Sting, despite 15 years of success as a solo artist, occasionally gives the impression that, deep down, he believes his creative output with the Police might have been as good as it gets. That was the unspoken message he sent out on Saturday night at the Ice Palace, in front of about 8,500 fans who saved their most boisterous applause for hits dating back to the late '70s and early '80s.

The singer, songwriter and sometime actor, for his second Tampa appearance in nine months, offered a playful version of "Roxanne," equipped with a trick intro, a segment inspired by dub reggae and an extended sing-along. The other Police tunes, beginning with "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic," were similarly pumped up.

"When the World is Running Down" opened up for an impressive improvisation by Jason Rebello, a jazz-rooted pianist urged on by his boss's ever-reliable bass playing, Manu Katche's propulsive drumming and the resourceful guitar work of Dominic Miller.

"Every Breath You Take," still the most romantic song ever written from the point of view of a stalker, had nearly every patron standing and singing every word of the massive 1983 hit. And Sting accompanied himself on guitar for a moving solo version of "Message in a Bottle."

Last year's suddenly ascendant "Brand New Day" CD, of course, was aired out, and its middle-of-the-road tunes made easy transitions to the stage. "A Thousand Years," the concert opener, was breathy and mellow, built on a loping beat and augmented with the smart, sensitive playing of trumpeter Chris Botti.

Last year's suddenly ascendant "Brand New Day" CD, of course, was aired out, and its middle-of-the-road tunes made easy transitions to the stage. "A Thousand Years," the concert opener, was breathy and mellow, built on a loping beat and augmented with the smart, sensitive playing of trumpeter Chris Botti.

Elegant, textured pop has been Sting's forte since the glory days of the Police, and he offered numerous examples of that kind of music making. "Fields of Gold," one of the most gorgeous pop ballads of the '90s, was beautifully sung and played.

So were the awkwardly titled "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free," the funk-edged "We'll Be Together," the chiming "All This Time," the moody "Moon Over Bourbon Street," the bouncy "Englishman in New York" and the soaring "If I Ever Lose My Faith in You." Still, too much of Sting's recent work sounds stale and formulaic. Maybe a reunion with old bandmates Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland wouldn't be such a bad idea after all.

Jonny Lang, the best-known teenage blues singer and guitar slinger of the '90s, is now 19, three years older than when he released his much-hyped debut CD. And he still has a long way to go, if his set of rather ordinary blues-rock was any indication. Lang, whose playing is reminiscent of Luther Allison and Albert Collins, led five capable musicians through an energetic performance of music partly drawn from his two major-label releases. "Lie to Me," the title track from his 1997 debut disc, was the sole tune that gained much attention from the chattering crowd.