Sting 3.0

Sting 3.0 at MGM Music Hall Boston...

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Sting is currently out on a tour of smaller venues across the country. He brought this tour to Boston's MGM Music Hall at Fenway on Friday night. He will be there again on Sunday night for another show. The current lineup, dubbed "Sting 3.0" consists of Sting and his long-time guitarist and collaborator Dominic Miller. The trio is rounded out by drummer Chris Maas, who previously toured with Mumford and Sons. This current tour is for all intents and purposes, a greatest hits show. The band offered up 22 songs on Friday night.  He pulled from his solo material and dusted off some classics by The Police.

At roughly 9pm, Sting and company appeared on stage, immediately launching into "Message in a Bottle." Sting is in peak form. At 73 years old, he sounds as good as be did in 1982. He masterfully worked the capacity crowd and delivered one of the best shows that I have seen in years. The production was gorgeous with state-of-the-art lighting and a huge video wall. The video wall was utilized very creatively. During "Wrapped Around Your Finger" images of flickering candles danced on the screen, a throwback to the 1983 video for the song.  Miller is an absolute beast on guitar. He wrote what is arguably one of the most famous guitar lines when he wrote "Shape of My Heart" with Sting for 1993's Ten Summoner's Tales. That song was one of many highlights of the night. As the setlist came toward the end. The band blended one song into the next,  without pausing. It was hit after hit after hit. "Desert Rose" led to "King of Pain," before seguing into a set closing "Every Breath You Take." The band took a bow, but the Boston crowd had not had enough. They returned to the stage for a two song encore of "Roxanne" and "Fragile." 5000 fans left the MGM Music Hall satisfied, having just witnessed a master.

There are very few "Rockstars" left. Sting is one of them.  Get out and see him live.  As I mentioned earlier,  he is performing here again on Sunday October 6th at 8pm. There are a limited number of tickets left.  Don't miss out.  The next time you'll have a chance to see him might be at the JMA Wireless Dome with Billy Joel next year.  I don't know about you but I would prefer to see a show in an intimate setting as opposed to a stadium.

Jazz Pianist/composer Eric Lewis, AKA ELEW opened the show with an eclectic set. He opened with a rousing cover of The Knife's "Heartbeats," followed by cover of Breaking Benjamin's "Diary of Jane."  Playing Breaking Benjamin solo on a piano does not sound like it should work on paper. It works incredibly well. Lewis plays the piano like no one I have ever seen. He reaches inside the piano and strums the strings like they are on a harp or a guitar. He bangs on the frame of the piano as if it were a drum. It all comes together for something that is interesting, strange and unique. As part of my Daytripper concert review series I review the venue as well as the concert itself. Seeing a legend like Sting at a 5000 seat capacity venue is a treat in and of itself. Seeing him at MGM Music Hall is even better. The venue,  which opened in 2022 is right next to Fenway Park. Designed specifically for concerts, the Music Hall doesn't have a bad seat. The sightlines are clear,  the sound is impeccable and the lighting is next level.  Everything about this venue was carefully thought out. There are four levels, all accessed from the main lobby. The show was sold out but it didn't feel like a sold out show in the sense that there were no lines to wait in for drinks or restrooms. The main floor has a bar on either side of the stage. The staff is courteous and helpful. There is plenty of parking too, and it is affordable. I parked a block away for $20. As a comparison,  I paid $40 to park in Albany for a recent show at MVP Arena. The upcoming schedule at MGM Music Hall had something for all tastes. Do yourself a favor and go see a show here.  Thank me later.

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