Whatever you do, don’t call him an impersonator.
Jason Scott’s celebration of Neil Diamond, as a tribute artist, not as an impersonator, brings the veteran musician - sparkling shirt and all - to the Langford Legion to pay homage to the musician with Diamond Forever.
“The show is like having a big party and there is tons of stuff to do and prizes to win and songs to sing and dancing to do and laughing to be had,” Scott said. “And all of that is driven by the iconic songs of Neil Diamond.”
The allure of that iconic singer and songwriter whose six-decade career took him through one of the top-ten grossing concert tours in 2015 is magical, he said, especially so considering he’s 75 and continues to inspire and bridge the generational gap.
“Kids go kicking and screaming to Neil Diamond concerts and when that is over they are grabbing parents and asking for the album at the merchandise counter,” Scott said. “Every year there are more and more fans. He knows presidents by first name, what else can you say, he’s Neil Diamond.”
The 2-hour show is sprinkled with numerous Diamond facts, such as after Elvis Presley died, his band went to work for Diamond.
A meet and greet and audience participation, both on the stage and in the crowd, are among some of the highlights of the show.
The conservatory-trained singer who started off in cover bands through the 80s said he was forced to re-invent himself several times over the decades. That ended when he started singing Diamond’s songs at a karaoke bar following an evening out with his family. The rest as they say, is history.
After hearing the crowd cheer while he was singing, Scott said he had an idea. “I got a light on my head and thought maybe the horse has a few goes around the track left.”
Scott is even featured in Diamond Mountain, a documentary feature film about the trials and tribulations of Diamond tribute artists from around the globe. He’s the only Canadian tribute artist featured in the film and said his career has been growing.
“It’s taken a lot of years and just in the last couple of years it has been turning the corner nicely,” he said of his show.
And after being raised in a military family, Scott is also looking forward to bringing that show to the Royal Canadian Legion Prince Edward Branch #91.
“Everyone is gonna have to wait till I finally get to Sweet Caroline before they really get to go crazy,” he added.
The show takes place on Friday, March 11, and doors open at 7 p.m. with the show starting at 8.
Tickets are $25 and available for purchase at the Legion, 761 Station Ave., and can be picked up at the Legion bar.
alim@goldstreamgazette.com