Jamaican Salsero in L.A.

The Police were in town for two concerts last week. They performed back-to-back nights at the Hollywood Bowl. I managed to catch them on the first night. Prior to the concert I probably knew about four (maybe five) Police songs. I was given a crash course in their discography by my best friend who I attended the concert with. The concert was on the same Tuesday as game four of the Lakers-Spurs series. Since I had no idea who Elvis Costello was I figured I could miss part of his set. So I watched the first half of the game at home and then made my way to the Hollywood Bowl. Traffic was horrendous! Luckily I have been in LA long enough to be able to navigate the side streets. One tip for anyone going to the Bowl. Park at the Hollywood and Highland lot. It is a short walk to the Bowl. And its only $2 for four hours with validation (depending on the season you could get a cup of coffee/hot chocolate or ice cream and it still would cost less than parking at the Bowl). I also think it is faster getting out of that lot (depending on the level you get to park on). I managed to get to my seat about five minutes after Costello finished his set. The only thing on my mind and the folks in my section was the result of the basketball game. We managed to get a play-by-play from a couple of guys listening to their radio.
About a minute after the game ended, the Police took the stage after what seemed like a very long break. This lead us to believe that they had been watching the game backstage. I barely recognized Sting with the beard he has grown. I also noticed that the median age of the crowd was the oldest I have ever seen at any arena concert I have been to. That, coupled with the fact that it was a chilly night, may have explained why so many people spent more than three quarters of the concert in their seats. Sting tried his best at times to get the crowd going and even sounded a little upset at one point at the lack of feedback/participation from the audience. This was remedied once they did their curtain call and performed their more popular songs such as “King of Pain” and “Every Breath You Take”. All in all it was wonderful experience for me to see such a legendary band. While the energy wasn’t as intense as the other rock concerts I have seen (and I knew that going in) I did enjoy the show. It seemed fitting to see them at the Bowl with its laid back atmosphere (despite the huge crowd and the tight security). It was a wonderful night where you just bundled up with your best friend and sang along to some songs you grew up on. Good times.

Police performing “De Do Do Do, De da da Da” at the Hollywood Bowl