Neil Diamond has never performed in his native Brooklyn, but he took to Twitter this morning (Sept. 29) to announce the location of a surprise concert within the borough - his old high school.
According to CBS 2 in New York, Diamond attended Erasmus High School from 1954 to 1956, and now, 58 years later he's returning for a concert in support of his 32nd album Melody Road. "We're proud of the history of the school and we're excited that Neil Diamond wanted to come back because he's part of the nostalgia and history of the place," the school's Assistant Principal Jacob Daty told 1010 WINS. "So, it's a once in a lifetime opportunity and we were happy to help facilitate it."
The concert is free, but there's a limited number of tickets available, according to Diamond's tweet (tickets were given out at 3 p.m. EST). Doors open at 5 p.m. with Diamond going on at 6.
For Melody Road, out Oct. 21 via Capitol Records, Diamond teamed up with producers Don Was and Jacknife Lee. The singer brought demos of the songs to Was in the order that they appear on the album, Billboard reports, and that's exactly how the team recorded them. One song titled "Seongah and Jimmy" was inspired by Diamond's brother-in-law's recent marriage to a Korean woman. "This lovely couple filled with the excitement for their new life to come," Diamond said. "They were engaged without ever sharing a word in a common language except I love you."
"I don't understand (love) and I want to understand why it's so powerful," he added. "I always want to ask that question and give an answer that suits me, whether it's true or not."
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