The Police take over Rupp for sold-out performance...
It's not often teen-agers flock to see the police. But with The Police, it's a different story.
More than 23,400 music lovers jammed into Rupp Arena last night for a sold- out concert by the rock group.
The event marked the first sold-out concert in Rupp Arena since January and only the fifth in Rupp Arena history, arena manager Bill Humphrey said.
''I think they're great. I love 'em,'' 16-year-old Brian Welker of Louisville said of The Police as he made his way through the crowd to the concert. Welker said it was his first Police concert and vowed ''to enjoy it to the fullest.''
Two Louisville girls clutched a bouquet of white flowers. ''We're going to give them to Sting,''
one of the girls said, giggling. She declined to give her name.
Sting is The Police's lead singer.
Teen-agers and people in their 20s made up the bulk of what one fan called a ''really fired up'' crowd. A few, like 11-year-old Jason Kron of Louisville, brought a parent along.
Actually Tom Kron was chaperoning his son and two of his friends.
''This is the first rock concert I've been to,'' confided the elder Kron, who scanned the crowd a few minutes then said, ''There are not as many wild people here as you would think.''
The Police are riding the tide of their latest No. 1 single, 'Every Breath You Take'.
Stephen O'Brien of Louisville said he liked the messages found in The Police's music.
''This rock group, despite their image, has some spiritual overtones in their music, and that's refreshing,'' said O'Brien, 30.
Despite the sellout, there apparently was no scarcity of concert tickets. Outside Rupp Arena, several people were trying to get rid of extra tickets. There appeared to be ample takers.
Police T-shirts were selling about as well as the concert tickets. Hundreds of people waited in line to buy the shirts, which sold for up to .
A January concert by Alabama was the last sellout at Rupp Arena, Humphrey said. The other sold-out shows were two Rolling Stones performances and one by The Who.
(c) The Lexington Herald-Leader by Thomas Tolliver