Because I was born in the early 60s (I’m not afraid to admit that - every birthday, I smile and say “consider the alternative!”), I have been exposed to many genres of popular (and some not-so-popular) music over the years. This background has helped me develop a rather wide variety of musical tastes - and an extremely eclectic iPod.

So when the 80s rolled around, while I was frolicking about on my university’s campus, I happily embraced that decade’s version of the British Invasion. Those up-and-coming English acts, including The Cure, Billy Idol, Bauhaus, The Smiths, Joy Division, and The Thompson Twins (wow, it was not easy to narrow down that list of possibles, by the way) were among the countless musicians who were suddenly permeating the airwaves of our college radio station, many of them becoming household names as they led the charge on the newly-formed television channel called MTV (you know, “I want my MTV”).

And if you dare to single out the one most popular and iconic new English band of that era, the honor would have to go to The Police – the trio that watched every breath we took and got us walking on the moon. But after only a few short yet stellar years in the spotlight, the group quickly called it quits in 1984, and the band’s notable frontman, Sting (born Gordon Sumner - his nickname referring to an often-worn yellow and black pullover), embarked on a solo career that would propel him into being one of the most recognizable people on the planet. 

Involved in everything from philanthropy (he created and still vehemently supports the Rainforest Foundation) to acting (did you see 1984’s Dune?), this performer’s style can not be confined to any one musical corner – as Sting glides effortlessly between the sounds of new wave, punk, pop, rock, reggae, jazz, country, folk, and even 16th-century Elizabethan ballads.

So what does the diverse and still incredibly charming 58-year-old Sting do to challenge himself again? Well, it wasn’t that far of a stretch as he chose to embark on his new world tour, which he calls the “Symphonicity Tour”. Backed by London’s Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, Sting has reinvented much of his well-known multi-decade music catalog and is presenting it to his fans in an exciting new way.

Before the nearly sold-out Irvine crowd, the 45-piece orchestra, conducted by Steven Mercurio (who, along with Sting and composer Rob Mathes, contributed to the arrangements for this tour) seemingly enjoyed backing the one-named singer – taking cues from old-time big bands, lapping their instruments to sing along for a verse of “Englishman In New York” or choreographing a dance of spinning cellos during “She’s Too Good For Me”.

Sting’s own quartet also joined the orchestra for this tour, including long-time guitarist Dominic Miller, percussionist David Cossin, bassist Ira Coleman, and Australian female backup singer Jo Lawry, whose voice, although not quite strong enough for the enormity of the rest of the musicians on stage, paired nicely with that of Sting’s.

Throughout the night, the Englishman (who lives in New York) lulled us with his delightful accent, telling stories at nearly every break.  The teacher-turned-tunester lectured shortly on the political turmoil of the Cold War, which inspired him to write “Russians”.  He told us how his love for television Westerns prompted him to write “I Hung My Head” (a song once covered by Johnny Cash) and, when he sang the song backed by the symphony, it had more power than I’d ever heard – enough to put you right in the noose with the song’s tragic figure. And it was hard not to feel the emotion when Sting explained how the loss of his father inspired “Why Should I Cry For You”, the rendition of which could have brought tears to even the harshest of critics.

Although his music is already itself quite theatrical (used in so many movie soundtracks that it would be hard to list them all), it was fun to watch Sting “act” out his vampire-inspired “Moon Over Bourbon Street”, as he turned up the collar on his coat and walked beneath the video-screen celestial orb, seemingly searching the stage for possible victims (where he found and played a waiting theremin – much to my delight).

Later in the set, Sting explained that “All Would Envy” is a tale about an older man and his younger lover, quickly insisting however that the song was not autobiographical. But my favorite moment of the night came early in the show when Sting, backed so naturally by the orchestra, brought out the beautiful “Shape of My Heart”. I had forgotten how much I really love that song…I don’t think I’ll forget again soon.

And as Sting closed out the night with the perfectly-arranged “Fragile”, the last song on the official set list, he then surprised us with an a cappella version of “I Was Brought To My Senses” – which brought us back to ours, a great way to end this night.

Once again, we are left to ponder what Sting will do next to reinvent himself, but history proves we’ll surely see this Englishman again soon enough. I guess Paul Revere was right – the British certainly have come.