Concert Reviews Home Page

July 1, 2000

Jones Beach Amphitheater - Wantagh, New York, United States

by Sue Dodd on July 2, 2000

Saw the Jones Beach show last night - it was good of course. It was nice to be on the water and outside like that. When he started to sing A Thousand Years, it came off a little distorted at first - something wrong with the sound in the beginning. Then it all worked out and the show was again, GREAT!!! I loved hearing Bourbon Street and Chris Botti wail on that trumpet of his...he just slithers around the stage so gracefully.

We happen to see Kip again running around with Sting's daughter, Coco and son. They were riding those razor skooters. Kip said hello and we had a quick chat. Then we ran into Ross - the backup singer. He's been with Sting two months or so now. Nice guy. At the end of the night, we ran into Trudie - she was walking quickly in front of us with a blanket wrapped around her head so as to not be noticed. She blew us a kiss...it was sweet! I guess they came in by boat - we saw a big one parked behind the stage area.

We were able to upgrade our seats once we got there. Someone was selling a few extra seats so we bought those - in orchestra - and sold the ones that we had.

All in all, it was another great night and I'll be looking forward to the Greek Theatre in LA in August...

by Brian Jacob on July 2, 2000

Jones Beach was incredible last night. There's nothing like an outdoor show on the water on a perfect summer evening. The setlist was the standard, but there were plenty of changes in the songs (including lots of extended jams featuring Chris Botti's flawless playing) that made it all worthwhile:

"All This Time", the intro was wonderful, with each band member starting to play as soon as Sting introduced them. It was amazing to hear the opening riff being assembled piece by piece.
"Brand New Day" seemed to borrow its jazzy intro from the Murlyn mix. Some hate it, I thought it was great. One of the reasons I hold Sting in such high regard is that he allows his songs to grow and take off in different directions. After the first chorus, it locked back into its original groove and reeeeeeeallly took off. The crowd loved every second. I don't think I'll ever get enough of that song.
"Roxanne" and "If I Ever Lose My Faith In You" were also treated to the slow 1st verse/hard chorus approach. Fantastic.
"When the World is Running Down" featured its usual salsa break in the piano solo. Not having seen the band since November, I was surprised by the addition of a funk break and the extreme shift in dynamic at the end. I think it's about time for another official live release, if only to get this jam documented. I know some people are tired of this song, but I found it amazing to watch the band having a blast rockin' out. They clearly have fun with this, and it ignited the crowd. Jason Rebello is incredible.

There was a great message from Sting in the tourbook that opened with a remembrance of Kenny Kirkland. This segued into his introduction of the band members (and plugs for their solo albums). I found this bit particularly moving:

LETTER TO JASON REBELLO APRIL 1999

"Dear Jason, I'm faced with the impossible task of filling Kenny's chair in my band. I know he loved and respected your playing greatly, so I thought I'd begin with you. I have no idea whether you are even remotely interested, but I figured that if I started with you I'd have Kenny's blessing. I'm still dealing with his loss, as is the rest of the music world. We have all lost a friend. Call me back if you're interested. With love and respect, Sting"

Wow.

"Fragile" was dedicated to Kenny, and seemed a little faster than usual.

Enough typing--time to get out and enjoy the weather. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, everyone!

by Susan Walsh on July 2, 2000

You had to be at the Jones Beach show tonight...talk about a low-energy audience!

I am very glad I saw Sting again, he was great. What else can I say? He is Sting!

Let me say this, though...in the future I believe I will plan on setting aside extra money and going to a broker if necessary for better seats! Our seats weren't terrible but they weren't nearly as close as when I saw him in AC. And at this concert tonight, anything past the 20th row seemed to be a dead zone.

BUT...I am still sooooo glad I saw him again! Did I say he was great?

So let me add...Sting was wonderful! I have seen him at least once each tour, going back to Ghost in the Machine, and I think he just gets better each time

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