It’s not a stretch to say this was one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to. Last night’s show ranks up there with U2’s Elevation Tour from 2001, and Bruce Springsteen’s tour with the E Street Band for The Rising back in 2003.
The boys came out and ripped right into “Message in a Bottle,” and then went straight into “Synchronicity II.” You can get a sense of the rest of their set list here (it includes some alterations from different cities), but it was basically a Greatest Hits show. And I mean that in the best possible way. For a Police fan, they pretty much played everything you would possibly want to hear at a once-in-a-lifetime show like this.
One thing I keep thinking about is how, for a lot of bands that have been playing together for decades, you can tell that a certain amount of enthusiasm has been lost when it comes to playing their mega hits. Well, that certainly isn’t the case with the Police on this tour, mainly because they’ve been broken up for nearly 24 years. The songs last night sounded just as fresh as I imagine they did in the early 80s, and all three guys — Sting in particular — look pretty damn good for their age.
It’s just amazing to me that this concert even happened. For years, whenever someone would ask me to list off the bands I would want to see if I could, the Police were usually near the top of the list. But, like seeing the Beatles or Queen (when everyone was still alive), it just didn’t seem like something that was in the realm of possibility.
Last night was amazing, and I am eternally greatful to Stef and her folks for letting me tag along to the concert of a lifetime.
Here are a few reviews from the local rags:
• Freep: Reunited Police reinvent old hits
• Oakland Press: Police reunion rocks the Palace
• Detroit News: Police get over issues, rock Palace
And a couple more notable links:
• Rolling Stone: The Police: A Fragile Truce
• Ireland On-Line: The Police argue over ‘new album’ plans
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