Wednesday, June 27, 2007

The Police World Tour: Dallas June 26, 2007

“Don’t ruin it for me…”

My wife was not happy with me as we left the American Airlines Center in Dallas last night. No sooner had we stepped out onto the rain-soaked plaza when I began verbally deconstructing the two hour concert we had just witnessed – the first and, quite possibly, the last show by The Police we will ever see.

“You always do this.”

I have to admit it – I had started writing this review in my head the instant Stewart Copeland jumped up onto his percussion platform and sounded the massive gong hanging behind his drum kit. I had begun trying to think of neat turns of phrase, new and different ways to describe this show even as it was unfolding in front of me.

“Just let me enjoy it for a while, OK?”

I quickly recognized that I was threatening to ruin her good mood. She was in high spirits that had not been dampened by the downpour that pelted us earlier that evening as we crossed the plaza from the railway station to the venue, that had not faltered even faced with vertigo induced by our eagle eye view from the top row of section 308, that had never wavered even against the onslaught of the overly friendly drunk couple who insisted on dancing badly and playing grabass in her face all night long – my wife had been looking forward to this concert for months, and she thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it.

She was not to be deterred from her mood by her idiot, analytical husband. So, I did the right thing and shut up.

Her immediate opinion of the concert was, of course, more accurate than mine – what matters most when going to see The Police during this world tour is to simply enjoy the fact that the trio has come back to play their hits for their fans. The bonus is that the band is playing the songs with new enthusiasm and new interpretations; why critics and some fans have decided that The Police (version 2007) is somehow inferior to The Police (version 1980) escapes me.

The band is playing the songs the fans want to hear, and they are re-inventing the songs a bit because they feel like it.

Got a problem with that?

I nearly did, but thankfully, my wife talked me out of it...

complete review available at epinions.com

No comments: