Sting/Peter Gabriel
Pepsi Center
Denver, CO
July 12

On a warm July evening near the Front Range of the Colorado Rocky Mountains, a rock concert of the highest quality took place. Bringing their Rock, Paper, Scissors tour to the Pepsi Center in Denver on July 12, Sting and Peter Gabriel joined creative forces to put on an unsurprisingly mesmerizing show. Without new albums to promote, the two iconic Englishmen nonetheless found intriguing ways to refresh their music by intertwining their bands and considerable repertoires, resulting in a completely riveting performance.

The last time Sting and Peter Gabriel toured together was for the Amnesty International tours of the 1980s. A tour featuring two of history’s greatest singer/songwriters swapping songs and vocal duties, and being longtime friends, it should come as no surprise that Sting and Gabriel are a perfect match. In fact, two things about this concert were immediately apparent:
flawless sound and pacing—not a moment wasted as the music flowed seamlessly and powerfully, almost as if the two artists had always been in the same band. Gabriel, of course, began his career in the 70s with Genesis, Sting with The Police and like those bands, the momentum and dynamics of this show could not have been more pronounced. From the moment the house lights went down to the final bow with all thirteen musicians, this was the epitome of a masterful musical experience. With so much turmoil in the world, this music is so dense and timeless, it has the power to heal. Add a visually stunning and thought-provoking video roll to two of the richest catalogues in rock music this side of the Beatles, and you have the tour of the summer.

Merging two impressive backing bands into one master ensemble enabled the songs to expand beyond the studio versions yet still retain the musical colors and nuances from the originals. Sting and Gabriel kept things flowing so smooth and tight that, even with their remarks, it almost had the feel of a Broadway show, albeit in a basketball arena of 15,000-plus fans. And vocally, the two—both in their 60s—remain at the top of their game, neither has lost a thing.

At once inspirational and danceable, pensive and provocative, the twenty-five song, two-and-a-half hour show began with Gabriel’s dramatic “Rhythm of the Heat.” Gabriel’s psych-rock gem, “Digging in the Dirt,” gave way to The Police song “Invisible Sun,” as timely as ever, as was the classic “Driven To Tears.” Sting and Gabriel’s interaction was effortless as they traded verses and harmonized on each other’s songs and even swapped—Sting sang Gabriel’s “Shock the Monkey” nearly verbatim while Gabriel provided a humorous and slightly creepy lounge version of Sting’s “If You Love Somebody, Set Them Free.” Among many highlights—the wry “Englishman In New York,” “Message in a Bottle,” the sublime “Solsbury Hill,” “Roxanne” segueing into “Ain’t No Sunshine” and a stirring finale of “In Your Eyes.”

“Every Breath You Take” and “Sledgehammer”—two of the biggest hits of the 80s, sent concert-goers (nearly all over 30) into the gentle, if warm, good night. And what a night it was.