Sting's June 25 show at Nissan Pavillion was almost identical to his previous stop in the DC area -- and just as great and enjoyable. Same set list, except for "My One and Only Love" -- and added treat back in November.
A few random thoughts:
On the down side.
A good time was had by all. I hope you get a chance to see Sting as well.
Set list -- order is best I can remember
Encore
Encore
Greetings all. Just returned from a rain-filled Sting concert at Nissan Pavilion in Bristow, Va. As virtually every show is identical, there is little new to report. The band was extremely tight -- at its best since 1996 at least, and Sting's vocals were absolutely superb. Jeffrey (sp?) Gaines opened for Sting, and his guitarist/keyboardist was none other than David Sancious. Sancious came out during the Every Breath You Take encore to play keyboards along side Jason Rebello. Very cool to see him back for a night (or maybe more...).As in Philadelphia, Cheb Mami appeared during Desert Rose. Other than that, same old set list. We started off in our lawn seats, but when the rain began to pour down, we piled over the concrete into free pavilion seats -- saw the whole show from in there for only half the price. What a deal! A solid show all in all.
General Comments: This is my third time seeing Sting (once during the Mercury Falling tour and earlier this fall when he was in Washington, D.C.), and all I can say is I would pay again and again to see him live in concert. His voice was in top form, even better than the last two times I'd seen him. That is always what wins me over with Sting. He isn't flashy. He doesn't do any crazy acrobatics on stage. He just sings and plays bass (and sometimes guitar), and he does those two things so well, with the emotion plain on his face, that it's enough for me.
The set list was almost identical to the last show I saw from the Brand New Day tour (November 12 1999 at DAR Consitution Hall, Washington D.C.). I have to say I was slightly disappointed that there were no new song additions. I've been dying to hear "Ghost Story" from the new album, or any song from "Mercury Falling". There were even a few missing songs, like "Mad About You" and "Message in a Bottle" which where played in November.
Another notable feature missing from this concert was the interaction with the audience. There were, of course, a few times when the audience chanted along, but Sting really did not talk to us. He said a few words about the rain that had begun to fall, drenching those unfortunate enough to be out on the lawn, ironically, just before Sting began "After the Rain Has Fallen". (Personally, I was a bit excited by the flashes of lightning that served as a dazzling backdrop to Sting during the first few songs. But then again, I wasn't getting wet.) Other than that, Sting did not speak much at all, except to introduce his band members. I was at least hoping to hear the joke about his wife and tantric shopping again.
The one surprise that made up for it all in my mind was Cheb Mami's performance with Sting on "Desert Rose". It was almost mind-numbing, that's how beautiful the song was to hear live. The overlapping of Sting and Mr. Mami's voices were magnificent along with the rich Arabian sound of the music. It gave me chills, and now I know that listening to the song on the album will forever be spoiled for me.
As usual, the band was great. The trumpet player, in particular, kicked some serious ass. I did miss the little hip-slapping, glittery backup vocalists from the last time around, but there was a lone dude who seemed to do a good job trying to make up for it. The only song where I thought their vocal presence was sadly missed was in the gospel-ish crescendo of "Fill 'er Up". I think there might have been some pre-recorded backup singing going on in the show as well, but I'm not positive.
Two of my personal favorite moments of the concert was Dominic Miller's guitar playing on "Fields of Gold". I love how he goes from picking the single notes out with a pick to tossing the pick into the audience (oh, to be in the front row on his side of the stage!) and going full-fledged with the fingerpicking. I love watching those magic fingers on this particular song. "Fragile" is also one of my favorites, though I know it marks the end of the concert. It gives me even more respect for Sting the way he plays the guitar so well. Such a beautiful song!
Sting performed for just under two hours. Jeffrey Gaines, the opening act, performed for about an hour. As a side note, I really enjoyed Gaines performance, though he did talk a bit too much, as compared to the quiet Sting.
Set List (I think this is the correct order, but I'm not positive):
First Encore
Second Encore
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