The Police and Elvis Costello Begin Again in Ottawa...

It will be a shame if this is indeed the final North American swing for the Police, as the reunited group showed itself to be a joyous arena rock

machine that enthralled a sold out Scotiabank Place in Ottawa last night, their first visit to Canada's capitol since 1979.

Clad in a black suit and restrained specs, opener Elvis Costello unleashed a mixture of classics and cuts from the recent 'Momufuku', his lively new album. 'I Don't Want To Go To Chelsea' grew anthemetic with gristly bass lines and a haunting keyboard drone, while 'Alison' oozed kitschy charm as

Costello held a quivering high note. Along with Momofuku's gorgeous acoustic ballad 'My Three Sons' - an ode to his own children, not the Fred MacMurray vehicle - Costello's set defined how well-worked neurosis can be channeled into transcendent pop moments.

Even if Stewart Copeland, Andy Summers and Gordon Sumner actually hate each other's guts, the virtuosic chemistry produced by their 21-song set was unparalleled. This is still a band on their A-game - gleaming, precise, and infectious. As Sting teased out melodies like Chet Baker, a surreal

percussion showcase sent Copeland barreling between toms and an upright glockenspiel, transforming 'Wrapped Around Your Finger' into a would-be Japanese Shinto ceremony. Bathed in blue light (guess what color scheme lit 'Roxanne'?), final encore 'Every Breath You Take' became a slinky,

wraith-like warning, dissolving into applause as cell phone cameras blazed like fireflies. But even after his bandmates' exit, Summers played on, peeling out electric shocks of guitar riffs with a naughty grin. "Andy, what the fuck are you doing? I thought we said no!" joked Sting upon re-entry, launching into the more-appropriate closer 'Next To You'.

© Rolling Stone by Chandler Levack

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