57th & 9th: World Tour

Sting is incredible: not even the rain dampened his talent...

Almost 30 years after his first visit to the country, the Englishman reviewed his hits and songs from his new album, 57th & 9th.

Under the spotlight and surrounded by lasers, it's easy to see anyone as a star. Sting, in his fourth performance on Costa Rican soil, demonstrated that without gunpowder, complicated choreography, or much fanfare, thousands of people can understand that they are in front of an exceptional composer, a true star.

This Tuesday, May 9, Sting returned to Costa Rica to the geographical location where he gave his first concert in the country 29 years ago. This Tuesday's Sting had less hair, more gray hair, but his voice was on par with what he had at the 1988 Concert for Human Rights.

The 65-year-old musician offered a concert of more than 20 songs in which he reviewed several of the hits he produced with the group that made him famous, The Police, while also presenting his new album and essential songs from his solo repertoire.

Although the audience, regardless of their seating arrangements, had to deal with the rain, Sting's warmth was enough to warm those present—even if only a little.

At 8:15 p.m. sharp, all the lights went out in the National Stadium and the band began to play Synchronicity II. Sting walked in serenely, armed with his Fender bass, and took up position at the microphone. This Police song immediately brought the entire audience in front of the stage to their feet: if Sting was going to be seen in the rain, it might as well be dancing.

The performance continued with "Spirits in the Material World," another Police song. It's no coincidence that his first two songs dealt with the difficulties of modernity. Although both were created in the 1980s, their critiques of the system and the difficulties of solving problems as a global community remain relevant.

Sting's tone was as regal and strong as ever. He now has much less hair than the first time he came to this part of the capital, but his spirit and desire to play don't seem to have diminished.

At the end of the second song, he approached the edge of the stage and raised his arm to ask the crowd for a shout. The audience responded immediately, and a smiling Sting returned to his place at the microphone. He let out a shout that heralded the start of "Englishman in New York," one of his most famous solo songs.

The entire audience roared with excitement as Sting began the song and then sang along with him, "Be yourself, no matter what they say."

"Englishman in New York" heralded a string of songs written in that same city. The composer performed his latest single, "Can't Stop Thinking About You," from the album, "57th & 9th." The album title, in fact, alludes to the name of the intersection he crossed every day to get to the recording studio.

The song is catchy, and just like "One Fine Day," another new song, the audience received it well.

"Good evening, Costa Rican audience," Sting said in Spanish, to the delight of those present. A man of few words, Sting thanked everyone for coming and continued.

Two hits from his solo career followed, but much older: the lively "She's Too Good for Me" and "I Hung My Head." During the chorus of the latter, Sting was accompanied by his son, Joe Sumner, and members of the opening act, The Last Bandoleros. Cell phones and flashlights popped out as Sting launched into "Fields of Gold," to much acclaim from the audience. The soft ballad was accompanied by accordionist Jerry Fuentes of The Last Bandoleros, and the sound of the instrument filled the stadium. At the end of the song, the entire stadium applauded Fuentes. Sting and the band returned to the songs from the album 57th & 9th. This album is much more rock-oriented, at least more so than the other solo songs the bassist performed. This was evident in Petrol Head, where guitarist Dominic Miller, Sting's right-hand man, unleashed the distortion of his Fender guitar.

The tenth song in the set was "Down, Down, Down," a slower track, where Sting's voice was much clearer, and where Sting's son Sumner was also heard.

On the next song, "Shape of my Heart," father and son shared the main microphone, a detail that thrilled the audience. Dominic Miller also demonstrated his skills on an acoustic guitar, playing an elegant solo in the middle of the song. Then came "Message in a Bottle," and immediately the rain began to pick up steam. The audience didn't let up and started clapping and jumping to the rhythm of the song. Josh Freese's (former member of A Perfect Circle and Nine Inch Nails) drums reverberated throughout the stadium as the audience sang "Sending Out an SOS" with Sting. Not even the rain dampened the excitement of being able to sing that song again with the same man who composed it so many years ago. 

At the end of the song, the main spotlight shone on Joe Sumner, who performed David Bowie's Ashes to Ashes with the band. Sting himself joined the song for the second chorus, and Dominic Miller dropped to the floor to rock the song's powerful riffs.

Without a moment to breathe, the band proceeded to perform "Walking on the Moon," another Police classic. Sting took advantage of the opportunity, once again with a sweep of his arm, to invite the audience to sing along, while Freese worked his magic on the drums once again. The Police's drummer Stewart Copeland is irreplaceable, but Freese breathed new life into the song.

The Police's hits didn't end there. Sting performed "So Lonely" once again to a robust chorus from the audience. "I feel lo lo lo," he sang, and the audience, without prompting, sang "lo lo lo" back. Stars don't need to ask the audience to sing.

The band proceeded with Desert Rose, another famous Sting solo song. The audience welcomed it, but what followed immediately overshadowed it. From the first chords of Roxanne, the audience reacted with a surprised "oooh."

By the time the chorus hit, there was no one in the stadium who wasn't singing along with Sting and the band. The red lights emanating from the stage and all around the audience only increased the excitement.

After the second chorus, Sting began a transition into Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine." The group played the Police's arranged version for a while and then returned to play the chorus of "Roxanne" with even more force.

The song served as the climax of the concert, and at the end, Sting waved goodbye to the audience after 75 minutes of performance.

The break was brief, knowing that the rain hadn't let up. They performed two Police songs in one go: "Next to You" and "Every Breathe You Take." The latter was another highlight of the concert and perhaps the most chanted song of the night. During the verses, the audience could be heard applauding, and each chorus was sung with every fibre of their body.

Towards the end of the song, Sting took the opportunity to introduce his band and then closed the song before leaving once more. The rain caused many to head for the exit, but the notes of an acoustic guitar in Sting's hands brought many back.

That was the only time the Englishman left his beloved bass during the set. He performed the song Fragile with modesty and a powerful voice. That's how stars are; they can choose whatever they want to say goodbye, and even in the rain, 20 songs later, the audience will be happy.

(c) La Nacion by Carlos Soto Campos