So Sting has already played Carnegie Hall, and no doubt, it was the result of practice, practice, practice. A lifetime of musical accomplishments certainly helped, as well as being a charismatic figure with striking good looks that seem to improve with age. There’s something to all the yoga and other interesting physical fitness regimens that he’s been practicing over the years. It will all be put to the test, and one he will most certainly pass, when Sting plays the Met in July .

There are lots of moments like these that make New York a place to be. It hasn’t lost its edge at all, and probably never will. The steady stream of young artists coming to test their mettle in one of the world’s most difficult crucibles means that there’s always something new and interesting. The discerning citizens, along with the many visitors who frequent New York’s hotels , are a ready audience for work by established artists, along with the tried and true artists who have reached maturity.

Sting may be mature, but there’s plenty of boyish charm left to make a whole new generation jealous or swooning, and the work always goes in new directions. Sting is perhaps entering another great phase of experimentation, and the show in New York will combine his own music with some classical variations that sound stunning in theory.

They’ll likely be wildly successful, pleasing the large crowd that’s bound to show up, but there is always a chance that something might go wrong, and the new direction might not be a perfect match for the cultural moment. But that’s what’s always kept his work so very interesting. The early work with the Police mixed forms well enough to re-create punk rock when it needed new life, and as old fans complained when they were getting too commercial, another generation began to notice that there was something compelling here.

That particular story has had multiple repetitions in every phase of Sting’s career, and enough to suggest that this is another musical direction, and one that will lead to new honey.