‘Diamond’ rocks with USU students
Students danced and a crowd surfed to Neil Diamond songs Monday night as they celebrated the singer/songwriter’s 64th birthday.
The band, Dreamy Phil and the Diamond Dazzlers, began its third annual show with the introduction to “Coming to America,” a Diamond favorite for the crowd.
Phil Leffler, a junior majoring in anthropology, played Diamond for the event. He entered the stage in a black jump suit with a sparkly American flag on the back.
Leffler asked the crowd if they believe in Neil, and they cheered as the band played “I’m a believer.”
Dreamy Phil and the Diamond Dazzlers sang only Diamond songs, and praised America frequently throughout the show.
“Sing out loud for America,” Leffler said during the song “Shilo.”
Christin Bott, a senior majoring in public relations, said the party was the “hot topic for the evening.”
“I love Neil,” she said. “Of course I’m going to be here.”
April Poppleton, a resident of Logan, is one of the founders of the Diamond birthday party. She said this is the eighth year Diamond’s birthday has been celebrated. Three years ago, the band was invited to cover some of Diamond’s songs, and has played every party since.
“Me and my best friend Joyce started it,” she said. “We used to play games like ‘pin chest hair on Neil,’ and ‘Neil-o’ – it’s like bingo.”
They would also sing karaoke and have cake for the party, she said, but they never thought a small party would turn into such a hit.
“This year was awesome,” she said. “It gets bigger and better every year.”
Russ Dixon, a Logan resident and sound engineer for the show, said the sound was the best yet.
“I felt like I was in a stadium when everyone had their hands up in the air,” he said of the Taggart Student Center Sunburst Lounge where the celebration was held. “It was legendary.”
This was the first year the party was held on campus.
“Our parties got so big they would get busted by cops,” Leffler said. “We had too many people in a house, so this year we decided to try it on campus.”
He said he was pleased when he saw the turnout before the show, and knew more were coming.
Nate Lieshman, a Logan resident, has been attending the party for five years. He said the sound was great, but he’d like to hear more than the 17 cover songs because it is so much fun.
Three USU students, Becky Hogan, Ashely Hunty and Nikki Gregerson, have named themselves the Neil Diamond fan club. They said their club’s favorite song is “Shilo,” though they all have their own personal favorites. They even designed their own shirts – which they wore.
“We made them today,” Hogan, a junior majoring in special education, said. “This is our third year and this time we got front row.”
Hunt, a senior majoring in exercise science, said she wants to thank Diamond for all the good times and wishes him a happy birthday. Gregerson agreed.
“We love him,” Gregerson said.
The club said they don’t like chest hair, but there is an exception when it comes to Neil Diamond.
Stephanie Proctor, a senior majoring in journalism, said she had to attend the show because Neil Diamond reminds her of her early years.
“I grew up listening to ‘Forever in Blue Jeans’,” she said. “My bus driver would blare it.”
She said the song has even inspired some goals in her life.
“I want to find a man who will love me in blue jeans forever,” she said.
Leffler told the crowd this was the band’s last year. “We need someone to carry the legacy,” he said.
Poppleton said she hopes the party will continue to be a tradition.
-srkrebs@cc.usu.edu
Neil Diamond, played by USU student Phil Leffler, rocks out with students in the TSC in celebration of Diamond´s 64th birthday. (Photo by Jamie Crane)