Thanks to Bill Bredice for the Ticket Stub
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Thanks to Bill Bredice for the Ticket Stub |
Hey everyone...I just got back a few hours ago from the Saturday night concert at Madison Square Garden. I'm still in a daze so excuse me if I don't make sense, but here's how it went:
Paula Code took the stage promptly at 8:00 pm, and did her usual 8-song opening act, though she changes her set list a lot more than Sting does. She sang Throwing Stones, Me, Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?, Road to Dead, I Don't Want to Wait, I Am So Ordinary, Hitler's Brothers, and Jolene. She was really, really good, although I'm sure most of you just want to hear about Sting, she really was excellent, although I don't have much to say for her guitar player. She usually just has herself on piano and Jay Bellerose on drums but last night she had a full (i.e., lead guitar, bass, drums, piano) band. She even played the castanets (those little chimes on your fingers???) for Road to Dead. Anyway, she was quite excellent and for those who missed her or part of her show, you really missed out.
Sting, of course, was marvelous but then again how could he not be. The sad thing is, his set was almost exactly the same as when I saw him in July in Columbus, Ohio. Big surprise:
The only part about the set that was new to me was the addition of LYSBYP and Mad About You, but I think he added those later in the tour, after I saw him last time, so I'm sure they were no surprise to anyone who had seen him in the past few months. Roxanne wasn't nearly as long as it was last time -- not quite as much audience "Rox-anne-oooo"-ing as usual. Kenny was AWESOME in the BOTN/When the World medley, as expected, but it was still just amazing that a person can play a keyboard that rapidly! Wow. During IWBTMS, Kenny, Clark, and Butch all had their own solos, and in LYSBYP Kenny sang a bit!!! If You Love Somebody had the awful female background singers piped in -- for a while I thought Dominic looked like he was trying to sing along as though the background singers were his voice (since who was singing at that point was a bit ambiguous) but then he seemed to give up and let us realize it was, indeed, cheesy piped-in singers. Shame on you, Sting. You Still Touch Me was sort of acoustic -- they all stood at the front of the stage and Dominic used an acoustic and Vinnie looked bored with a tambourine (I think!), but then Sting introduced him as the greatest drummer in the world (I think Paula said that about her drummer, too!!!). All in all, it was a good show but I really, really wish he had livened up his tired old setlist just a little for one of his last concerts on this tour.
It was sooo cool meeting people from the list before the show! I finally got to meet Marisa, Allison, Beth, Jeremy, Bill, Ross, Ben, and I hope I'm not forgetting anyone! Oh, and Ross got to sing for ISHICSC. Don't even get me started on the fact that he got to sing with him in Canada and there he goes hogging the limelight again...all I have to say is that if I had known they'd let us bring posters and banners in, I would have been up there with my neon "I Love You Sting" posters. Anyway, I had a great time and thanks to everyone for everything!!!!
Anyway, he was great Saturday night. The noticeable difference between this performance and when I saw him at Jones Beach this summer was the great acoustic version of "You Still Touch Me." Not many other surprises; "Englishman in NY" was especially exciting, with the rap and being in NY and all. Sting pulled up two people to sing with him for "I'm So Happy..." -- a young, female college student and a male accounting student. The guy took the opportunity to mention his company, and to say hi to a number of friends and thank his host for the weekend (and this was greeted by boos from the audience, who thought he was pushing it) but they sang fine. The show was great.
Caught up with Sting's Saturday night show and our gang -- special thanks to Bill for getting me a good seat, Jeremy, Benjamin (did you get your jacket after all?), Krissy and Marisa for a unique concert experience, and Allison (that's Fontella Bass on "Rescue Me") for organizing the whole thing. And last but not least, Ross, for proving that lightning can indeed strike in the same place twice and giving us all a lot of laughs.
Though the set list was pretty much unchanged since I saw the show last summer, the transitions from song to song seem to have grown in length, complexity and interest; the semi-acoustic version of LYSBYP is nice and Kenny got to sing a little. Sting seems to be making progress toward a new career as a game show host (IIELMFIY notwithstanding) -- see the review from today's New York Times, below:
March 3, 1997
BEHIND UNLIKELY SHIFTS, A SENSE OF PLAYFULNESS
By JON PARELES
NEW YORK -- Sting, age 45, walked onstage at the Theater on
Friday night to the kind of squeals that greet sex objects.
His music, after a year of touring, is like the physique
that he showed off in a tight sleeveless top: streamlined,
muscular, assured. Sting played most of his 1996 album,
"Mercury Falling" (A & M), interspersed with older material
that dated as far back as "Roxanne," his 1978 hit with the
Police; a choreographed two-man horn section scampered
around the stage, cueing the audience for sing-alongs and
clap-alongs.
When Sting invited two fans onstage to join in on a song, he
was as personable as a game-show host.
Yet the pop-star package holds a musician who does as he
pleases, continually bending expectations and shifting
strategies. As he entered his 40s, Sting let his angst
recede and held on to what had always been at the core of
his music: unconventional designs and unlikely fusions. It
became less important to be the "King of Pain" than to enjoy
the pleasure of building songs.
At the Theater at Madison Square Garden, where Sting's
engagement continues through Wednesday, some songs went
style-hopping: Celtic ballad to jazzy Brazilian pop in "I
Was Brought to My Senses," pop-folk to jazz to hip-hop in
"Englishman in New York."
Others slipped musicianly twists behind generic facades;
"I'm So Happy I Can't Stop Crying," a counterfeit
country-and-western tune, uses an odd meter (9/8) and adds
non-country chords in its later choruses.
Yet Sting wasn't wedded to complexity, either; "Fields of
Gold" used a plain, stately melody and an old-fashioned
refrain. For newer songs, he generally followed the
arrangements from his albums, but the older the song, the
more likely it was to be thoroughly revamped.
Sting's woolly, amiable voice offered companionship,
revealing its underlying power whenever he sustained a
song's climactic note.
But his lyrics, instead of constructing a single pop
persona, portrayed half a dozen: a guru, an ardent lover,
a lonely divorce, a shy guy, an accidental murderer, a
merciless "Demolition Man."
In his lyrics, he's often isolated, but the music
contradicted them; his core band of Vinnie Colaiuta on
drums, Dominic Miller on guitar and Kenny Kirkland on
keyboards followed him through delicacy and funk, soul
music and samba beats.
There are still pretensions attached to Sting's musical
gift. He can't resist Poetry 101 allusions like "Nature's
red in tooth and claw," and he dispenses trite advice like
"Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot" as a solution to the direst
troubles.
Yet within the plush, middlebrow confines of his songs, he
stays playful and exploratory, a bankable pop star who
won't settle into formula.
Now on to Sat. nights concert....I was in the back of the middle section of seats for that nights show. Same set list as usual as others had said. I did get to take plenty of pics that night and was even allowed to move up in the section that I was in during the encores. Did not see Trudie or Coco since I was on the other side of the theatre. I did however get to talk with Danny after the show and ended up with two more additions to my ever expanding collection of Sting/Police stuff: Sting's water bottle from that nights performance and one of Sting's black guitar picks with his signature imprinted in gold on it. Needless to say, these are prized possessions. Although, I really do not know what I am going to do with the water that is left in the bottle. He did not drink much that night since about 2/3rd of the bottle is still full.
Btw, does anyone know if/when the tickets for the Rainforest Benefit at Carnegie Hall on 4/30 go on sale. 4/30 is my birthday and I can not think of a better way to spend my birthday than with Sting!
First of all, I'd like to apologize for taking so long to write to the list about it. I'm writing this in parts during the little time I have recently, so sorry for it being late.
I'd also like to say it was great to finally put names to faces. Terrific to meet you all, and I hope we can do it again next tour. Only next time, a celebration after each show is a must.
Now on to the story...
The first show was great, and was terrific to see his highness in action once more.
The second show, however, was the most eventful. First of all, I snuck my camera into the show. I had asked a security person the previous night if cameras were permitted. He assured me as long as it wasn't a "Turbo Warp 12, Super Duper digitally enhanced graphic Tasmanian nuclear body, with a plutonium enriched Ace elongated weightless Zoom lens, it would be fine. While I was under the impression cameras were allowed, I was still discreet as my camera does have a good lens. But if not looking too hard, the difference wouldn't be noticed. Bill and I were seated in the second section, while listening to "Hounds of Winter" when a man in a Scottish accent says "Do me a favor, and poot the camera away, or it will be taken away." (it wasn't Jeremy). I 'm thinking this guys doesn't know what he is saying. Moments later, I started shooting again, and the same guy approached, asked for my camera, motioned a security guard over, demanding he take my camera away for the show, and return it after. I'm thinking "At least I'm not being kicked out." I explained to the Scotsman, I asked prior to bring it in. He exclaimed, "YOU WERE LIED TO!" The security guy approached me in frustration, saying "Man. You've cause a big stink so you're about to be ejected from the premises." At this point I see Miles and I think maybe he can save me. Nope! Didn't even acknowledge me. The security men are running around trying to find a place for my camera. I guess they don't normally deal with this as they said Cameras were fine. I was left in the attendance of another person, for about ten minutes, when it appeared they had forgotten about me. The person guarding me reminds his boss about me. The boss then says for me to take out the battery of the camera. I'm thinking "Damn! I should have brought that spare." I ask him if I could get the battery back after the show. His response was "Put it in your pocket. If you get caught again you will be ejected from the premises." I said my story about asking prior, and thanked him for his mercy. I then went back to my seat, put the battery back in, later (much) and took more pictures. Phew!
Thank goodness this happened when it did, as Mile Copeland sat right in front of Bill and I. We got his autograph, and I tried talking to him to thank him for the video he sent me, and for everything his management company did for me since singing in Vancouver. His response was that of a wet sponge. To be honest, I think he was wired on caffeine with lots of whitener (if you know what I mean) and didn't hear a word I said. Well, we both succeeded in getting his signature (he signed the wrong side of my banner, and Bill's ticket)
Later in the show, the time for ISHICSC came, and Sting (I think that's his name) picked me, and another girl from the audience to sing with him. I know he didn't recognize me from the Vancouver show immediately, but as he asked some questions, I think it started to gel. I'm sure he then recognized me, but said nothing in case the crowd disapproved.
Sting seemed to find it amusing that I was an accounting student and suggested he was looking for an accountant (after he was ripped off for $10,000,000). I then said I wouldn't have ripped him off for 1/2 that much - (yeah right I didn't say that). Some of the audience clued in, and enjoyed the irony. Bill said Miles thought it was absolutely hilarious, and was almost buckled over in laughter. But not as funny as allowing me back stage.
After we (the other he chose) sang, I asked Sting (out of mic's range) if I could introduce the band he said no in actually a polite and apologetic manner. Must have been an impostor.
The rest of the show was great, but the same. I hadn't experience the acoustic YSTM before, and think this is definite b-side material.
The next show was just a good.
This show was kinda special for me too as I had finally met Trudie (if only for an autograph). She was just sitting in the audience with some bald guy (not Sting, as he was performing) I approached her with my banner (which Sting didn't sign from the previous night) and Bill's "family" picture, when someone (I think her personal assistant or something, wanted to stop me from asking her. Trudie, although not thrilled, showed a sympathetic half smile, and acknowledged she would sign bill's picture. The assistant then sort of held my other arm to stop me from passing my banner to Trudie. I made a slight gesture, and she reached for it, writing her name. Although I didn't get Sting's autograph, Trudie's and Miles are on the same banner. The woman is very attractive in person. I never found her attractive from her pictures, but I think her sweet and kind disposition shined through, and now she seems gorgeous to me. Funny how personality DOES play a role.
As many of you know, Andy is playing in NY on the 6th, with Sting's last concert in NY is on the 5th. We guessed the two would be reunited on stage for this last date. When I put my hypothesis to the sound tech. He didn't confirm this in a slightly weird way. Hope I am wrong as it was would be amazing to see the two on stage together, and I missed it because they added the show after I bought my tickets. If he does the show, congrats' to the list members who were there.
Thanks for coming, thanks for listening, we'll see you again....
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