We’re damn lucky to have Sting.

After the year we’ve had, and considering the great ones we’ve lost, seeing the man himself step into the spotlight at The Chelsea instantly washed away the hard feelings of 2016. This was the New Year’s Eve show we needed.

So, on the verge of 2017, Sting took the stage at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. A beardless Sting, by the way, not that bearded old man from Zoolander 2 (which is garbage). This clean-shaven gentleman is 65 years old, but looks 45. I tried guessing the ages of the crowd in the standing room-only area, and I assumed they were older, only because they weren’t recording the entire show on their phones.

Sting immediately went to Ten Summoner’s Tales (the best Sting album), and everyone felt right at home with “If I Ever Lose My Faith In You.” At this point, I looked around and told the person nearest to me that we were witnessing something few people will get to see, and only something that’s seen in Las Vegas.

I mean, we’re talking about Sting here. Sting. To be there for this, in Las Vegas, is something you keep with you. From my personal Rolodex, I can pull up a couple comparisons; Prince at the Rio. Roy Jones Jr. at Thomas & Mack Center. These are legends that are the best at what they do. We are lucky to be witnesses.

If the crowd hadn’t fully given themselves over at the beginning, they were converts by the third song, when Sting launched into “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic.” Fans had to be expecting The Police hits, but the validation was enough to send them over the edge.

It was a good mix, between the Police and solo Sting hits. A fan of the latter, I was just hoping he’d hit my sweet spot from back in the early ’90s. By the time he started up “Fields Of Gold” I was ready to call my old high school girlfriend just to let her know that she was missing out.

And then, as they started serving glasses of Champagne and the clock struck closer to midnight, Sting sang “Roxanne.” There were actual red lights blazing through the crowd.

It wasn’t quite midnight yet, but the celebration was in full swing. Sting added a little bit of Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine” into “Roxanne” before stepping offstage for a brief second. The encore–“Desert Rose” and “Every Breath You Take”–led into a countdown to midnight and toast to “Auld Lang Syne,” followed by “Next To You.”

And that’s that. He’s Sting. He owned it. He made 2017 possible. What else do you want?

Setlist:

“If I Ever Lose My Faith In You”
“Englishman In New York”
“Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic”
“So Lonely”
“When The World Is Running Down, You Make The Best Of What’s Still Around”
“Fields of Gold”
“I Can’t Stop Thinking About You”
“Fragile”
“Message In A Bottle”
“If You Love Somebody Set Them Free”
“Walking On The Moon”
“Wrapped Around Your Finger”
“Roxanne”

Encore:
“Desert Rose”
“Every Breath You Take”
“Auld Lang Syne”
“Next To You”

(c) Vegasseven.com by Jason R. Latham