While there's little to no punk left in Sting, the same can't be said of opener Elvis Costello -- despite looking these days more like the big bandleader his father was.

The person who decided the set times obviously wasn't an Elvis fan because he got a less than an hour to play. He made the most of it, slamming one song into the next. The 13-song set was daringly heavy on the new album, "Momofuko," ranging from the torchy ballad "Flutter and Wow" to the breathless "No Hiding Place."
His four member Imposters, complete with keyboard wizard Steve Nieve and drummer Pete Thomas from the Attractions, rocked harder than the Police ever could on classics "Pump it Up," "(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea" and "Watching the Detectives," Elvis' own wicked slice of reggae-rock.

Sting popped up for a duet on "Alison" that was more a great photo op than anything brilliant musically. Then Elvis and the Imposters closed it out with a mad, frantic dash through "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding" and "You Belong to Me" that made it all the harder to watch him leave.

It was a pleasure to have Costello on the bill -- it would have been even better if he had been the headliner.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette