We’ve seen Sting in many iterations post The Police: big rock outfits, symphonic interpretations, Broadway. He’s that versatile.
But now he’s on his “3.0” tour which came to Port Chester, New York’s intimate Capitol Theater for the second of two nights last night. This is basically a take on his Police sound, just him with searing guitarist Dominic Miller, drummer Chris Maas, and Sting himself on bass.
No less than Clive Davis, famed music mogul, sat in the Capitol’s main box and didn’t leave until the very end. That’s how good a show this was.
Sting is such a showman after 50 years (50 years!) that he pulled this off without batting an eye. The performances are polished and yet kind of raw because they’re right in your face. The show is propulsive in its energy. How can three people make such a big sound, and so exact?
The songs in Sting’s catalog stand the test of time because of their construction. They’re all based in jazz so that sped up to be punk/New Wave or slowed down to be contemplative their foundations remain solid. There are the hits — “Message in a Bottle,” “Roxanne,” “Fields of Gold” (the song Paul McCartney said he wished he’d written).
But then are the revelations. “Shape of My Heart” sounded more plaintive than ever last night. “Why Should I Cry for You?” — a mournful tribute to Sting’s dad — rings with sadness.
Of course the highlight of the is Sting’s butterscotch voice, which hasn’t lost a step but it seems richer and more textured as he ages. It can’t just be hot tea with honey. But he holds soaring notes impossibly. They come in arcs and land with precision and control. This is no small thing.
Sting’s show was preceded by jazz and classical pianist ELEW, who he introduced to the audience. ELEW is a rare find, a musical prodigy and an exciting and unusual choice who set the tone for the night.
