I had a dream. . .

High School Dream #1: See The Police in concert.

Really. This was the number one, seemingly impossible dream. My friends and I talked about it, included it in our yearbook messages to one another, and never believed it would ever happen.

You see, The Police broke up when we were way too young to have seen them.



Their last album Syncronicity came out when I was in the 3rd grade, and although I was aware of it (my sister owned the lp), I was too in love with Billy Joel and Kenny Rogers to be a fan. Also, their lyrics and videos confused and frightened me. It wasn't until years later, in high school that I realized the brilliance of their music and the absolute gorgeousness of Sting. By the time I'd begun my love affair, they'd been broken up for about six years.

And they didn't just break up, they hated each other. It got so bad at the end that Stewart Copeland set up his drum kit so that he couldn't see Sting while they performed, and once Sting performed an entire show with a broken collarbone from a brawl backstage.

So, even though we wanted it to happen more than anything, it was like dreaming about seeing the Beatles in concert. A nice wish, but nothing more.

Thanks to the members actually surviving into middle age without overdosing or losing their sanity, calmer tempers, the offer of obscene amounts of money, and nostalgia, The Police reunited at went on tour last year.

Helen and I decided to go see them here in Vegas a few months ago when she was in town with her baby and husband, and we've been looking forward to it ever since. The knowledge that I would be seeing The Police in concert got me through the last couple of VERY tough months, and I put it on my four page to-do list so that I had at least one happy item to check off.

Sadly, the Sunday before the concert Helen's little girl got sick and she had to cancel her trip. I called my friend Jill who was only too happy to buy Helen's ticket and drive to Vegas. You see she had Ohmygoodnessitismayandicannotworkthisfridayitis. A pretty bad case of it, actually. It's a known fact that a quick trip out of town is the only known cure, so she was relieved that I happened to have an extra ticket.

So, how was it, you may ask? Did the concert live up to my impossibly high expectations?



It actually did! It was AMAZING. Sting, Stewart, and Andy were brilliant, incredibly talented and looked like they were having a lot of fun on stage. Every song was wonderful, but "Wrapped Around Your Finger" was particularly fantastic, with Stewart Copeland kicking tail and taking names on two sets of percussion instruments. The encore consisted of "Roxanne" "Every Breath You Take" and a rendition of "So Lonely" that nearly blew the roof off the place. Have I mentioned that this whole experience was AMAZING!?!

In addition, Elvis Costello opened. Yes. Elvis Costello. Can you believe it? I couldn't either. He was really funny, sounded great, and when he sang "Alison" Sting came out and sang it with him. I just about died of happiness. I've been to a lot of concerts, and that song was one of my favorite live music moments ever.

Over the past couple of years I haven't listened to much of The Police or even Sting. I thought I might be over my love for them, thinking that maybe I'd been wrong about how good they were, how much this music moved me.

I was WRONG. The Police are legen (wait for it) dary for a reason. They outperform nearly everyone I've ever seen, and their music is still as complex and fun as ever. Then there's the Stingerhoffer himself. He is still INCREDIBLY sexy, fabulously talented, and when he performed his signature leap, so did my heart.



Boys, why can't I quit you?



Oh yeah. That's why.

*Disclaimer: the video's from the tour, but not my show.