Police deliver despite age and cooties

“Roxanne, you don’t have to put on a red light.”
I’ve been annoying my friends and singing that line for the last two weeks in anticipation of Thursday’s Police concert.

Before the show, Kitch and I joined a mob of people hanging out at Blue. I haven’t seen the restaurant that packed since CIAA. (I hear LaVecchia’s was equally crowded.) Luckily, we ran into a friend of Kitch’s at Blue and we joined them in a booth at the bar. And we knew a waiter so we were able to get food and drinks quickly. (Tonya’s bar tip: If you’re at a crowded bar, use cash. It makes things move so much faster for you and the staff.)

I met a couple from Winston-Salem who came down for the show. Everyone I asked had a different song they wanted hear. I’m pretty sure the Police played them all after opening with "Message in a Bottle."

The Police gave 15,000 fans a night full of flashbacks and memories during the band's concert at Bobcats Arena. The trio played all of its major hits during the nearly two-hour show, which included two encores.

Fans I talked to afterward had mixed reactions. Some said it was great; others, who saw them perform in the ’80s, were disappointed by the performance. The show was exactly what I
expected: Three old rockers still doing their thing.

Sting, fighting the flu, looked a little flush and forgot the lyrics to one song, but the crowd kept singing.

He and guitarist Andy Summers moved around the stage some, but this concert didn’t have the energy of the Red Hot Chili Peppers or other younger rock acts. A three-panel screen flashed images of the band above the stage, and the setup on stage was sparse.

It was Sting, Summers and drummer Stewart Copeland putting on a tight show. Most of the songs sounded like they did on the albums, with little live
improvisation. The best improvisation was “Wrapped Around Your Finger.” Copeland plays these huge gongs, the lights were low and the song had a dark sinister feel. Nice.

The near-capacity crowd stayed on its feet most of the
night, singing and dancing. Sting ended the night by saying, "God bless - we'll see you again." Hmm?