Concert Reviews in Los Angeles:

Concert Reviews in Los Angeles:

Sting at the Wiltern Theatre, November 29th, 2011:

On the first of a three night stand, Sting took the stage at the sold-out Wiltern Theatre to rapturous applause. The former Police frontman and solo superstar rifled through an array of hits from the whole of his catalogue, delivering a performance that was once rewarding and simultaneously, almost businesslike in demeanor.

Sting's reputation for terse dialogue and restrained showmanship are justified. But so too is recognition of his brilliance as a songsmith. With the backing support of drummer Vinnie Colauita, guitarist Dominic Miller and a female vocalist and violinist included in the arrangement, Sting shone as the singer, bassist and mind behind such solo hits as the sultry "Fortress Around Your Heart," the soaring "Desert Rose" and the elegant "Fields of Gold." Sting's trademark quirkiness and stoicism were frequently on display but the superstar did lead a rousing sing-along on "Desert Rose," which is does bear noting was only the first of three encores. In spite of the performance's relative brevity, clocking in at just two hours, this approach created the feel of a far grander performance.

This was also helped by the emphasis that the performer placed on material from his days with the Police during the segment of the show. While 80s radio stables like "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic" and "Driven to Tears" appear during the regular set, the first encore would segue into a haunting rendition of the 1983 #1 hit "Every Breath You Take." This was followed by a second encore featuring "Next to You" from the Police's 1978 debut record, Outlandos d'Amour and a third encore in which Sting performed a solo acoustic "Message in a Bottle." At the risk of seeming sentimental, I was among many in the audience who were 'driven to tears.'

The Cure at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, November 21st, 2011:

Indie-goth hitmakers of the 1980s, the Cure are still out there touring. And they took their act through the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood this past month. On a Monday night, the U.K. natives showed that they are not only still a relevant band but they are a force to be reckoned with. In a show that topped out at over three hours and more than 40 tunes, lead singer Robert Smith and a gradually expanding band offered nothing short of a history of the Cure's evolution.

In sequence, the band played the first three albums; Three Imaginary Boys (1979), Seventeen Seconds (1980) and Faith (1981). With the performance of each album, the trio became a quartet and thereafter a quintet. The addition of one keyboard and then another helped to represent the layers of progress experienced by the band during its own historical evolution. With each tune, the Cure was at its spiky and despairing best. Indeed, the reflection on its earliest recordings demonstrated that the band still has the energy and vitality to play to its punky roots. Tunes like "Fire in Cairo," "Accuracy" and its fiery take on Jimi Hendrix's "Foxy Lady" found the band in tremendous form.