I splurged and treated myself and friends to a bottle of pricey Sister Moon wine straight from Sting’s Tuscan villa Il Palagio for our Christmas Eve dinner. And while I’m certainly not a wine connoisseur, I found Sister Moon wine to be excellent and well worth the wait to sample. It is a gorgeous red blend with a smooth taste. My friends, who know more about wine than I do, also enjoyed it and offered the following praise:
well balanced
medium bodied
smooth
hints of cherry and plum
I highly recommend Sister Moon wine as a special treat for all you Sting fans out there. Now I have a serious problem – my Sister Moon wine is all gone after I’ve just developed a taste for it!
My online order for Sting Sister Moon wine has finally arrived! This is my Christmas gift to myself, and I plan to enjoy it on Christmas Eve with family and friends. I’ll be counting down the days now to open and share this special bottle of holiday wine. Who knows, maybe it will make me howl at the moon the whole night through? Whether it does or not, I’m hoping to find a message in a bottle!
According to the Wall Street Journal, musician Sting will release a free app called “Sting 25″ combining music, concert footage, photographs and videos to promote his back catalog, increase his fan base to a broader audience, and drive digital downloads of his songs. The app will only be available for the iPad and was developed as a retrospective of Sting’s solo career in conjunction with his recent box set release Sting: 25 Years. Apps are fairly new territory for musicians, so this should be an interesting development to watch in terms of success, both for Sting and the industry as a whole. Read the article for more information!
By the time your kids or grandkids are teenagers, you won’t get a say in what kind of music they’re listening to anymore. But as babies you can start their musical education off the right way with the music YOU love thanks to Rockabye Baby! Timeless rock songs have been transformed into beautiful instrumental lullabies to soothe the youngest rocker in your family, and on October 25, 2011 Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of The Police will be released, including such classics as Every Breath You Take, Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic and even Roxanne! Head over to the Rockabye Baby! website to check out short clips of all twelve Police lullabies, or click and listen to the full version of Message in a Bottle right here!
Want to win a free CD of Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of The Police? Leave a comment here with your name and a valid email address you can be reached at, and a winner will be selected at random on October 30, 2011 and notified via email. A mailing address will need to be provided by the winner. Of course, you can always order online at Rockabye Baby! after October 25 too! It’s never too early to introduce your kids to the music of The Police, is it?
I can finally check Matt Nathanson off my concert wish list after seeing him perform at The Pageant in St. Louis on Tuesday, October 18, 2011. I first fell in love with his music after the 2003 release of Beneath These Fireworks, and since then have heard rumors of his incredible concerts, substantiated by his great album Live at The Point. From the get go, I was impressed as Matt Nathanson stormed the Pageant stage with “Mercy”, my favorite song off his new release Modern Love. Things continued to get better and better as he feverishly ripped through a 20-song setlist with new material and older songs alike (for the record, 8 from Modern Love), alternately rocking out and mellowing.
He cleverly blended portions of classic and contemporary songs like “Dog Days Are Over” by Florence + the Machine, “Tainted Love”, “Jessie’s Girl” by Rick Springfield and even Katy Perry’s “Firework” into his own songs, making for some unexpected and fun live versions. One of my personal favorites of the night was an acoustic, slowed-down cover of Prince’s “Little Red Corvette.”
Nathanson is a natural as a performer, obviously comfortable in his own skin, and equally gifted at guitar playing and guitar dancing (love the trademark swivel and knee jerk). He talked, joked and interacted with the crowd between songs, offering the inspiration behind his songwriting in hilarious detail. For example, he compared his songs to children possessing individual characteristics, then noted his favorite from the most recent “litter” of eleven to be “Kiss Quick.” I was sad for his nearly two-hour set to be over, but glad to finally have seen Matt Nathanson live in concert. Put him on your concert wish list and check him out for some great music and an amazing concert experience!
Setlist Matt Nathanson at The Pageant St. Louis 10/18/11:
Mercy
Pretty the World (Dog Days Are Over intro)
Modern Love
Kept
Curve of the Earth Queen of (K)nots (with Tainted Love)
Pretty The World
Princess (with Jessie’s Girl)
Kiss Quick
Detroit Waves
Little Red Corvette Sing Me Sweet
Room @ the End of the World
Wedding Dress
Drop To Hold You
Faster
Come On Get Higher
(Bare and Laid were in here somewhere too, but I’m not sure where!)
Sting will embark on the Back to Bass Tour throughout North America as he celebrates the 25th anniversary of his solo career by taking it back to bass… all of the hits, stripped down, as they haven’t been played in years. In support of his forthcoming box set collection Sting: 25 Years, slated for release on September 27, the tour features Sting backed by a 5-piece band in an intimate theatre setting.
That 5-piece band includes some of the usual suspects along with a couple of interesting newcomers: longtime guitarist Dominic Miller, frequent band mate Vinnie Colaiuta (drummer), Symphonicity alumni Jo Lawry(vocalist) along with new additions Peter Tickell (electric fiddle), and Dominic’s son Rufus Miller (guitarist).
I must admit it will be nice to see Sting reunited with his trusty bass once again after looking so naked and odd without it during the Symphonicity Tour. Meanwhile, I’ve noticed a couple of interesting things about this new tour. First, The Dream of the Blue Turtles was released in 1985, so technically Sting has been a solo artist for 26 years, just for the record. Second, the “stripped down, back to bass in an intimate theatre setting” description of this tour sounds remarkably similar to the Broken Music Tour of 2005 , where Sting played bass and visited college campuses accompanied by only three other band mates. Since Sting hasn’t released any new material since Sacred Love in 2003, I suspect the setlist for the Back to Bass Tour of 2011 and the Broken Music Tour of 2005 might be similar.
We’ll have to wait and see on that prediction, in the meantime I count five tours playing all old songs: Broken Music 2005-2006, Songs from the Labyrinth 2006-2007,The Police Reunion Tour 2007-2008, Symphonicity 2010-2011 and now Back to Bass 2011. And all of us Sting fans are left asking the same question . . . . when will there be new music from Sting?
Date . . . .. . City/State/Country . . . . Venue
21 Oct 2011 Boston MA US Wang Theatre at the Citi Performing Arts Center
22 Oct 2011 Boston MA US Wang Theatre at the Citi Performing Arts Center
24 Oct 2011 Wallingford CT US Toyota presents Oakdale Theatre
26 Oct 2011 Philadelphia PA US Tower Theater
27 Oct 2011 Philadelphia PA US Tower Theater
29 Oct 2011 Washington DC DC US DAR Constitution Hall
01 Nov 2011 Toronto ON CA Massey Hall
02 Nov 2011 Toronto ON CA Massey Hall
05 Nov 2011 Chicago IL US Rosemont Theatre
06 Nov 2011 Detroit MI US Fox Theatre
08 Nov 2011 New York City NY US Roseland
09 Nov 2011 New York City NY US Roseland
10 Nov 2011 Washington DC DC US DAR Constitution Hall
12 Nov 2011 Miami FL US Fillmore Miami Beach at Jackie Gleason Theater
13 Nov 2011 Miami FL US Fillmore Miami Beach at Jackie Gleason Theater
16 Nov 2011 Dallas TX US Verizon Theatre
17 Nov 2011 Houston TX US Verizon Wireless Theatre
18 Nov 2011 Houston TX US Verizon Wireless Theatre
20 Nov 2011 Denver CO US Wells Fargo Theatre
22 Nov 2011 Phoenix AZ US Comerica Theatre
25 Nov 2011 Las Vegas NV US Colosseum
26 Nov 2011 Reno NV US Events Center
28 Nov 2011 Los Angeles CA US The Wiltern
29 Nov 2011 Los Angeles CA US The Wiltern
30 Nov 2011 Los Angeles CA US The Wiltern
02 Dec 2011 San Francisco CA US Nob Hill Masonic Center
03 Dec 2011 San Francisco CA US Nob Hill Masonic Center
05 Dec 2011 Seattle WA USParamount Theater
06 Dec 2011 Seattle WA US Paramount Theater
08 Dec 2011 Vancouver BC CA Queen Elizabeth Theatre
09 Dec 2011 Vancouver BC CA Queen Elizabeth Theatre
10 Dec 2011 Vancouver BC CA Queen Elizabeth Theatre
The Sting bench located in Central Park was high on my list of tourist attractions while visiting New York City recently. How could any self-respecting Sting fan NOT see this while touring the Big Apple? What is the Sting bench, you ask? It’s a bench located in Central Park that was dedicated in Sting’s honor by Mayor Michael Bloomberg on May 22, 2009 in thanks for Sting’s support of MillionTreesNYC. The bench overlooks a baseball field and offers a lovely view of the city skyline at the edge of the park only a stone’s throw from Sting’s Manhattan penthouse. Coincidentally, a nearby saxophone player offered a jazzy solo while I inspected the Sting bench, which seemed to set the mood perfectly.
The inscription on the plaque affixed to the center of the bench reads:
For Sting and Trudie Styler, in honor of their dedication to the environment and support of MillionTreesNYC
For those who would like to visit the bench, here are directions:
Enter Central Park at 63rd Street and Central Park West, walk towards Hecksher baseball fields and walk around the fields to the left. Sting bench located by field 6.
And here is proof that I actually got to see the bench up close while in New York for Sting’s 60th birthday concert at the Beacon Theatre on October 1, 2011.
I only wish this bench could have been dedicated to Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers along with Sting as it was in appreciation of a $1 Million pledge that actually came from The Police to MillionTreesNYC during their reunion tour in 2008. Have you seen the Sting bench too? What are your thoughts on the inscription, the location or the view? Tell me what you think about it!
The steady rainfall could not dampen the spirits of anyone attending Sting’s 60th birthday concert at the Beacon Theatre in New York on October 1, 2011. The celebrity-packed celebration carried on oblivious to the weather, and the majestic Beacon was crammed with eager concert-goers by 7 p.m., all partaking in free drinks for the evening. It was difficult to move around and locate acquaintances in the swelling crowd and navigating to my front row, center seat in the balcony was challenging. It was worth the effort, however, for the distant but perfect view of all the action eagerly anticipated onstage.
The view from the balcony
The show kicked off around 8:30 with Robert Downey Jr. presiding as host for the evening and introducing Sting after a short monologue. Sting then proceeded to introduce one musical guest after another with a personal story explaining their history. In return, each of these musicians paid tribute to Sting on his 60th birthday by performing one or more of his songs, with Sting performing on his own at times as well. The setlist for the concert follows along with the artists contributing for each song.
These were all unique versions altered by each singer’s personal style and musical interpretation. I particularly enjoyed “Consider Me Gone” with Herbie Hancock and Branford Marsalis; I’m not certain I’ve ever heard that one performed live before. Sting’s duet with son Joe Sumner on “Why Should I Cry for You” was another touching favorite for me since Sting wrote the song about his own father.
The absolute highlight of the night was definitely saved for last when Bruce Springsteen took over the stage to perform. He first gave a hilarious account of his friendship with Sting and thoughts on him turning 60, then mesmerized the crowd with his stunning rendition of “I Hung My Head”; the song was perfectly suited for him and has never sounded better. Bruce followed next with “Fields of Gold,” declaring it one of his favorite Sting songs. Sting then joined Bruce and together they rocked “Can’t Stand Losing You.” Without a doubt, this was the pinnacle of the whole evening, and I will always treasure the memory of seeing these two legends performing side by side onstage.
Sting and Bruce Springsteen "Can't Stand Losing You"
The birthday celebration ended appropriately with a surprise present from wife Trudie Styler – Scottish bagpipers and drummers marching down the aisles and joining Sting onstage for the intro to “I Was Brought To My Senses.” Then everyone, performers and audience, joined in singing “Happy Birthday” to Sting as flower petal confetti showered the stage and floor near midnight.
For those keeping track, the show was three and a half hours with one intermission, 27 songs, and a boatload of guest entertainers. I feel privileged indeed to have experienced such an extraordinary concert in celebration of Sting’s 60th birthday and 25 years as a solo artist along with so many other enthusiastic Sting fans. Although it was Sting’s birthday, I am left with a treasured gift to remember always. Happy 60th birthday to Sting!
Sting’s 60th Birthday Concert Setlist:
1 Englishman in New York
2 All This Time with Joe Sumner
3 Seven Days with Chris Botti
4 If You Love Somebody Set Them Free with Branford Marsalis
5 Walking On the Moon with Will.i.am
6 When We Dance with Chris Botti
7 The Hounds of Winter
8 Sister Moon with Herbie Hancock
9 Consider Me Gone with Herbie Hancock and Branford Marsalis
10 Driven To Tears with Robert Downey Jr.
11 Whenever I Say Your Name with Mary J. Blige
12 Brand New Day with Stevie Wonder
Intermission
13 Roxanne by Bryn Terfel
14 Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic with Billy Joel
15 Don’t Stand So Close to Me with Billy Joel
16 End of the Game
17 Why Should I Cry For You with Joe Sumner
18 Wrapped Around Your Finger with Rufus Wainwright
19 Bring on the Night/When the World is Running Down with Herbie Hancock and Branford Marsalis
20 King of Pain with Lady Gaga
21 Fragile with Stevie Wonder
22 I Hung My Head by Bruce Springsteen
23 Fields of Gold by Bruce Springsteen
24 Can’t Stand Losing You with Bruce Springsteen
25 Desert Rose
26 Every Breath You Take with everyone
27 Message in a Bottle
28 I was Brought to My Senses intro with bagpipes/drummers
29 Happy Birthday
First photo and Sting/Springsteen video courtesy of Shawn Farrell.
My online order for Sting Sister Moon wine has finally arrived! This is my Christmas gift to myself, and I plan to enjoy it on Christmas Eve with family and friends. I’ll be counting down the days now to open and share this special bottle of holiday wine. Who knows, maybe it will make me howl at the moon the whole night through? Whether it does or not, I’m hoping to find a message in a bottle!
According to the 
By the time your kids or grandkids are teenagers, you won’t get a say in what kind of music they’re listening to anymore. But as babies you can start their musical education off the right way with the music YOU love thanks to Rockabye Baby! Timeless rock songs have been transformed into beautiful instrumental lullabies to soothe the youngest rocker in your family, and on October 25, 2011 
