It was just thirty three years ago today, that Sting did the first concert at the Palace of Auburn, which at the time was a state of the art arena that opened less than a decade after the legendary Olympia closed in Detroit, and a few years after the Joe Louis Arena opened up.

Some people still shake their heads thinking that a building like this only lasted thirty years, being replaced by Little Caesars Arena a couple of years ago. By comparison, Detroit's Tiger Stadium hosted the Tigers (and in the middle of the last century, the Lions) for 88 years. Boston's Fenway Park and Chicago's Wrigley Field are well over 100 years old, though have had extensive renovations.

But enough about the short time it was around. The brand spanking new home of the Detroit Pistons and Detroit Vipers (remember them in the IHL, a rival of the Kalamazoo Wings?) opened up on this date, August 13th, 1988, with a show by Sting. Looking through the set list, he not did Police songs and his solo music, but also managed to cover the JImi Hendrix and the Beatles. And it must've been a rocking night with a hot crowd, because he did three encores.

The Palace of Auburn Hills, in Auburn Hills, Michigan (Google Street View)
The Palace of Auburn Hills, in Auburn Hills, Michigan (Google Street View)
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Here how the night played out, according the SetList.fm:

The Lazarus Heart
Too Much Information
We'll Be Together
Englishman in New York
Sister Moon
Rock Steady
One World (Not Three) (The Police song)
If You Love Somebody Set Them Free
Bring On the Night (The Police song)
When the World Is Running Down, You Make the Best of What's Still Around (The Police song)

Encore:
King of Pain (The Police song)
They Dance Alone
Be Still My Beating Heart
Fragile
Little Wing (The Jimi Hendrix Experience cover)
From Me to You (The Beatles cover)

Encore 2:
Home on the Range (Daniel Kelley cover)
Don't Stand So Close to Me(The Police song)

Encore 3:
Every Breath You Take (The Police song)
Message in a Bottle (The Police song)

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