Synchronicity: 1983/84

The Police arresting in Coliseum concert...

If someone told you that a rock group would take a tea break during its Coliseum gig, would you have believed it?

"Our show is very long. We'll have a cup of the old brew and be back in precisely three minutes," said Sting (Gordon Sumner) of the Police Saturday night. "You can amuse yourselves while we're gone."

The sold-out crowd didn't have to leave to amuse itself. The 10-foot screen near the stage showed the British trio waving, rushing off, then sitting at a table and pouring tea with milk from a silver pot. It was back in just under three minutes.

"That was refreshing," said Sting, a triple threat as bassist, vocalist and song-writer.

But then the whole show was refreshing, an exhilarating night with the world's No. 1 rock band. The Police took over 18,500 without a struggle.

The crowd was up cheering before the trio appeared. The music was going before the lights were up, too. And there was Sting. shirtless in a white jacket, Cossack-style pants and boots, singing "Effect without a cause/sub-atomic laws/scientific pause/Synchronicity...

This was 'Synchronicity I', the title song from the Police's A&M album. The Police has never been your everyday "let's get together right now baby," band. Under its deceptively simple songs are challenging themes and intricate sound effects. And it has two of the best musicians in guitarist Andy Summers, and drummer Stewart Copeland, who can play four different percussion instruments at one time.

The Police first became famous for its use of reggae rhythms, especially in 'Roxanne', its hymn to a French prostitute, and 'One World'. The band still has a reggae touch, but it's more subtle. The band has expanded considerably since its last show here. No band today plays like it.

"Before, our reggae was expressionistic, now its cubist," said art lover Summers after the show.

In some ways the Police had something in common with the David Bowie show the night before. Both had a fascinating frontman and back-up singers. In fact, it was quite a sight at the beginning of the Police show to see clouds of smoke coming up from the floor and three black-robed figures, two of them veiled, waving their arms in unison. They were called the Sands of Time.

But it's Sting, a tall blond with kind of a Huckleberry Finn look, who rivets your attention with his tenor voice, his squinting expressions and his remarks. Another reason is that Copeland and Summers are poker faced.

"I'm not nervous now. How do you feel?" Sting asked just before 'Wrapped Around Your Finger', later whistling with the last bars of the song. He played synthesizer and Summers brought his delicate nuances to 'Invisible Sun', the song once banned by the British Broadcasting Corp. because of its political overtones.

The Police knew how to blend the straight-shooting, slower songs like 'Every Breath You Take' with rhythmic rousers like 'Message in a Bottle' and 'One World'.

To me, 'One World' best epitomizes the Police's power, winding up with thousands of fans singing "One world is enough for all of us." 

Sting was even more expressive this time, dancing in the air like a frisky folk dancer and getting Summers to kick along with him.

Sting also challenged the audience to yell louder than Detroit had, the one rather weak part of an arresting show, but the crowd loved it.

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts played an afternoon show in Minneapolis and got to the Coliseum at 7 p.m. to open the Coliseum concert. "I don't know how we did it," manager Kenny Laguna said. 

Jett, the vocalist and rhythm guitarist. showed why she is considered one of the top female performers in rock, from 'Bad Reputation' up to 'Do You Wanna Touch Me?' Her voice has a husky, insistent tone that can still sound slightly petulant. A great sound for rock'n'roll. She's got a platinum album behind her and strong songs from her latest album, just called 'Album', to choose from..

One of her best was the new 'The French Song', with her bassist Gary Ryan singing with her. At the last minute the band tossed out 'Tossin' and Turnin' and did a pounding version of the Rolling Stones' 'Star'.

Jett is maturing from the sleazy image of her Runaway band days into a confident rock singer.

Nina Blackwood, an MTV (Music Television) video jockey, introduced the show, and got almost as big a hand as the musicians. She's a former Rocky River and Russell Township resident. MTV is marking its second anniversary today.

(c) The Plain Dealer by Jane Scott