Sting Brought the Nostalgia to Red Rocks... and Invited the Audience to His House

The vibe conjured something akin to a Dead show populated by salesmen and stay-at-home moms from the 1980s.

"This is my fourteenth appearance on this very stage," Sting announced to a sold-out crowd at Red Rocks on May 20, the second show of a three-night stand at the legendary venue. "We always look forward to coming here to see you."

The '80s and '90s hitmaker is on his STING 3.0 tour, playing nearly all the hits one could ask of the 73-year-old superstar. Clad in an all-black cargo jumpsuit, his collar popped as he effortlessly feathered the strings of his bass, Sting was accompanied by Dominic Miller on guitar and Chris Maas in a power-trio lineup reminiscent of the Police, the near-fifty-year-old band that scored Sting his first hits.

And Sting was there to play the hits, which the audience happily sang along to, while he played call and response.

The show kicked off with the Police's 1979 reggae-rock "Message in a Bottle," which set the stage for the songs to come. It became an extended jam, with the nostalgia-laden crowd clapping along and singing the "sending out an S.O.S." refrain. The audience was enthralled; the vibe conjured something akin to a Dead show populated by salesmen and stay-at-home moms from the 1980s.

From there, the band kicked into "If I Ever Lose My Faith In You," the 1993 solo track that won Sting a Grammy for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. The musicians elongated this song as well, then segued with some banter into "Englishman in New York," which really hyped the largely Boomer crowd with its anthemic refrain: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

The Police's 1981 New Wave hit "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" had fans on their feet dancing, as text superimposed on the huge vertical screens reminded the revelers you're not allowed to smoke ANYTHING inside the venue.

"I'm gonna sing a song about my house," Sting told the audience, slowing the vibe as a few thousand folks took a seat while he prefaced "Fields of Gold."

"I have a little house in the English countryside," he said. "It's more of a castle, really - quite close to Stonehenge. Do you know Stonehenge? If you ever go to Stonehenge, just go down the hill a mile and a half, that's my house. Knock on the door and I'll make you a cup of tea."

The hits kept coming - "Every Breath You Take," "Spirits in the Material World," "Roxanne," etc. The only glaring omission given the state of the world today was "Russians," the Cold War single Sting resurrected a couple years back.

In all, this audience didn't have to travel to Stonehenge - Sting's home is quite obviously the stage, and nearly 10,000 of us were gathered with him for a metaphorical cup of tea.

(c) Westworld by Brendan Joel Kelley