Police nabs fans in strong rock net...
In little more than three years, the Police has grown from a fledgling club act into a major force in rock'n'roll.
The British band's first appearance locally was in March 1979 be- fore about 450 people at One Block West in Kansas City, Kan. In contrast to that event, Thursday the group performed for nearly 15,000 at Kemper Arena.
The band's increased popularity is due to the release of three hard-driving LPs in three years that have shot the trio to the top of the charts. Success has made the band members near recluses, rarely granting interviews. However, the group's matter-of-fact stage presence is used to its advantage.
Thursday's show came off with the same air of urbanity that the band's records have. The musicianship was nearly flawless, and the sound was sharp enough to show off the best qualities of each musician, which is quite a feat in the cavernous Kemper Arena.
The band's principal spokes- man is lead vocalist and bass player Sting, who seemed to enjoy himself throughout the show, munching on pineapple slices and evaluating the audience's level of participation with a critical ear.
A three-man horn section was added to punch up some of the selections from the band's latest album, "Ghost in the Machine." On many of the selections, a frenzied saxophone solo rounded out a song.
The two most popular tunes from the album, 'Spirits in the Material World' and 'Every Little Thing She Does is Magic', were enthusiastically received. Some of the band's earlier singles, especially 'Message in a Bottle', 'Don't Stand So Close to Me' and 'Roxanne', also turned out to be crowd pleasers. The rockers also threw in a version of 'Kansas City' for the encore, performed in the group's unique style but noticeably lacking some rehearsal.
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts presented basically the same show they did in a free concert in January at Memorial Hall, but Miss Jett's music is a refreshing change from that of the numerous bands of this type, loud but not abrasive. Some of her better efforts are cover versions, especially a heavy-metal rendition of 'Crimson and Clover'.
(c) The Kansas City Star by Tim McGraw
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