Sting’s performance at the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles was surprisingly interesting even if it did take place in the second ugliest of the newest signature downtown L.A. buildings.
Written by randomfool on January 12th, 2007 with
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One of the nice things about Christmas presents is that sometimes you get something that you would never have bought for yourself and it turns out to be a nice surprise. So was the case last night at the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles where we attended a Sting concert. The Walt Disney Concert Hall, if you are not familiar with it, is the second ugliest of the ugly new landmark buildings in downtown Los Angeles (the ugliest being being the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, which is indistinguishable from jail that is just down the street from it, minus the barbed wire).
The Disney Hall was designed by Frank Gehry and I just don’t understand why his designs are so popular. Stardom in architecture is apparently directly related to the degree of wierdness. I also don’t like Gehry because his silly designs made my three years at Loyola Law School, also designed by Gehry, that much more like a bad dream. The Disney Hall is the new home for the Los Angeles Philharmonic but it also hosts other events, like Sting’s concert. Not being much of a classical music fan (generally, that kind of music makes me want to kill myself while Green Day relaxes me…go figure), I had never been to the Disney Hall before but I do have to say that as stupid as the exterior design is, the interior is very cool and the accoustics are amazing.
The Disney Hall is a long way from Hollywood Park where I first saw Sting live on the Synchronicity Tour with Berlin, The Fixx and the Thompson Twins on September 8, 1983. I was a HUGE fan of The Police in high school and they still rank among my favorite bands of all times. I have remained a fan of Sting ever since he started his solo career after The Police broke up in the late 80s, having seen him live a half-dozen times or so.
However, Sting was not at the Disney Hall to rock out (although he did play “Message in a Bottle” and “Fields of Gold” during the encore). Instead, he played most songs from his new album entitled Songs from the Labyrinth, a collaboration with modern day lutenist Edin Karamazov on a collection of songs from John Dowland who was a was a 16th century English, possibly Irish-born composer, singer, and lutenist. No, I have to say that I had no idea who John Downland was and I didn’t even really know what a lute was until I read the program for the concert (it’s kind of like a guitar). Anyway, John Dowland seems like he was kind of a moody singer-songwriter who would have been comfortable in today’s coffee houses in Seattle. Sting not only performed the music but also read excerpts from letters written by Dowland and provided some historical context as well. The music was very interesting, as was the story behind it, and Sting’s unique voice certainly lent itself to both the music and the setting. I’m even thinking of buying the CD. Buying CDs seems so 1995 but I checked and only a few songs are available on iTunes.
I’m not sure that I realized I was going to a classical music concert (nor, I’m sure, did my brother and his wife who bought us the tickets) but I probably never would have thought to go had it not been for such a generous and thoughtful gift.
Written by randomfool on January 12th, 2007 with
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