We saw the U2 show in DC September 29. It was so, so, so wonderful. Our seats were very good for a stadium show - just a few rows off the field, center of the massive stage set up, on its right side. For football, it would be about the 30 yard line, and they were on the same side where my Redskins season tickets are. I bought these tickets with my U2 membership code while in Ireland in March. Chuck was driving through Limerick, and I was in the passenger seat, madly typing on the laptop, logging in to buy them. Our seat neighbors were quite nice. They came from Baltimore, and the man shared tissue for ear plugs during the opening act, Muse. They may or may not have been good, but they were too loud and the sound was distorted.
The tickets said showtime was 7, but the opening act didn’t start until 7 30. I was afraid they were having the same traffic problems as there were for Sir Paul, and they were stalling…but I think it was just the plan. They played until 8 15. When Bono thanked them later, he said, hard to believe just 3 people make all that noise ;-) Though their sound was dreadfully distorted. U2’s sound was perfect. The set was very cool. The theme seemed to be a spaceship theme, but I thought it looked like a spider with only 4 legs ;-) Under the legs, there were teams of people, 3 on each leg, each manning a huge light. They were strapped in, roller coaster style, on the ground, and the contraption was raised up along the underside of the legs of the set until they were waaaaaay up high. There were people up in the belly of the thing, operating the big 360* screen, which expanded and contracted, like a slinky, as needed. The stage didn’t rotate as I remember reading it would, but there were walkways all around it that all the band used, and 2 bridges that spanned the Red Zone (pit) crowd from the main stage to one of the walkways – and the bridges were periodically moved to span different areas. Any band member might be on a bridge when the bridge passed overhead.
U2 took the stage about 9, after Space Oddity played. Bono started the show by introducing his “cabinet” – He said Larry was the writer of their Constitution, back in high school…Adam was minister of culture, and foreign affairs, which seemed to be an inside joke with the 4 of them. He said Edge is the leader of his free world and he named him President The Edge, and himself he said was Majority Leader, and made mockingly light of suggesting he was “verbal, elegant, and quite well turned out “ ;-)
I read a lot of fan reviews that said the crowd was dull and not engaged. Not so in my section. DC crowds are famously reserved, but most everyone knew every word, and no one ever sat down from the 1st note.
The set list and observations:
Breathe – new album – the 1st 3 were new, and well accepted.
Magnificent - new album - I love this song. It’s infectious in a different way than Vertigo, but it soars in concert.
Get on Your Boots - new album – This is one of those songs that is sort of eh, but takes on its own life when live. Translates into a completely other song.
Mysterious Ways – Great concert song with the first of many opportunities for crowd participation.
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For - Just amazing. Bono sang the first line, and the crowd sang the rest of the 1st verse, through the chorus. Then he turned it back over to us at the end. The last show I saw was a crowd of 20,000 singing it at Verizon Center. Last night was 80,000, and the effect was on a par with as many singing Hey Jude last month. Magic.
Elevation – Near frenzy response, and another sing along song.
Your Blue Room – I wasn’t really familiar with this song. Apparently it was an unusual addition to the setlist.
Beautiful Day – Bono dedicated this to Eunice Shriver..there was a murmur of appreciation.
New Year's Day – and this to Teddy, giving him much of the credit for “a peaceful Ireland.” The place went wild.
Stuck In A Moment – This was a religious experience for me. It was just Bono and Edge, on acoustic guitar. Unplugged. I loved how they just lounged against each other, back to back. I’m so glad this was on youtube. I’ll add it to my favorites, and I will probably record it for my ipod.
Unforgettable Fire – I have always liked this, and its ethereal feeling was compounded by the weird set.
City of Blinding Lights – Bono pulled a kid out of the audience, a boy about 8 or 9, and asked him to take a walk with him. He said I’m looking for the face that I used to have…at one point, he led the child to a camera (there were several, following every move to broadcast up on the jumbo screen above) and put his face right next to this lovely wide eyed child’s…both just staring out for a minute. It sounds weird, but it was touching. He put his glasses on the kid. This is a good song, but I never paid much attention to it until I heard it live last time. It’s mighty in concert.
Vertigo – Bono said he was going to teach us a Spanish lesson Irish style, and before a note was played, the place went nuts. This may be the best concert song ever.
I'll Go Crazy – Remix - new album – Larry came down from the drums with a bongo (no idea what the real name of the drum is) around his neck, and drove this song while walking along the walkway. He has a huge fanbase on his own. He even smiled a couple of times ;-) A lot of fans really weren’t pleased with the remix.
Sunday Bloody Sunday – This started with some reference to Iran, but the stage and crowd near the stage ended up bathed in Kelly green light. In the crowd right in front of the stage was a Sikh with an American flag. Bono motioned he wanted the flag, which the guy tossed him. He was so careful to catch it respectfully. Then he indicated he wanted the guy to come up. He invited the guy to sing the last verse with him, then they hugged like long lost BFFs.
MLK – He called this an Irish lullaby.
Walk On – This was dedicated to the woman in Myanmar who’s been under house arrest forever. Some people had masks of her face to hold up and about 50 or 60 young volunteers came out on stage wearing them.
One – A video from the charming and adorable Desmond Tutu introduced this. He talked about how the same people who worked for civil rights in the US ended apartheid in S Africa, and violence in Ireland, and a litany of other ills in the world. He said, twinkly eyed, I see those same people when I look around this place tonight! And he said he, like Bono, believes that in our lifetime poverty on this planet can be ended.
Where The Streets Have No Name-Segued right into this, then they left the stage and waited for us to raise our phones as we once raised lighters, to call them back.
Ultraviolet – This song is sort of annoying ;-) Bono swung from a round red mic hanging from the spider like set thingy, and his jacket shot red laser lights all around. I think all the red agitated me. He did this one on SNL with all the red last weekend.
With or Without You – As always, stunning.
Moment of Surrender- new album – I LOVE this song. It was a great way to end the show.
Preaching was minimal, really, but all positive, all grateful for the good and hopeful for better. The powerful of Washington were there, and he dropped names - Speaker of the House, other politicians, activists, even a Catholic Cardinal, Cardinal McCarrick. He thanked the halls of power for opening doors to his lowly self and not laughing him out of town, and while he talked, a little scroll of accomplishments ran on the screen. He respected both sides, and asked that we all take a minute to be grateful for the idea that is America, asking that God bless America. He didn’t dwell, and never said a single negative thing. He seems endlessly in awe of DC and what it is supposed to represent. He seems to believe we have it in our power to do things right, bless his heart.
Odd thing – there were NO usher type people, but I never saw any indication of trouble over seats, no misbehavior. Bono referred to the Nation-State that is U2. Seems it polices itself nicely!
I wish I had made plans to go to more shows on this tour. I LOVE this band!
