#135 The Police @ USANA Amphitheatre

It was about a year ago that we saw The Police in Las Vegas. They hadn't been out on tour very long after a very long time of not working together. I was completely psyched to see The Police; they've been my favorite band since I was 14 years old. I guess I have a habit of having big expectations (see post #134's note about nachos), but I thought that June Police show would be the greatest concert experience I ever had. It wasn't. The band was not a tight, cohesive unit. They did not rock my world. With that said, I knew that if they ever came around my area again, I would absolutely try to see them. I was thrilled to find out they would be in Salt Lake City in July. I bought my tickets the moment they were available.

Last night was the night. This time around, I wasn't hoping for anything great. I was hoping for a good show, a show where the drummer wasn't losing his sticks all over the place and where the guitar player would play his licks like he did back in the day. I knew Sting would deliver. He's awesome all the time.

I definitely got what I wanted. They were great! I guess a year on the road together will bring a group together. Stewart Copeland, while maybe not as sharp as he was 20 years ago (who is?), was terrific, playing his heart out, jumping around and throwing sticks for fun this time. Andy Summers, who has always looked old to me, still looked old and wore an ugly shirt, but played guitar much better than last year. He did some solos that I don't think he could have carried last year. And Sting...oh how I love him. Although he's sporting a gray beard this year, he eyes are still magificently blue and that voice can still get to those high notes we've come to love. He's great.

The opening act was Elvis Costello. I knew exactly two songs that he did, but I really enjoyed all the songs he performed. Sting came out to duet with Elvis on "Allison". Wonderful! Elvis and his band sounded really good.

Shows at the USANA Amphitheatre are cool. I love going to outdoor concerts outside on a hot summer night!

The Police performed all their hits, plus a few not so known numbers. I guess they are not as well known. Most of the people around me sat down for a few songs. Not me! I danced and sang through the whole set. :0) They opened with "Message in a Bottle" and ended with an encore of "Roxanne", "So Lonely", "King of Pain", and "Every Breath You Take", followed by a final encore of "Next to You." There were plenty of sing-alongs and repeating (Sting would sing something and the audience would echo.) I love that. I thought it was a great show and I had a wonderful time. MT said he thought there were way better than last year, but last year he was pretty wasted so I don't know how much he remembers!

Here's what the Salt Lake Tribune said about the show.

Tomorrow night...John Mayer!

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I got so caught up in my concert review that I almost forgot to give my weight loss update. I lost 4.4 lbs last week! That's pretty remarkable considering how much chips and cheese I ate last Sunday. I was good when I got home, though. I've now lost 20 lbs on my way to my first goal of 25 lbs. It feels great to have success with this program. I don't feel like this new way of eating is completely natural to me yet. I'm still working at it and really thinking about what I'm doing, but I'm really happy with the results so far. I still have a long way to go to reach my ultimate goal of 100 lbs. Thanks to everyone who has encouraged me and protected me from myself (Cookie Thursday). I really appreciate you!