Still Rockin’ Sting Gave A Great Performance Singing Old Hits From His Police Days As Well As New Tunes

Sting Saturday, Aug. 10, The Gorge

The sky gods were assisting Sting on Saturday night.

While he was singing the ethereal folk-tinged “Fields of Gold,” a shooting star streaked brilliantly above the stage.

Hmm. Could it be “Mercury Falling”?

If pieces of Mars can break off and become meteors, why can’t pieces of Mercury? “Mercury Falling” is the name of Sting’s new album, so I’ll be content to imagine it was just that.

Then, during the old Police hit “Roxanne,” another meteor shot a fiery red streak above The Gorge. And talk about symbolism: This was just seconds after Sting had sung the refrain, “Turn on the red light.”

Too bad neither of these meteors was visible from the stage, because Sting is a man who loves poetic and literary symbolism.

He also loves to rock, as he did on the Police classic “Synchronicity II,” performed by his six-piece band with as much furious energy as the original. He performed a number of new tunes from “Mercury Falling” but also provided a virtual greatest-hits package of tunes from both his Police days and his solo career: “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic,” “Every Breath You Take,” “If You Love Somebody, Set Them Free” and “Demolition Man.”

Dressed in an olive-drab fatigue-like outfit, he never came across as the King of Pain. In fact, he seemed to be having a great time on stage.

One of the high points of the show was when he cajoled a volunteer from the audience to help sing his latest single, “I’m So Happy I Can’t Stop Crying.” The volunteer, named Nate, was terrific and both he and Sting seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely.

Sting has assembled a top-notch band, featuring a fine two-person brass section (so full of energy they did what looked like step-aerobics to most of the songs) and the phenomenal Kenny Kirkland on keyboards. Several songs, even “Roxanne,” evolved into high-energy jazz jams.

Sting’s quieter, more folkish side emerged on songs such as “Fields of Gold.” It was beautifully done, but I found myself thinking that it might have been even more evocative done acoustically. He didn’t do a single acoustic number.

By the way, the opening band, the Samples, did a terrific set. This Boulder, Colo., band sounds like early R.E.M. mixed with Neil Young, and they were well-received by the audience. The songs by guitarist-singer Sean Kelly are solid.

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