Central Park

The Daily Plant : Thursday, September 14, 2000

STING SIZZLES IN CENTRAL PARK

Photo by Amanda (Greenpoint) Tedeschi

Sting (Englishman) delighted 25,000 New Yorkers with a mix of mellow ballads and rock tunes at his much anticipated free concert in Central Park's East Meadow on Tuesday, September 12. The concert, sponsored by Best Buy and NYC 2000, was a great success as early forecasts of rain turned out to be unfounded and fans listened to Sting's music under the trees on a clear and balmy night.

Best Buy Regional Vice Presdient Tim McGeehan emceed the evening, which began with opening performances from Chicago jazz troupe Liquid Soul and Algerian singer Cheb Mami. Commissioner Henry J. (StarQuest) Stern rallied the crowd by mentioning the park's long history of hosting famous musical artists, ranging from Barbra Streisand in 1967 to Paul Simon in 1991 and Garth Brooks in 1997. Dennis Miller made a surprise appearance, bringing his trademark wit to a brief comedic interlude before introducing Sting. Sting did not disappoint, playing hits from throughout his career. The crowd appeared to be peppered with Sting devotees despite the fact that tickets were distributed by a chance lottery, and many fans who weren't among the lucky ticketholders lined the gates along East Meadow to listen in. Sting opened the show with the popular "If You Love Somebody, Set Them Free," which immediately got the crowd going. Sting played a number of songs from his new album "Brand New Day," including "Desert Rose." Sheryl Crow, who played a free concert at the East Meadow last year, strutted on stage for a surprise duet, and blues man Jonny Lang appeared for a soulful guitar solo. Although it was his "Brand New Day" tour of the United States, the singer made several dips into his earlier repertoire. The encore featured two songs from his days as lead singer of The Police, "Every Breath You Take" and "Message in Bottle," for which the crowd offered backup vocals, helping to end the evening on the high note.

The obvious delight of the crowd indicated that the Englishman would be welcome to come back to New York-and to the city's parks-anytime. We would also like to thank everyone who worked at the concert, including the Central Park Conservancy and the Parks Enforcement Patrol, for keeping the event orderly and enjoyable.

DANKOWITZES WELCOME BABY GIRL

Senior Supervisor for the Expense Unit Howard (Cosell) Dankowitz and his wife Ellen have a new baby girl to welcome into their family. Mrs. Dankowitz gave birth to Jessica Leah, who weighs 7 lbs. and 10 oz, on the morning of Wednesday, September 13. We congratulate them and wish them well.

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO IN THE PLANT
(Thursday, September 17, 1987)

CALLING ALL FUTURE ASTRONAUTS

Beginning October 19 and running through November 16, Parks will present free Astronomy/Space Workshops on the second floor of the Arsenal North building located at 1234 Fifth Avenue 104th Street. The sessions, available to youngsters ages 10 to 14, offer educational workshops about space science and slideshow presentations. In the first two workshops, students learn to utilize the Atari 1040 ST computer, which has a software package about space science. In later workshops, the neochrome paint program-a special feature of the computer-allows students to paint on the screen. In Eggship 1 and 2, students design and construct a spaceship to keep an astronaut (represented by an egg) protected during space travel.

QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

The essential self is innocent, and when it tastes its own innocence knows that it lives for ever.

John Updike