Stewart Copeland of The Police to rock out with Erie Philharmonic this weekend at Warner
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Every breath we take brings Erie closer to seeing Stewart Copeland on the Warner Theatre stage with the Erie Philharmonic.
Starting Saturday at 8 p.m., and again Sunday at 3 p.m., the drummer from the Hall of Fame rock band The Police and the orchestra will playing re-worked Police songs as part of "Deranged," a tour Copeland started in 2021 and which just returned from a swing around Europe. Most recently, Copeland has played with orchestras in Omaha, Denver, Detroit, and Carmel, Indiana.
"From what I can tell, (the set list includes) mostly songs on 'Synchronicity,'" Erie Philharmonic's Executive Director Steve Weiser said of the performance based mainly on The Police's multi-platinum album from 1983, the last studio album the band released.
It may have been four decades, but you won't find too many now-middle-aged Gen X-er's who don't remember the words to "Every Breath You Take," "Wrapped Around Your Finger" or "King of Pain."
But this is no tribute band. It's the first of the Phil's 2023-2024 pops series.
"(The audience) is not just going to hear a regurgitation of 'Roxanne,'" Weiser said, referring to another Police hit from 1978. "The songs have been reworked and sound like 'Roxanne' and 'Every Breath You Take,' but they've been thoroughly re-composed. It's the perfect combination of rock band and orchestra rather than just the two groups fighting each other."
Synchronicity, if you will.
Weiser said Copeland isn't alone on stage with the orchestra. He plays with a half-dozen others, including a guitar, bass and back-up singers.
"The bass player has played with Paul Simon and Peter Gabriel," Weiser said. "Another (vocalist) is Phil Collins' backup singer, Amy Keys."
In a nod to another song by The Police, Weiser will clearly be walking on the moon. "I get to ask her what's it like to sing with Phil Collins," said Weiser, 43.
A little-known fact about the Erie Philharmonic's executive director is that he's a drummer, too, and he's pretty sure ever little thing Copeland does is magic.
"I grew up as a percussionist and listened to The Police my entire life," Weiser said. "For me as a drummer, I couldn't be more excited to have a founding member of (one of the) top 20 bands of all time here on stage with the Erie Phil."
Weiser studied to become a concert percussionist and played tympany with the Reading Orchestra for eight years before moving to Erie, where he would play three more years before taking the job as executive director.
Weiser said everything with the Phil is clicking and this concert is a perfect showcase.
"On the renovated Warner Theatre stage, with the orchestra playing at its best and an icon in the industry on stage with us," Weiser said. "It can't get any better."
So here's your "Message in a Bottle":
If you go ...
Tickets range from $17 to $66. Weiser said Monday that the Saturday show is nearly sold out, so for the best seats, try for Sunday's 3 p.m. option.
For tickets, call 814-455-1375, visit the box office at 23 W. 10th St., or visit eriephil.org/calendar/policematinee
For more information about the tour, visit tinyurl.com/5d8cxekf. For more information about the Erie concert, visit https://www.eriephil.org
More: Erie Philharmonic's 2023-24 Symphonic, Pops series feature Stewart Copeland, more
Contact Jennie Geisler at jgeisler@timesnews.com. Or at 814-870-1885.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Stewart Copeland of The Police to play with Erie Philharmonic
