The Center Stage Café house band sparked off a lively second installment of the Centre Stage Café on February 21. The house band has made the Sharbot Legion a popular draw for their new music series, whose aim is to showcase local musical talent. Interspersed throughout the evening was an eclectic choice of classic rock and pop tunes by the polished band, Garry Giller, Terry Reynolds, Dave Limber and Jim MacPherson.

Thursday night’s event started with an inspired set by singer song-writer Brian Robertson, who sang solo while accompanying himself on guitar. He began with an original tune titled “Man, It's Good to be Alive”. He harkened back to the '60s/'70s folk days of good old Americana music with his very pretty, James Taylor-esque finger-picked version of “Oh Susanna”. He let the crowd in on his musical meanderings to Cuba and played that country's popular Che Guevara revolutionary song, demonstrating his ease in the Spanish language and Cuban guitar stylings. His French version of “La Mer” also hit the mark, as did his version of Peter, Paul and Mary's “Kisses are Sweeter Than Wine”. Brian is a natural on stage and his ease and friendly banter made for a very memorable set that ended on a high note with the Leonard Cohen classic “Hallelujah”, which delighted the crowd.

Craig Bakay, whom many know as the other reporter in town, played next and his set also harkened back to the good old days of flat out heavy rock and blues. Backed by the Center Stage Band, Craig opened his fiery set with the boppy Downchild Blues Band classic “Flip, Flop and Fly”, which set the tone for a very inspired heavy rock/blues second half of the evening that got a few couples out onto the dance floor. His set list included numerous old classic heavy rock/blues favorites tunes like “Can't Ya See” by the Allman Brothers, Neil Young's “Down By the River”, Johnson’s “Crossroads” and “Who Do You Love”. Craig's low down, biting and guttural vocals did not miss a beat and the members of the house band seemed grateful for a chance to cut loose along with Craig, as Reynolds did in a number of inspired guitar solos that met Craig's own, lick for lick.

The series is fast becoming a highlight for music lovers in the area. The next café, which is coming up on March 21, will no doubt prove to be a more mellow, though no less entertaining evening, with special guests Rob and Nancy Moore and well known country crooner Mitch Barker, who made a name for himself at the Bedford/Piccadilly Sunday jams. I should note that the venue was greatly improved by added stage lighting.

His voice may not be what it used to be, but Neil Diamond can still sell out concerts and provoke girlish screams from the audience.

His charisma was - and still is - legendary.

Joey Purpura has lived and breathed Neil Diamond since 2004, travelled across the country and parts of the Caribbean with his tribute show "Diamond in the Rough". `

"I've always been able to do voices, as long as I could remember," said Purpura. "When I found out I could do a pretty good Neil Diamond, my friends encouraged me to go on stage."

The singer wasn't on Purpura's radar growing up and so he really started from the ground up. In 2002, the Toronto-based impersonator began researching the singer's life, studying his every move, song and story behind the music. He found a Las Vegas-based designer able to replicate Diamond's glittery costumes of the mid-70s.

"I wanted to research his life because I not only sing his songs, I tell a story and highlight his life just to make it more interesting," said Purpura.

He searched for little known facts about the singer. For instance, Diamond grew up in the same neighbourhood as Barbara Streisand. They went to the same school and sang in the same choir. Purpura also discovered Diamond was a pre-med student and was six months and 10 credits short of a pre-med degree when he abandoned his studies to pursue music.

"He recorded and released a lot of albums and so he has a huge back log of music," Purpura said about the singer's international appeal.

"And he continues to tour. His music is very diverse and his songs, as one biographer said, cuts through your heart and soul. You feel his pain, anguish and joy."

Diamond was never a heartthrob, but an artist revered for his songwriting and story telling. See for yourself when Purpura brings back Diamond In The Rough: The Neil Diamond Tribute Show to the Arden Legion on Saturday, March 2 at 8 pm. Tickets are $20 advance/$25 at the door. Some of the proceeds go to the Legion. Ph: (613) 335-2737 or pick up tickets at the Legion. For info visit www.solitaryman.ca