Everything the Police did was magic at Shoreline...

Talk about a turn-around! Was it even the same group of guys onstage Monday night (July 14) at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View that performed 13 months ago at McAfee Coliseum in Oakland?

I was less than impressed with what I saw back in Oakland, but I was thrilled with the Police's gig at Shoreline. What a difference 13 months makes. This time around, the band was rock solid and the tunes came together perfectly onstage. Sting, Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers have definitely found the right balance between the past and the present in terms of presenting the music. The songs felt fresh, alive and exciting, yet they were still close enough to the original arrangements to allow fans to sing along.

Sting sounded quite strong, and Summers was as capable as ever, but it was Copeland who really impressed. That guy is a percussion maniac and I could watch him drum all night.

In all, the Police, so disappointing in its last visit to the Bay Area, finally managed to live up to its legend at Shoreline. Those planning to attend the band's gig on Wednesday (July 16) at the Sleep Train Pavilion in Concord should definitely be excited.

The pairing of the Police and Elvis Costello on Monday night at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View was arguably the summer's most promising double header. Yet the opener couldn't hold up his end of the bargain.

The 53-year-old rocker was surprisingly bad throughout his short set, turning in uninspired versions of his greatest hits and acting like he'd rather be anywhere but at Shoreline.

The crowd's reaction mirrored Costello's enthusiasm level. For much of his performance, the number of people in the reserved section who were actually standing and dancing could basically be counted using a single set of fingers and toes. Costello didn't give the crowd anything to get excited until the end of the set, when Sting was beckoned out to sing on 'Alison'.

© San Jose Mercury News by Jim Harringon

Other Recent items