how many 50 year old women are trying to figure out myspace right now?

Stupid jokes aside,Neil Diamond at the Bitter End should be amazing 1)The dude began there 40 years ago with just his guitar and his dog 2)The setlist should be his early gems (Solitary Man,Kentucky Woman,Thank The Lord For The Night Time) and songs from his Rick Rubin albums.Probably with the Heartbreakers.
You fuckers can stay home because I really want to see this,and it is in a first come, first served basis.

Neil at the Bitter End 41 years ago
http://youtube.com/watch?v=dIPkpXYtTHk

It is interesting and rare when a huge music star returns to 'the hood' playing the same club he played when he was a "nobody" playing to a bunch of stiffs like that.

Another clip of Neil at the Bitter End.Notice that his dog gets on stage at 2:06.Cute.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=F3RjJYaZI0o

oh man...i really wish this wasnt tomorrow night...theres probably a line already

oh man...i really wish this wasnt tomorrow night...theres probably a line already

I agree.Myspace are dicks for not letting people know earlier then the day before.Tom and his top friends probably gobbled up most of the seats beforehand.

Yow!

OH ..the man who is a huge music star! I heard he always dating on a celebrities dating site called “LovingRich.com“..will he date there after this.

Who would've thought myspace could be good for something other than seducing preteens with low self esteem?

NEIL!!! I WANNA PARTY WITH YOUUUUUU

is there an opener or will he be a solitary man?

He should get Natalie Maines' ass to NYC to duet with him on "Another Day That Time Forgot" fom his new album.

"Myspace are dicks for not letting people know earlier then the day before."

What, so people could line up starting days before the show, rather than just the day before?

"Tom and his top friends probably gobbled up most of the seats beforehand."

Assuming for the sake of argument that Tom and his cohorts are going to have VIP access, do you think more spots would be available to the public if some other company were promoting this?

WE ARE GOING TO SHUT THIS DOWN!

That is where Neil got his start!!!

that's a pretty awesome poster.

Loving Home Before Dark.The dude can still write some (depressingly) amazing songs.Some could be called emo if Neil sounded like a whiney girl.

Okay, okay, okay... Questions!

1) How many people does the Bitter End hold?! I've never been!
2) What time do you think people will start lining up?! I'm seriously debtaing bailing out of work super early.
3) Is this going to be one of those Madonna-esque preview shows? Or is this a full-fledged concert? I don't know how these MySpace gigs work!

What do you guys think?!

[4) Do the attendees get a copy of that sweet poster a la the Fillmore?]

The Bitter End capacity? Depends if they clear out all the tables, which I'm expecting them to do.

I'd say.... 150 tops - and that's really pushing it.

"What time do you think people will start lining up?!"

I'm guessing you're already too late.

Those will be 150 lucky fuckers to see Neil in a setting that he has not played in since the mid 60's and will probably not play again.I hope someone tapes this show for us poor shmucks who will not get in to watch on youtube or something.

For you mathmaniacs out there-How many shows at the Bitter End would Neil have to do to match the total audience number for his 3 shows at MSG?

FOREVER IN blue jeans..

http://youtube.com/watch?v=LU9lnmUHSUE

Bob W,what a lame ass post to bring one of Wil Ferrel's way over rated skits into the conversation.

2:15

440

shit. it's days like these i regret being employed.

Porcupine Pie!

Great idea and even better poster. I passed by the Bitter End last night (before I read this post) and I didn't see anyone lined up. I played there 3 times in the past, and it is tiny venue. I would say without tables, maybe 200 on the floor. A bit more with the balcony.

Neil will prob do almost a full concert...like maybe an hour or so...its gonna be more than 6-7 songs like the madonna thing was...ive been to a few of these myspace shows and everyone gets a poster which is sweeeeet

Can someone report on the line? Does anyone live or work near there?

I spoke with some Bitter End employees last night... the lucky number is 125. There wasn't anybody lined up at midnight but I wouldn't be surprised if there are already 125 people in line as of now.

125? Being conservative and guessing the venue capacity for this show at 150, that means 25 people (or one sixth of capacity) on the guest list. Do you guys think that's fair? Discuss.

that line sounds like it must be the funnest place to be in nyc today. who cares whether you get in or not, there's going to be a lot of lovely neil ladies in the mood for touching hands and reaching out.

Neil = Brother Love.

Lotta cougars on the prowl today

Am I the only one who doesn't enjoy this man's schtick, ironically or otherwise? I remember how his caricature-like crooning swagger and band arrangements would make me physically ill when they'd come on the am radio while in the station wagon running errands with mom. Like the Grass Roots "midnight confession" and "come on come on touch me baby" era doors. It's the most nauseating phony sounding bullshit. I think hipsters have been appreciating shit ironically so long that they actually don't understand what is garbage anymore. Is the interst and admiration based solely on his savvy business skills? Granted he's made quite a career for himself penning the same schlocky pop songs for the past 40 years but come on... Neil Diamond? What the fuck has happened to society?

Dude, Midnight Confession kicks ass. Just give in to it.

+1 for "Midnight Confession(s)"

Also, The Doors of any period (except without Jim Morrison) rule and you drool

Did Neil write Midnight Confessions? Cool!

My band used to cover that song.

12:28, check out the really early stuff. The Bang! LP Shilo (a lot of it was released digitally as The Early Years) is a particularly amazing pop record. He gradually got hit or miss in a very polarizing way throughout the 70's until he became a caricature in the 80's. I understand the haters, but it would be like saying Elvis sucked judged only by his bloated last years. Neil is one of the great pop song writers of the 20th Century, still alive, and for godsakes playing the damn Baggot Inn tonight when he could be in Vegas or Atlantic City. He's the real deal Neil: working for and among the people.

ANY LINE NEWS?

no one heard at all, not even the chair

i'm in the line now...

How many people are in line now? Enough to pack the house?

I just stepped OVER the line.

"it would be like saying Elvis sucked judged only by his bloated last years."

Elvis was at his peak musical form in the '70s. He picked songs that really showcased his vocals.

there is only about 15 people in line... i'm definitely the best looking. can someone bring me a beer?

wow you will be waiting for only 6 hours. good luck, you anonymous person.

I would say even if you get there around 5, def possibility. myspace is just not hitting the demographic on this show.

Home Before Dark is one of the best albums of the year so far.An album is good when you can't get beyond the 7 minute first song because it is so moving and self true.

To the Neil hater,"same schlocky pop songs".Givemeabreak!Like Home Before Dark,12 Songs,Three Chord Opera,Beautiful Noise,Hot August Night,Velvet Gloves and Spit,Just For You,Tap Root Manuscript,Shilo,Do It,Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show,Stones, etc.The man has released some great albums and some schlocky ones too.But in a 43 year career,what singer has not?

You obviously do not know Neil's music beyond the hits you were 'forced' to listen to on am radio.Pick up his last two albums with Rick Rubin and be amazed at some great songwriting.

http://www.iaisnd.com/readmessage2.cfm?M=320294&MID=320294&SP=999

35-40 minute set it seems...

This is from a Neil board...

"Elvis was at his peak musical form in the '70s. He picked songs that really showcased his vocals."

What a joke.While Elvis was in his fat suite
in Vegas in the early 70's,Neil was one of the biggies of the serious singer-songwriters.Check out Neil's BBC performances on youtube.Can you really imagine Elvis sitting with just his guitar
pouring his heart out in personal songs like "Modern Day Version of Love","Solitary Man" and "I Am I Said"?Wait,Elvis did not write his songs.And the songs written for him never really expressed deep emotions.

dear other anonymous person (1:54) -- yeah, myspace is not hitting the demographic, but there is a guy in line wearing denim cut-offs and a tucked-in neil diamond 2005 world tour shirt... i don't think there is any use asking to be his friend on myspace.

the line has doubled since my last post.

This has been moved to the Market Hotel, and the line is already around the block.

I am sure that there are just 15 people on line.For a man who will play Madison Square Garden for three nights in August.

From the link to the Neil message board,it seems that myspace had no problem hitting his demographic.Neil has like a million myspace friends and atleast 200 are from NYC.

It's 2;30pm, how many people are on line, seriously?

hot august nights.

no really, there aren't a lot of people in line - definitely not nearing capacity for the venue.

I'm in line with Honey and Baby. You know them. Honey's sweet, but she ain't nothing next to Baby's treat.

The show is so secret that Billboard has an article about it.
http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003799842

Seems like any Diamond fan reading about it anywhere can go now.One does not need to give his myspace user name and password to get in.

will jonny leather be there with his lady friend?

what about shilo, desiree, or barbara streisand?

M.I.A., I'm saving a space in line for you! Where you at?

So has it been moved for real? Is there a big line for real? I'm about to ditch work and go there....

it's still @ the bitter end. bring beer.. please.

Can Fellow Bros Come?

obama,MIA is in line with me bro.We were so busy making out that two neil diamond fans cut us in line.

I will bring my chicanos associates

We will be to pillage all of your gadgets

is leia jospe there?

Anon@2:46... if you're going, can you e-mail me?!

"The first row is for Rick Rubin and his homies.Please do not bother Mr Rubin with demo tapes.Mr Rubin is here to enjoy Mr Diamond's performance only.And please do not high-five Jay Z or he might use that hand to smack you in the face for bothering him."

periodic line check, whats the status?

His fan site said about 30+ people as of 3pm.

Neil just arives at the Bitter End with three bandmates
http://neildiamond.typepad.com/neil05/

30 for a free show at the bitter end & over 30,000
for a $65-$300 shows at the Garden.People are strange.I should have gone but figered that Neil Diamond would fill a tiny Bitter End in a second by just the Village locals alone.

the skinheads just got here. This could get ugly.

"I played there 3 times in the past, and it is tiny venue. I would say without tables, maybe 200 on the floor. A bit more with the balcony."

I am such an idiot. I was thinking of Kenny's down the street, not the Bitter End. I played there too, and it's even smaller! The stage is nice and big. It's all seated with standing room at the bar. My bad.

i heard from a very reliable source that this will be 'probably the best "fun" show you could be at that doesn't include an ex fueled night at a Danny T. DJ gig'

NYC Taper, Jonny Diamond, Bao, and Joly Punkcast, all in the front row!

Can I still hop a train to Greenwich Village and make it?

I'm here in the front of the line with Ezra from Vampire Weekend behind me.

Sorry, I can't make it, but you all look so great today.

4o people / 60 people right now.

http://neildiamond.com/
"Exclusive Once in a Lifetime Show"

how many people are there now at 5 pm?

It would be funny if one of the biggest concert draws in the world could not "sell out" a free 200 seat club performance in his hometown.Even in 1966,when he had only one hit,the Bitter End was filled.By zombies,but filled.

still here in line. I'm the one with the flowers!

How many people there at 6?

Neil's Bitter End show even made the Howard Stern board
http://www.sternfannetwork.com/forum/showthread/t-362569.html

I'm not surprised that there are so few people on line considering his demographic. Most of his fans probably don't know about this despite it being reported on many sites today because the age group of his fans does not spend the day going onto music sites on the internet. Most of his fans are not reading posts on Brooklyn Vegan or even Billboard for that matter. Even so, if many of them did find out about this they probably wouldn't or couldn't go anyway on such short notice. Nor would they want to stand on line.

These people would actually prefer to pay $300 to walk right in to the Garden with a ticket than to wait on line for free.

The demographic is really bullshit.He has fans of every kind,from metal heads to hipsters to yuppies to old ladies.When I saw him at MSG,I was suprised how diverse the audience was.

I did the poster for this show...thanks for the kind words! I actually do most of the secret show posters...

If you don't get a poster at the show or can't make it out I should have a few available on my site before the end of the week! See below:

myassociatecornelius.com

That is a cool poster.Would love to get one so will check out your site.

Hey guys, if you didn't get one of these posters at the show, then grab one at my site:

http://www.bluecollardistro.com/myassociatecornelius/product_info.php?products_id=2536&cPath=414_415&store=1

thanks for the kind words!