The Police (#10) - Evan’s 111 Artists
Probably Halloween when I was 12, what a bad-ass,.. our gang was called The Wanderers and we got called to the principals office and told it would not be tolerated.
I bought the Ghost in the Machine cassette when I was 12, with chore money I’d saved. “Spirits in the Material World” was on the radio.
This, for me, was the beginning of hearing new music on WPLJ or WNEW, reading about the band in Rolling Stone or Spin, and buying the album at the mall (MusicLand, where I would work in 4 years).
Soon I went back to Zenyatta Mondatta. I’d already known a few tracks from rock radio. These guys looked different, the playing was new to me, and they were a trio. They definitely weren’t punk, but the blond hair brought some uniformity. While I loved the songs, I never related to them, it seemed too technical and academic… that’s why you won’t see Rush or Yes on my list, though I had the records.
When I was 16 I saw the Police live and it was huge. Jenny Weintraub drove us to the Amnesty International Concert at Giant Stadium, not sure who else came with us. It was hot as hell, and the concept of a music festival that lasted all day was brand new to us. We drank a Crystal Light mix I made with grain alcohol and I remember contemplating flushing a few joints down the toilet because I was spinning so badly.
When the sun started to set, it brought a new energy to the stadium. U2 was starting to claim their status on top of the world, culturally, not just rock. They brought an explosive energy, opening with Pride and then a sick long version of Bad. It felt like I was experiencing something very meaningful and special, live. Next up, during the Police’s set, which was completely on fire, Bono came out to join on “Invisible Sun.” Fuck, I have chills just thinking about it.
Matt recorded the show straight from the radio broadcast, I wore it out over the years.
That moment was the first time I ever saw first-hand two rock gods from separate groups create a historic moment together.
Our band Quest tried to cover “So Lonely,” “Message in a Bottle,” and “Roxanne.” None made it out of the basement—they were just too good for us to replicate. Carl turned purple singing that high.
Fun memory in our West 10th Street apartment after a party died down with Birdy, Matt, Death, and Nanci. We were playing CDs on my Bose system—by this point, when I moved apartments, that included thousands of CDs and custom wood shelves. When “Roxanne” came on, Matt kept cranking it louder and louder and louder, and we all just fell in singing along at the top of our lungs. I guess it’s way easier to sound good when everyone is drunk at 2am and the studio version is blasting.
Not too long after COVID, I took Rex (12) on a dude trip to see the Stones in Vegas. I didn’t think they would be great, nor did I think he would love them from this show necessarily, but it mattered. We were waiting for our room up at the hotel rooftop pool, nobody around (11am or so), other than Sting, also waiting for his room. On the way in we said hi, and I told him I was taking Rex to the Stones. I didn’t even know at the time he had a residency—I figured he’d be making an appearance with the Stones. Oops. He was not warm.
And then, karma, he got on the elevator with us and couldn’t get the key card to work.
Rex and I were dying.
Vegas for the Stones, post pandemic (pretty sure we both got Covid on the trip), we had so much fun.
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“Dad, you always say this song is a F*CKING MASTERPIECE… make a list.”
Some Police masterpieces are listed below, and more on my 1k+ song Spotify Playlist — Evan’s 111 Artists
Message In A Bottle, Roxanne, Born In The 50’s, Invisible Sun, Secret Journey, So Lonely, De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da
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