Or the biggest karaoke party ever, but rather than having to suffer through your drunk friends closing time rendition of Sweet Caroline, instead some 2,500 music industry VIPs got the man himself backed by Grammy vets like Coldplay, Tim McGraw, Foo Fighters, Faith Hill and Chris Cornell, along with newcomers the Jonas Brothers, Jennifer Hudson and Adele. (Check out photos of the nights big performers onstage and off in our Grammy party gallery.)
The rah-rah or ba-ba-ba atmosphere made the sometimes stuffy gala more of a swinging soiree, and that excitement was palpable on the red carpet, where, despite heavy rain, many of the evenings performers came out to soak up a little of Neil Diamonds love light.
Hes the master of the three chord song, said Urge Overkill singer Nash Kato, who reprised the Pulp Fiction version of Girl, Youll Be A Woman Soon later in the night. He was our version of punk rock. Foo Fighters Dave Grohl couldnt agree more. In fact, he credits Urge Overkill for helping him see the light. When Urge fuckin rocked that song is when I thought, Oh my God, Neil Diamonds fucking cool!, Grohl said. Because Nirvana toured with them early on and we quickly realized that Urge Overkill were the raddest dudes you could ever meet, so if they like him, hes gotta be cool.
That sentiment was shared by Chris Cornell, who went one step further, suggesting that maybe its time for a tribute album.
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