Critics are lame. And they certainly underestimate we "hoi polloi"

The latest sin: Assuming one can't have diverse taste in music. 

I am annoyed. So what better remedy than a quick blog post to say: I like lots of different kind of music. Nobody puts baby in a musical corner!

So, what's my damage? This music critic who cannot imagine, cannot fathom how the same fan could like both the Police's early punk-reggae inspired albums and Sting's later solo work.

See, he attended Sting's solo concert last night and like the Police material better.

OK. You know, that's fine. But when you say "it’s hard to understand how the same fan could cherish both the Police’s 1978 debut, “Outlandos d’Amour,” and a solo offering such as 1999’s “Brand New Day"? You sound like a really narrow-minded music bigot! And I simply must beg to differ.

I love the Police. I agree their reunion tour was AWESOME. I love Sting too, and have seen him solo numerous times, and walked away an equally satisfied customer. Some of my Top 10 concert moments were from Sting concerts, like:

1. Sting at Madison Square Garden, doing Message in a Bottle as an encore, but the stripped down acoustic version. Every concert-goer was standing on their seat singing their lungs out, so that he only riffed around us on the chorus. We took the verses entirely on our own. It was pretty mind-blowing.

2. Sting at Shoreline Amphitheatre, closing with Fragile. The entire lawn seemed to link arms, friends and strangers alike. This time we really didn't sing along, although I'm sure we could. But we swayed as one. and that was its own brand of cool and equally transporting.

So yeah, I can like both sides of Sting.

I like good music of any style. If there is art in it, then:

I like Hip-hop and Emo.

I like classic sunny Pop and 90s Grunge.

I like Show Tunes and Standards and World Music and Country.

If it's good. I don't like every artist from any genre. But I like something from every genre. 

But back to Sting. Ironically just last night I downloaded his Sting 25 app (not to be confused with the Sting 25 Years album, which I also bought of course).

The app, iPad only, is really chock full of music and videos and interviews and was totally free. It includes performances from his 60th birthday party/concert, including Rufus Wainwright KILLING "Wrapped Around Your Finger". As Sting says when he finished "What a voice!!!" And Stevie Wonder being the least annoying that he's been in years (and proving he really is maybe the best harmonica player in the world).

I noticed Sting had tour adtes and checked it out. I've been so busy and traveilng and out fo the loop that I didn't even realize he was in SF last night, and I was feeling a little forlorn to miss it.

Because I should have been there instead of some silly music critic who can't manage to like musical variety!

Sigh.