This was the time Mark (on the right) and I (the dork in the glasses standing in the back) met Sting backstage at Blossom Music Center in July 1996.
Last night, my nephew Mark and I were at E.J. Thomas Hall in Akron, Ohio, for a live performance by my favorite pop artist of all time, one Mr. Gordon Matthew Sumner, a.k.a. Sting.
It was a fabulous concert, as it always is when Sting-o is involved. The man is a world-class musician and composer, and he's always accompanied by outstanding musicians.
It was the 11th time I've seen Sting play live over the past 38 years. Of those 11 shows, Mark has been at my side for eight of them.
My first time seeing Sting was also my first concert on February 17, 1988, at Cleveland's Public Hall. I'll never forget how thrilling it was to see someone whose music I had enjoyed for the previous six years (a good chunk of my life at that point) right there in front of me in person.
Mark's first concert was the following summer when I took him to see the second leg of Sting's "...Nothing Like the Sun" tour at Blossom Music Center.
From there I/we would go on to see the man perform several other times in Cleveland, Akron, Cuyahoga Falls, and Pittsburgh. Two of those performances were during the Police reunion tour.
Funny story about the first Police reunion show we attended: It was at then-Gund Arena in Downtown Cleveland in July 2007. Mark and I met at the Clevelander, a bar located right around the corner from the venue, to pass the time before the show started.
I had a few beers. Probably three, possibly four. For most people, this would result in them being a bit tipsy and not much else.
For me, the lightest of lightweight drinkers, it meant that I was feeling it. Like, really feeling it. I average maybe one beer a month, and there's a reason for that.
At one point during the concert, I wobbled my way to the bathroom, as one does when one ingests beer beyond one's personal capacity. Then I wobbled back to my seat.
Or at least I thought I went back to my seat. I actually ended up in a completely different section. Not realizing this, I figured Mark must have also gone to the bathroom and would be along shortly.
It never occurred to me that not one person in my row looked familiar or that I could possibly be in the wrong place.
After a while, over the noise of the music, I heard Mark calling me. He was standing in the aisle telling me I was in the wrong section. I denied it. He insisted I was. I eventually realized he was right.
So I made my way down the row to Mark, saying a cheery "Bye bye!" to every person I passed. Mark then guided me back to the correct seat.
A snippet of "Mad About You"
Anyway, as I turn 57 years old today and find myself in a contemplative mood, I think back to those many Sting/Police concerts with Mark. If you look at photos from those shows over the years, you find us both aging in a natural and wholly expected way.
But you'll also find genuine smiles on our faces as we shared music we love and each other's company. I've said many times that, given our 5-year age difference, Mark has always felt more like a little brother than a nephew.
We have seen other concerts together over the years, but the Sting shows are truly special occasions. Last night was the first time we had seen him live in 10 years.
It was a memorable evening, both for the music and for having my concert buddy/surrogate little bro with me. That's about as nice a birthday gift as anyone could hope for.
The beginning of "Shape of My Heart"
