Christine remembers sitting next to me in 8th grade English class and the rapidfire of our passing notes. Her notes said, "I love Phillip"--referring to her boyfriend--and my notes said, "Well, I love Sting more"--referring to a man I hadn't, and still haven't, met. In my characteristic overboard style, I'd even make little cartoon books based on the lyrics of "Message in a Bottle" and "Don't Stand So Close to Me." These works of art (ahem) kept me from paying too much attention to the English teacher and the razor stubble above her top lip.
The last I'd seen Sting was at the Beacon. He was performing a week of sold-out shows as a warm-up for his mammoth Soul Cages tour. My boyfriend, Sherman--who is now my husband--accompanied me that night and we had a wonderful, civilized time. Christine had never seen Sting live before, and as we walked in synchronized steps toward the Beacon, I had a feeling this trip wouldn't be quite so civilized.
The floor of the theater wasn't full at 8 p.m. when Cheb Mami was introduced by Miles Copeland as "one of the greatest artists of the Arabic-speaking world." Christine and I were part of the crowd that filtered in as Cheb sang selections from Meli Meli. His set full of energy, Cheb Mami looked like he was having a great time singing to a crowd of predominantly clueless Americans. We were sitting in the second to last row, and we didn't dare dance yet; we were still adjusting to the steep descent beyond our feet and the cramped quarters.
I thought, like the overwhelming majority of you who voted in last month's brief poll, that I'd be extra critical of Sting's performance because I paid a lot of money to see him. But the money didn't seem to matter when Sting came onstage to start the show with "A Thousand Years." I was simply too excited to be in the same room with my idol. He was wearing the now-familiar Brand New Day tour outfit: a shiny black shirt, brown cargo pants, dark brown workboots, and a guitar. Despite the earthiness of his garb, he seemed as bright and shiny and fundamental as the center of the solar system. Accompanying him were Dominic Miller, Manu Katche, Kipper, Chris Botti, Mino Cinelu, and Jason Robello.
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