In the heart of downtown Brooklyn, a gorgeous Veterans Day evening greeted Sting at the Brooklyn Paramount for the first of eight highly anticipated, record-breaking residency shows. Having commenced back in early-October, the North American leg of the ‘STING 3.0’ World tour has entered its final two weeks. The tour’s moniker is a nod to being frontman of the iconic rock trio The Police, and to his current band, a power threesome consisting of himself on bass, long-time guitarist Dominic Miller, and drummer Chris Maas.

Photo Credit: Michael Dinger Photography | Pit Perspectives

Serving as special guest for the entire Brooklyn Paramount run is Fiction Planes, alternative rockers consisting of lead vocalist and bass player Joe Sumner (Sting’s son, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree), guitarist Seton Daunt, and drummer Pete Wilhoit. A spitting image of his old man, Sumner’s vocal timbre also approached his dad’s bright, tenor voice on more than one occasion during their 40-minute, high-octane set. Following a hiatus since the release of Mondo Lumina in 2015, their fourth studio album, Sumner and his bandmates have reportedly been recording new material right here in New York City for their upcoming, full-length project known as Eternity on Its Edge.

A rock star’s rock star, the eternally cool Sting sauntered onto the stage with Miller and Maas promptly at 9:00 pm. Having recently celebrated his 75^th birthday, the Englishman was in top form, maintaining a sinewy, youthful physical condition with infinite stamina attributed to a healthy lifestyle regimen.

A devoted fan base that would soon be hit hard with intimate ballads and classic hits, the perfectly curated 20-song setlist was slightly heavier on his four decade solo career, with 11 songs, compared to eight tracks recorded with The Police. The night kicked off with “Message in a Bottle” (Reggatta de Blanc, 1979), followed by “If I Ever Lose My Faith in You” (Ten Summoner’s Tales, 1993), and the apropos “Englishman in New York” (Nothing Like the Sun, 1987). Following a cover of The Police’s “Driven To Tears” (Zenyatta Mondatta, 1980), Gordon Sumner addressed the 2,800-capacity audience for the first time:

It’s all about this theater, . . . it’s the reason how many legends have stood upon this stage – Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Buddy Holly – and it reminds me what I debt I owe to Americans. American music informed my young life, enriched my young life, and gave me this extraordinary, fortunate life I have right now. So, it’s wonderful to be in this temple and shrine to American music.

Next up was “I’m So Happy I Can’t Stop Crying” (Mercury Falling, 1996), a country rock-inspired shuffle that was also recorded one year later as a duet with the late, great Toby Keith. Sting invoked a standing ovation while singing the line “I dream of rain” from “Desert Rose” (Brand New Day, 1999), holding the word “dream” as a remarkably long, sustained note showcasing his amazing breath control.

An audience that alternated between standing and sitting for most of the night collectively rose to their feet as one, and remained so, as the epic gig rounded for home with the rock classic “Every Breath You Take” (Synchronicity, 1983) and the first encore offering and massive hit “Roxanne” (Outlandos d’Amour, 1978). The show closer “Fragile,” from Nothing Like the Sun, showcased Sting’s brilliant guitar prowess. The story goes that Sting is so protective of the guitar part that he famously does not let Miller play it live on stage, always swapping bass duties with his touring guitarist.

Watch Sting and his band perform “Wrapped Around Your Finger” from the aforementioned Synchronicity during Night 1 of his Brooklyn Paramount residency:

Near the culmination of his Brooklyn stint, New York City’s Grammy Museum will welcome the 17-time Grammy Award-winning artist to their Florence Gould Theater on November 19^th in celebration of the release of The Night Watch: Live at the Rijksmuseum. The twelve-track live album captured his breathtaking performance at the national museum in Amsterdam, dedicated to 800 years of Dutch arts and history, alongside masterpieces by Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Van Gogh. Festivities will include a discussion behind his new album’s creative process, his career, and a special live performance.

Sting already has big plans for 2027, including Las Vegas residencies at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace scheduled for March 4-12 and October 14-23, 2027. Sandwiched in between is a tour of Europe in June and July that will span major outdoor venues and festivals across Austria, Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, and France, including a stop at the 56^th edition of the Pinkpop Festival on June 19.

I can only hope to be stung by Sting again because everything little thing he does is magic! And for those activists out there who would like to help indigenous communities protect global rainforests, please visit the Rainforest Fund, co-founded with his wife Trudie Styler in 1989, to offer your support.

Setlist: Message in a Bottle (The Police song) > If I Ever Lose My Faith in You > Englishman in New York > Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic (The Police song) > Fields of Gold > Never Coming Home > Mad About You > We’ll Be Together > When We Dance > Driven to Tears (The Police song) > I’m So Happy I Can’t Stop Crying > I Was Brought to My Senses > Wrapped Around Your Finger (The Police song) > Can’t Stand Losing You (The Police song) > Shape of My Heart > So Lonely (The Police song) > Desert Rose > Every Breath You Take (The Police song) > Encore: Roxanne (The Police song) > Fragile

UPCOMING TOUR DATES

November 14 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Paramount

November 15 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Paramount

November 17 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Paramount

November 18 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Paramount

November 19 – New York, NY @ Grammy Museum

November 20 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Paramount

November 21 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Paramount

November 24 – Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Live Orlando

November 25 – Hollywood, FL @ Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock

FICTION PLANE