal the nation made them even greater fans of the band.

Neil Diamond took a similar approach. His values are American values personified, evidenced in particular by a special tribute to New York City firefighters and police (with a moving rendition of “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother”) and the unfurling of an American flag to the rousing refrain of his hit “America.” He captured the mood of the country, and audiences responded with tears of patriotism, sorrow, and pride. In Canada, he added two Canadian flags to the stage and talked about “neighbors joined at the border.” Diamond tells reporters that people want to get out and away from the television set and the dire news that constantly confronts them.