I saw the show at the Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati, and I thought I'd contribute my ideas, in light of messages like the one quoted below.
It seemed as though he was performing in a manner that suited him right now. There was no trace of the arrogance or musicological muscle-flexing that some claim to have seen the the _Blue Turtles_ or _NLTS_ days. My companion, one such Sting-watcher, was VERY pleased, and is still talking about what a wonderful experience it was. (He's usually not a Sting fan, but he agreed to go with me.)
Regarding the sax and trombone as extraneous, I could not disagree more. The atmosphere on stage - and through many of the selections - approximated one of a smoky jazz club setting - a la Dizzy or Bird. The bebop articulations of all the band members - including the sax and trombone - were nothing short of virtuosic.Regarding the sax and trombone as extraneous, I could not disagree more. The atmosphere on stage - and through many of the selections - approximated one of a smoky jazz club setting - a la Dizzy or Bird. The bebop articulations of all the band members - including the sax and trombone - were nothing short of virtuosic.
In short, musically speaking I found the event to be unparalleled. Yes, he played some crowd favorites, and yes, he played some that are obvious favorites of him. However, he chose pieces that worked together as a unit to create a performance that flowed well. He worked in pieces from _MF_ in such a way as to introduce those audience members not familiar with them as readily as those of us who already knew the words.
I do agree with the perceptions of the audience - I've never seen so much rudeness. They talked through Lyle Lovett's entire performance, and most of Sting's.
There were no jokes about the Olympics, or a British gold medal in dart throwing. The only reference to the activities in Atlanta was his dedication of "Fragile" to the two who died in the bombing. He told a story about Mr. Lovett and his road trip through Ohio on their way to Cincinnati, and how at a gas stop the attendant remarked about their strange Italian bikes, and how he (Sting) was glad they hadn't subjected the poor soul to their strange hairstyles.
I was amused.
You are visitor
since this page was designed on February 14, 1998.
Index 
The Web's Too Big Without You!
Items For Sale Who
Am I? What's New?
Again, thanks for visiting my homepage. I hope you will come back and visit soon.
For questions, comments or information on this home page, please send e-mail to blueturtles01@hotmail.com.
This page hosted by 
. Get your own Free Home Page.
Copyright © 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 , 2001 by blueturtles01@hotmail.com. All rights reserved.