MASON CITY – I Am, He Said – A Celebration of Neil Diamond with Matt Vee & The Killer Vees will be performed at the North Iowa Community Auditorium on the NIACC campus at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 14, 2023. This presentation is part of the 2023-2024 Performing Arts and Leadership Series.
“We are saying what HE said,” laughs Matt Vee referring to the one and only Neil Diamond. Matt along with cousins Jeff and Tommy Vee, local music scene veterans and sons of the legendary Bobby Vee, join forces with their family and friends as The Killer Vees to celebrate the music from a timeless catalog. With songs like “Cracklin’ Rosie,” “America,” and “Sweet Caroline,” Neil Diamond sold over 100 million records worldwide with music that became the soundtrack to one generation after another with hits spanning five decades. As a Tin Pan Alley song writer in the mid-60s, he penned songs recorded by everyone from Elvis Presley to Deep Purple and, of course, the Monkee’s classic, “I’m A Believer.”
“This is not a tribute show,” says Tommy Vee. “This is a celebration of an amazing musical icon, one we all love and respect. We have been fans since we were in grade school and first learning our respective instruments and played many of these tunes over the years in various bands. We have recruited an incredible group of singers and players and have gone back to the original records,” he explains, “it is all about the vocals and Matt nails it. It’s a Rockin’ show!”
Joining the Killer Vees will be Matt’s wife Julie Velline on vocals and Tommy Vee’s son Bennett Vee on lead guitar along with veteran Minnesota musicians Mark Levandowski, Dennis Kennedy and Dr. Frank Plachecki, as well as a very special surprise featuring local talent for the finale.
Members of the Killer Vees have recorded or performed with: Bobby Vee, Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Tim Rice, Ronnie Wood, Mick Taylor, The Brian Setzer Orchestra, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, Frankie Avalon, Fabian, The Shirelles, The Chiffons, Chris Montez, Brian Hyland, Johnny Tillotson, Matthew & Gunnar Nelson, Peter Noone, Bill Medley, The Johnny Holm Band and MANY others.
To learn more about Matt Vee & the Killer Vees Celebrate the Music of Neil Diamond I am… He said, visit their website at mattvee.com.
For tickets to the show, call the NIACC Box Office at 641-422-4188. Tickets may also be purchased online at niacc.edu/boxoffice.