No, the title is not a mistake. The one and only Sting and the legendary Shaggy will be hitting the road together and making a stop at The Armory on Sunday, September 30th.
The Cherrytree Music Company and Live Nation announced today that following a European summer tour, Sting & Shaggy will bring their dynamic and vibrant joint live show to a variety of North American venues this fall. Performing in intimate clubs and theatres, the iconic artists will combine their bands to play songs from their recently-released, island-flavored collaborative album, 44/876 (A&M/Interscope Records), and to collaborate on each other’s most celebrated hits such as “Every Breath You Take,” “Englishman In New York,” “Message In A Bottle,” “It Wasn’t Me,” “Mr. Boombastic” and “Angel.”
Sting and Shaggy initially joined forces to record a new song, “Don’t Make Me Wait” (which debuted at #1 on Billboard’s digital reggae singles chart), as a tribute to the Caribbean sounds that influenced them both and ended up recording an entire album full of joyful and uplifting, melodic music. With its title referencing their respective telephone country codes (44 for the UK, Sting’s birthplace and 876 for Jamaica, Shaggy’s homeland), 44/876 honors the duo’s deep-rooted love for Jamaica: Shaggy’s birthplace, and where Sting penned such classics as “Every Breath You Take.”
Along with continuing each artist’s exploration of reggae and its transcendent rhythms, songs like “Don’t Make Me Wait,” “Morning is Coming,” and “Gotta Get Back My Baby” reveal Sting and Shaggy’s shared passion for creating timeless music that defies expectation.
On May 25, 44/876: The Remixes will be released on A&M/Interscope Records, featuring an albums’ worth of remixes of songs from their album by a diverse range of artists including Chris Baio of Vampire Weekend, the Brazilian duo Tropkillaz, Cherry Cherry Boom Boom (Madonna, Lady Gaga) and Grammy-award winning producer Dave Audé, among others (track listing included below).
Also on May 25, Sting and Shaggy will perform in NYC’s Central Park for Good Morning America’s Summer Concert series. Fans interested in attending the free concert should arrive to Rumsey Playfield via the 72nd Street entrance on Fifth Avenue at 6AM when the park opens to the public.
Sting and Shaggy will be joined on the 44/876 Tour by Sting’s players Dominic Miller (guitar), Josh Freese (drums) and Rufus Miller (guitar) as well as Shaggy’s band members Melissa Musique (backing vocals), Gene Noble (backing vocals) and Kevon Webster (keyboards).
Tickets are still available here.
Remaining Tour Dates:
Sept. 20: Philadelphia at The Fillmore
Sept. 21: Atlantic City, New Jersey, at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa
Sept. 25: Boston at House of Blues
Sept. 26: New York at The Rooftop at Pier 17
Sept. 28: Toronto at The Phoenix Concert Theatre
Sept. 30: Minneapolis at The Armory
Oct. 1: St. Louis at The Pageant
Oct. 2: Chicago at The Aragon Ballroom
Oct. 4: Kansas City, Missouri, at Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland
Oct. 5: Denver at Fillmore Auditorium
Oct. 8: San Francisco at The Masonic
Oct. 9: Santa Barbara, California, at Santa Barbara Bowl
Oct. 10: Phoenix at The Van Buren
Oct. 12: Rancho Mirage, California, at Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa
Oct. 13: Las Vegas at Park Theater
Oct. 15: Los Angeles at The Wiltern