The rain this morning was remarkable in its intensity, making it almost impossible to see the road as we drove to the gym. So, as might be expected, I opted for the treadmill, watching Olympic coverage and then switching to CNN for news from (the former Soviet) Georgia.
I did three miles in 25:48 — an 8:36 pace, which is the best time I’ve had in a while.
Music: a mix
The bullpen does it again. I probably shouldn’t listen to the Mets during work — we have enough aggravations here. We don’t need to follow the doings of Messrs. Smith, Feliciano, Sanchez, et al.
I first came across the work of Palestinian poet in a now out-of-print anthology, Modern Poetry of the Arab World, and was mesmerized by the music of his lines and caught up in his ethical concerns — along with those of the other poets included.
The mix of imagery, the religious sensibility and the politics — Darwish was a rare poet and will be missed.
Bishop Mark Beckwith of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark remains committed to the “blessing of same-sex unions” putting him at odds with others in his church.
The leader of the North Jersey Episcopalians told The Record that
“We in this diocese and I as bishop are continuing to support relationships of fidelity and commitment and give them the full blessing of the church,” Bishop Mark M. Beckwith, of the Diocese of Newark, said Thursday in an interview.
That’s good news. On a local note, the Rev. Francis Hubbard of St. Barnabas Episcopal Church had offered this opinion in a 2007 sermon:
The fact that marriage exists is a good thing; the fact that people want to be profoundly and uniquely committed to each other is a good thing.
And, speaking personally, I have no problem with the recently passed New Jersey law permitting mayors to officiate at same-sex civil unions. I won’t be presiding at any (or at the blessing of a same-sex union), but if same-sex couples want to make such serious commitments, I think mutual, joyous, serious commitment is good. In my opinion if marriage is negatively impacted these days, it’s from people who don’t want to be committed to each other, not from people who do.
He’s right, though I wish he would have taken the logical next step.
I have been meaning since getting home Sunday night to offer thoughts on what I felt to be a remarkable reunion show by one of my all-time favorite bands, The Police. Here it is Friday, however, and still no review — as my wife pointed out yesterday.
But then I read this review of last night’s tour closer at Madison Square Garden — a show that sounded quite similar to the one I attended, right down to the cartoon image of Porky Pig on the video screen after the final encore.
I was skeptical of the reunion tour when I first learned that they would be hitting the road, interested in getting tickets, but wary because Sting’s solo career has made it easy to forget just how powerful a band The Police were in their prime.
I saw them for the first time in 1981, when they played one of two U.S. shows during a break from recording Ghost in the Machine. The festival show — which also featured the Coasters, Oingo Boingo, the Go-Gos and The Specials — offered previews of the unfinished album (I still remember the band unveiling “Demolition Man,” which fairly exploded from the stage.
Their 1983 show at Shea was just as good. And then they broke up, their clashing egos leading then to disband at the height of the powers.
But that doesn’t really say anything about Sunday’s show in Holmdel (Asbury Park Press review here).
First, the band still rocks. The 18-song set (they merged “Voices Inside My Head” with “When the World is Running Down You Make the Best of What’s Still Around”) offered a compendium of greatest hits, most of them played at a break-neck pace that kept the packed house standing for nearly the entire show.
Second, Stuart Copeland is one of the great rock drummers (if not the greatest) and Andy Summers belongs on any short list of guitar greats. I’ve been listening to the band since high school, since the release of Outlandos D’Amor, and have witnessed their transformation from ska/punk through what I would call reggae/art rock to a sound that defies easy categorization. The musicianship — and this includes Sting’s bass playing — makes this transformation seem natural, especially when recontextualized in concert and removed from a chronological setting.
Third, Sting can still sing rock and roll. (He really should do a lot more of it, rather than that weak junk he has spent much of his solo career playing.)
Elvis Costello opened with a dozen-song set that set the bar incredibly high. (I should say up front that I probably like EC more than The Police, though that’s like choosing between Ben and Jerry’s and Edy’s — that’s to say that both are great.)
Elvis played a lot from his latest, Momofuku, one of the best records of his career (he called it a record, as opposed to “one of those little silver things you throw at your brother”), with old material mixed in.
The highlight of the set, however, was “Alison,” on which he was joined by Sting.
After watching the set, I updated by Facebook page by writing that I thought that if the Police were to be as good as EC, we were “in for one special night.”
We were.
Set lists:
Elvis Costello
The Police
* First encore
** Second encore
