Sting at age 60 doesn’t seem that different from Sting at age 30. Perhaps that’s because, as music journalist J.D. Considine recently told USA Today, Sting has never seemed juvenile. He’s always seemed confident, mature, balanced. Yet the music of the man may well be a different story, at least according to critics. As Sting tours behind the much ballyhooed box set “Sting: 25 Years” and its single CD companion, he seems unconcerned with the commercial ups and downs of his catalog as it, and he, age.
“Sixty feels comfortable. I’ve always felt sort of old,” Sting told a sold-out crowd at a benefit concert in celebration of his birthday at New York’s Beacon Theatre last month before he discussed the 25-year anniversary with Rolling Stone. “I thought it was a good time to reflect. For me, getting older enriches life. You realize there are a limited number of summers left – or tours, songs, relationships – so you really have to value them.”
| Onstage |
| Sting |
| When: 8 p.m. Thursday |
| Where: DAR Constitution Hall, 1776 D St. NW, Washington |
| Info: $44 to $125; VIP packages also available; 202-397-SEAT; ticketmaster.com |
In the case of Sting, born Gordon Sumner, that includes a long list.
After he became an international star as the front man for the Police, he disbanded the group in 1984 at the height of its popularity.
Rather than rely on reworking the band’s classic songs including “Roxanne,” “Message in a Bottle,” he jumped full bore into the solo career that he began even before the Police ended.
Although many critics found his rock intelligent and insightful others found both him and his work arrogant and overblown.
Few could argue, though, that Sting was not afraid to use jazz, blues and rock to create the sounds he wanted. By following his own vision, he became a true force in music with top 20 singles including “If I Ever Lose My Faith in You” and “Fields of Gold.”
Now he’s bringing his music to his fans in support of the 25-year set that holds all kinds of sonic surprises found when songs were remixed. Some of the nuggets were startling, even to Sting.
Count on him having plenty of fun sharing his favorite sonic memories on this tour.
“I’m not sure what I’ll do after this next tour,” he said, adding that music still holds plenty of wonder and joy for him. “There’s so much to learn and so little time.”
