Second night in Chicago...

I was at both Chicago shows, Thursday in close field seats, last night in the cheap seats, (as well as St. Louis on monday) and both met/exceeded my high expectations. I was openly critical of of a few songs from the early shows I heard, mainly regarding tempos, but I have to say that the band has significantly improved since opening night, and opening night wasn't exactly bad. They've risen to the HUGE expectations the world has placed on them.

To me, the rearrangements add to the songs, especially the synch/ghost tunes... the earlier stuff they pretty much play straight, and as I said, I think the new versions of 'Wrapped', 'Walking In Your Footsteps', 'Synch II', etc, are outstanding... true to the originals, but better than previous live versions. 'Walking On The Moon' has grown right back into what it should have been from day one... they've sped it up in parts, Stewart is playing more... well done. I'll also say the outdoor PA was excellent for the most part... we were seated last night in the highest reaches of section 528 at Wrigley, and Stewart's bass drum was punching me in the chest with authority. The bass, which I thought was lacking indoors in St. Louis, was much stronger, almost to the point of being too strong, in Chicago... it got in the way of Sting's vocal and Andy's middle tones a little, but not too bad.

As far as comparing the two nights, I thought for sure I'd prefer the first because of my close proximity to the stage, but I think the 6th was the better show. The band seemed more loose, Andy especially, and the energy was sky-high. 'So Lonely' and 'CSLY' were devastating... absolutely killer. I think they just needed some time on the road to adjust to playing in front of massive, expectant audiences every night, but they are delivering in a big way. There is a palpable difference in energy and dexterity from the early shows to now... Hopefully a United Center stop in November will be in our future. Roll on Police...

(c) By Police.com member ''razorboy''