13,000 "Diamond-heads" can't be wrong.

Neil Diamond's hard core fan base showed up at Mellon Arena last night to hear the iconic singer-songwriter deliver a solid two-hour set of some of the most popular tunes ever penned.

Diamond kicked the night off barreling through "Holly Holy," "Beautiful Noise" and "Street Life" with such professional polish and showmanship you forgot that this guy started his career as a Tin-Pan Alley songwriter and is pushing 70 years old.

He looked great, sounded good and did what the American Idol Pop-Tarts failed to do weeks earlier in the same venue: get the crowd up out of their seats to dance and sing. (Those AI kids should have paid more attention when he mentored them back in April.)

Diamond worked the audience and even played to the crowds behind the stage, a rare treat for the limited-sight seats. Concert goers in the rest of the arena weren't denied the tender moments of "Love on the Rocks" and "Play Me" thanks to images captured on the screen projections. By the end, the entire place was singing in unison.

He knows his strengths and weaknesses and puts his best out there for a really satisfying show backed up by one of the best bands in the industry today.

Speaking of that band, big fun came for them early when they did their solos and laid out their musical chops on "Cherry, Cherry." The group has been with him for more than 30 years and they were phenomenal. Kudos to the sound guys who delivered a perfect mix all evening, an even rarer feat these days.

Things became more introspective on the Rick Rubin-produced "Home Before Dark" and other cuts from his new release. To his credit, Diamond managed to keep the energy level high throughout, and the crowd stayed with him.

The back-to-back presentation of "Brooklyn Roads," "I Am, I Said" and "Solitary Man" was smartly organized and perfectly delivered as Diamond's soulful singing was well-received.

"Forever in Blue Jeans" brought the crowd to their feet for a feel-good sing-along that lasted into "Sweet Caroline."

Encores included "Cracklin Rosie," "America," and a theatrical presentation of "Brother Love's Travelin' Salvation Show," a song that was perfect to close out the evening as it pushed the button on the old-timey tent revival days.

Cynics can crow all they want about Neil Diamond. He never was a great singer--he's a great writer and musician who knows how to deliver a song and connect with an audience. Refreshingly, he does it all without grand stage effects because he doesn't need to. His singing style is uniquely his and that just adds to his magic.

Let's face it, 40 years of live performances will either make or break a man -- and he's back and as strong as ever.