STING @ Ravinia Festival – Highland Park, IL

August 23, 2019

Review by Rick Kramer
Photos by David Urmanski

THE BAND: STING
Sting – Vocals & Bass
Dominic Miller – Guitar
Rufus Miller – Guitar
Josh Freese – Drums
Kevon Webster – Keyboard
Gene Noble – Vocals
Melissa Musique – Vocals
Shane Sager – Harmonica

Internationally renowned solo artist and former Police frontman, Sting, made a stop in Chicago Friday night for the first of two back-to-back, highly-anticipated shows in support of his world tour for latest release My Songs. The early evening event took place at the historic Ravinia where an intimate 3,350 capacity open-air pavilion sits at the heart of North America’s oldest music festival grounds. Nestled in the wooded village of Highland Park, located 25 miles north of Chicago, the 115-year-old Ravinia was the perfect setting for what would prove to be a performance that was as energetic as it was euphonic.

Thousands of eager fans streamed onto the festival grounds early as the gates opened on the sunny, late afternoon, transforming the quiet park with elegantly placed sculptures and immaculate landscaping into a live music venue bustling with the purposeful flow of concert goers. Fans quickly claimed their piece of lawn and set up an array of different camps ranging from a simple picnic to a charcuterie to an awe-inspiring catered affair.

A half-hour before showtime the gates to the pavilion opened and ticket-holders with assigned seating began taking their seats while music played in the background in an effort to build anticipation for what was to come. As dusk approached, the pace of attendees quickened and the hum of the audience raised to tumult. Suddenly the house lights went down and the crowd roared their welcome as Sting and his band emerged stage right and quickly took their designated places. The band wasted no time as the intensity of the lighting increased so too did the brilliance of the musicians who stood before us when a brisk snare drum pulse introduced the first number. “Message in a Bottle”, from The Police’s 1979 sophomore release Reggetta de Blanc, was a dynamic opener that instantly resonated with the audience. By the first chorus, the 3,000-plus concert castaways were on their feet sending out their SOS with the band.

The band went right into the next number which was the start of three straight tracks from Sting’s solo career. “If I Ever Lose My Faith in You” ended with a jam session showcasing Josh Freese’s high intensity drum chops while “Englishman in New York” featured several opportunities for the crowd to sing along, showing off the amazing acoustics of the open-air pavilion. Sting then took a moment to greet the audience as he clapped along with the band as they began the fourth number of the night. “If you Love Somebody Set Them Free” found String popping and slapping his 1950’s era Fender Precision bass guitar throughout. The band’s love for performing was indisputable as they extended another song with a jam that brought harmonica player Shane Sager out to front stage where Shane, Sting and Kevon Webster all soloed simultaneously during the vocalists’ chant of “Free, free, set them free.”

Again, the band proceeded without a break and it was back to The Police catalog. This time for a familiar drum fill to open the 1981 smash hit “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic”. The crowd let out a rapturous cry and sang along to every word. There were many high points, but this magical song was the highlight of the evening.

After five straight songs the band finally took a breather, providing Sting the perfect opportunity to introduce the band. The audience learned the guitarists were a father and son duo, with Sting joking that young Rufus was Sting’s “insurance” as Dominic has been with him for over three decades. The youngest member of the band was introduced last as Sting announced Shane Sager had “a very difficult task” ahead of him in anticipation of performing Stevie Wonder’s part in the next number, “Brand New Day”. Shane did not disappoint as he shared the spotlight with Sting for the 1999 hit as the band transitioned into five straight songs from Stings solo career.

“Seven Days” fast paced drum sections and cymbal work along with Rufus’ syncopated strumming was reminiscent of a Police number and ended with the vocal line from “Every Little Thing”. “Fields of Gold” saw Rufus Miller take the spotlight for an acoustic guitar solo leaving the crowd whistling and cheering in approval. The reggae infused “If You Can’t Find Love”, originally recorded with Shaggy, was a chance for vocalists Gene Noble and Melissa Musique to share lead vocal duties with Sting. Their high energy rendition of Shaggy’s vocal melodies were punctuated by a gospel-inspired call and response closing between Sting and Melissa. The stage was then lit red for the solemn “Shape of my Heart” which saw Gene take lead vocals on verses two and four for a dynamic, soulful performance ending the song with a vocal solo that brought the crowd to a high energy cacophony.

Going back to the Police catalog, the band then performed melodic “Wrapped Around Your Finger” followed by “Walking on the Moon” which was a tour de force boasting Sting’s ever-powerful voice, Josh’s thunderous drums and concert-goers filling the pavilion soundscape with backing tracks. Every time Sting pumped his fists in the air to urge the crowd to join in for the ‘Eeyo-eyoo-yo-yo’s, the roof nearly came off in exultation. The energy level increased yet another notch when the chorus to “So Lonely” kicked in, resulting in dancing and sing-alongs throughout the venue. Dominic’s wah-wah guitar solo gave way to a quieter section were Shane did a harmonica solo giving the audience a chance to breath. As expected, the song ended back in high gear with the chant of ‘So lonely’ filling the ravine that the park was named for.

The Arabic infused hit “Desert Rose” got the crowd involved once again as Sting raised his arms with fingers waving, watching ‘the time run through my hands.’ The bridges were transformed into a high-octane march of syncopated snare along with Sting chanting “Hey, Hey!” over the top of the eastern sounding keyboard. That, along with the red and white swirling and spinning stage lights, created the impression of an elaborate, dark carnival ride.

No Sting show would be complete without performing the classic “Roxanne”. Sting did not disappoint. As Dominic played the band into “Roxanne,” the red lights were turned off and the stage was bathed in white as the crowd helped Gene and Melissa fill the night crooning once again; this time with chants of ‘Roxanne’ allowing Sting and the band the opportunity to turn another classic into an extended jam as the crowd swayed back and forth and sang along. “Every Breath You Take” was the final number of the set and Sting wasted no time introducing his phenomenal band once again. As the song ended, the crowd cheered as the band joined Sting front and center for three deep, group bows. They then they cheered them back on to the stage for a three-song encore of “King of Pain”, “Next to You” and “Fragile.”

With an extended show time of nearly two hours, spent mostly in song, the evening evolved into an emotionally-charged musical masterpiece fit for even the most critical of music fans as Sting’s singing, showmanship and musical accompaniment serving a grand use of time. With Sting’s latest release My Songs being a re-recording of past hits, nostalgia was on the minds of the multi-generational crowd Friday night but it was clear to all in attendance that Sting’s enthusiasm for performing his iconic songs to perfection puts him in a class of his own that very few artists can emulate.

SETLIST:
Message in a Bottle
If I Ever Lose My Faith in You
Englishman in New York
If You Love Somebody Set Them Free
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
Brand New Day
Seven Days
Fields of Gold
If You Can’t Find Love
Shape of My Heart
Wrapped Around Your Finger
Walking on the Moon
So Lonely
Desert Rose
Roxanne
Every Breath You Take