The Police @ Nikon at Jones Beach Theater, 8.4.08
From our pal and boss Kevin Amorim:
"I remember the first time we played Long Island," a firm and fit Sting told Jones Beach about seven songs into The Police's Monday night show. "We played My Father's Place. Well, not my father's place, but your Father's Place. And then we came back and played the Nassau Coliseum."
Nostalgia is good . . . in small doses. And last night's historic Police concert at the Nikon Theater at Jones Beach hit the spot. For more than an hour and a half, the Anglo-American trio -- calling it quits (again) after Thursday's show at Madison Square Garden -- played with the exuberance of a band half its age. Say what you will about Sting, the man looks and sounds good. Still. Drummer Stewart Copeland and guitarist Andy Summers, though not as physically well-preserved as their bass-playing boss, have more chops than a kung-fu flick. Still.
Throw in opening act Elvis Costello and the Imposters (whose keyboardist, Steve Nieve, and drummer, Pete Thomas, are from the Attractions), and, well, you have the makings of a WLIR concert that could have taken place in the early '80s at the Malibu.
But before we try and tune in Larry the Duck on the old 92.7 FM frequency, let's get back to the show.
The Police put out hits – all of them. During the first encore, "Roxanne" made neck hairs stand on end. "Can't Stand Losing You," another biggie off the 1978's "Outlandos d'Amour" (A&M) debut was more rave-up than reggae number. "I guess this is our last goodbye," Sting sang, without realizing the importance of his words.
"Wrapped Around Your Finger" was turned into an epic on us, with Copeland utilizing chimes, kettle drums and other percussion. (He also opened the show around shortly before 9 with a bang on the gong behind his drum kit.) And Summers shone on most every number, but his squealing intro to "Driven to Tears," may have caused some to cry, in a good way.
It was Sting's show, however. And so he was responsible for many of the night's little annoyances. Sure, his bass playing as supple as ever, but after a while, all those "ee-oo-ee-oo's" (and variations thereof) became grating. (Fine, "Walking on the Moon" needs a few "ee-yo-ee," but did he have to sing "Roxanne-o" during one verse?) And those howls? Oh, boy.
Opener Costello and his band played songs off the new "Momofuku" (Lost Highway) album, but it was the classics that livened the place up. "Pump It Up," Everyday I Write the Book" and "Watching the Detectives" may have taken a few notes each to become recognizable. One guy who was immediately identifiable during "Alison" was Sting. Dressed in his pre-concert khakis, the Policeman walked out on stage and began sharing verses with Elvis. Now that would have been something to hear back in, say, 1980.
BONUS: If you want to see The Police's final show, the last two sections at the rear of the stage have opened up for Thursday's Garden show. The seats can be had for a $50 contribution. All proceeds from Thursday's show go to Public television's program for the arts.
SETLIST: Message in a Bottle / Walking on the Moon / Demolition Man / Voices in My Head / When the World is Running Down / Don't Stand So Close to Me / Driven to Tears / Hole in My Life / Every Little Thing She Does is Magic / Wrapped Around Your Finger / De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da / Invisible Sun / Can't Stand Losing You // ENCORES: Roxanne / King of Pain / So Lonely / Every Breath You Take / Next to You
PHOTOS: Andy Summers and Sting at Nikon at Jones Beach Theater on Monday night: Newsday Photos / Thomas A. Ferrara
E-mail
Facebook
Digg
Delicious
Comments (8)
Saw the Police last night at Jones Beach and came away disappointed. Though the band was tight and entertaining they did not possess the spark that made them a great concert band in the days prior to the original breakup. The Police were an edgy, guitar driven power trio; they no longer have that edge and even the hard rocking guitar has been toned down. They are now at the point where they play "interesting" arrangements of their compositions. Just another example of the original band covering their own tunes....
Still, the Police are a bunch of talented musicians and the concert was much fun!
Saw the Police last night also (as well as last summer at MSG) and throughly enjoyed the show. Was disapointed not to hear "Truth Hits Everybody" played but overall was a great show. Andy was espcially at the top of his game. I'm sorry to see these guys fade off into the sunset again. Sorrier more that they didn't have a new CD in them, but I am very happy to have been able to see them in concert after missing out in 1984 (I was only 14 at the time and missed the Shea concert).
I was at the Police show at Jones Beach last night also. It was extremely entertaining, and I was very happy to hear a couple of my favorite of their album tracks, "Hole in My Life," "Walking on the Moon," and the rave-up closer "Next to You," included alongside the many bigger hits (although doing a little reading online of reviews from last year's run of shows, I would have also loved to hear "Bed's Too Big" and "Murder by Numbers," which it seems they were doing last year but have dropped). And it was very interesting seeing how they rose to the challenge of rearranging many of the songs for their three-piece live instrumentation, rather than augmenting the band with additional musicians in order to recreate the recordings more literally. (Sting even made a witty joke out of this at the beginning of the necessarily radically-rearranged "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic," making like he couldn't recognize the song from Summer's guitar intro which took the place of the elaborate piano intro from the hit record.)
Only downside was that Summer's role and his playing weren't what I would have expected. He seemed to be playing very safely and sticking to very exact, pre-arranged/rehearsed parts, often playing the same simple figures over and over without variation. I would have thought that with a guitarist of his stature and background, and in the context of a trio, there would have been more room for his playing to take on a looser, somewhat more improvisiational part in the arrangements, ad libbing more lines and fills and varying the rhythmic parts, accents and voicings a bit more spontaneously and unpredictably within the framework provided by Sting and Copeland - but it at least looked like he lacked the confidence for that and had to really concentrate and focus just to get the parts right! (This probably wasn't really the case but his playing just seemed stiff to me, and he didn't show a lot of physical energy on stage either.) He finally seemed to me to come more to life and loosen up a lot more in the encores, including his extended solo in "Can't Stand Losing You," and the other big hits they rolled out for the encores....the five-song double-encore was the best part of the show I thought, highest-energy.
I caught the show last night as well. I love the boys and have since I was an 11 yr old buying her first album, "Ghost in the Machine." We were very happy with the venue - perfect night on the water - and the guys sounded fantastic. Of course, they effed up a couple of times - the words or the timing -- but for the most part, it was tight. And yeah, whoever said the "ee-oo" thing got grating was right. My BF kept asking me what the hell Sting was saying. I was pretty pleased with the playlist - would love to have heard "Spirits in the Material World" but happy to hear lesser knowns like "Hole in My Life" and the amalgam of "Voices Inside My Head/When the World is Running Round, You Make the Best of What's Still Around". I was cracking up b/c I seemed to be the only one in my area singing the words to "Demolition Man". Everyone else looked bored. It picked up again and never let go. "Can't Stand Losing You" and "Next to You" kicked arse.
Does anyone know why Elvis started this set well before 7:30 as it stated on the ticket? Is that his thing?
thanks
MD
I was at the show last night and most of the comments left here are dead on. The band was not as edgy as they were back in the day. we also have to remember that they are 20 years older and have played those songs over and over for the past few years. That being said, I dont care what they think is interesting, I PAID THEM to play the songs they way I THINK is intereresting, they way they are in my cd's and in my mind. However the 80s are LONG over and so are the Police. Stweart was the only one I think that was playing for keeps, Andy looked bored at times, and Sting, knows what a crowd likes to see and hear, he is a frontman.
Im lad I went, because now I can move on as well!
Elvis Costello was great as always. Too bad the stadium was only 1/4 full for him. The police were, well, kind of boring. Too produced and NO spontaneity. All three men are very accomplished musicians but they seem to have lost their edge or true interest in this concert series and what made them rock stars. Stuart Copeland showed off his skills as did Andy Somers and it was impressive. I didn't want to see the Police according to Sting. I wanted to see the band. We left the stadium at the encore to save time in traffic back to Manhattan. We've never done that before.
God they were fantastic, but I must say Jones Beach night two was incredible they played TOTALLY on form, I never had such a great time in my life!!!!
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=3h6eC8a6OeM
Sting, Andy, Stew COME BACK!!
"Once I had a secret love
That lived within the heart of me"