An Englishman in Bend...

Sting kicked off a two-night stop in Bend with an SOS from “Message in a Bottle.” With no opening act, the legend stepped onto the stage at 7:14pm Sunday, May 25. For nearly two and a half hours, he sang 18 of his greatest hits plus an encore.

Sting 3.0 is a trio. The 17-time Grammy Award winning artist was accompanied by guitarist and longtime collaborator, Dominic Miller and drummer Chris Maas who’s played with Mumford & Sons and Maggie Rogers. The tour has stops scheduled all over the country and overseas. Bend is their only Oregon stop.

Throughout the evening, Sting engaged the audience, encouraging them to clap their hands and sing or at least give some “oh’s” in “I’m an Englishman in New York” and “e-oh’s” in “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic.” His medley was a mix of songs from the Police and hits after he went solo in 1985. Sting’s performance felt nostalgic, heartfelt and energized.

This is the first time Sting has been in Bend. “Who knew?” he said. Sting spent time interacting with the audience between songs. He looked up at the blue sky with puffy clouds lofting overhead and said, “The sky reminds me of home.” He explained his house was near Stonehenge in England. He told a woman sitting near the front if she knocked on the door, he’d make her a cup of tea. He also took time to introduce the ASL translators standing next to the stage.

“We’re here tomorrow night,” Sting told the audience. “I’m going to take a walk around your city and drink a few beers. You have beer here, right?” This summer, five bands are booked for two nights in Bend. Besides Sting 3.0, others include Mumford & Sons in June, Tedeschi Trucks Band & Whiskey Myers, LCD Soundsystem and The Lumineers in August.

Sunday’s audience was a mix of people who likely experienced their formative years when the Police were at their peak in the late 1970s and early 1980s, as well as parents with young children, hoping to pass on their love of a legend.

When Sting walked off the stage after singing his last song, “Every Breath You Take,” the crowd gave him a standing ovation. He came back for an encore saying, “It’s my custom to end the evening with something thoughtful.” Then he launched into “Roxanne.”

(c) The Source by Nic Move