by Megan

Elevated in South Bend


Last night was my 8th show of the Elevation Tour. I managed – through some miracle – to get my hands on 2 General Admission tickets at the eleventh hour. We had Reserved seats that would have been fine, but when I saw how small the Joyce was on the site where the webcast would be held I knew I had to be down there. The day of the show I am on Ticketmaster, and by 3:30 pm we were on the road from Chicago to South Bend.

We showed up at about 6:15 PM. Just happy to be on the floor, we never expected to end up right at the tip of the heart. There was only about 10-15 feet between the tip and the sound board, which was at the back of the floor. Being only about 4 feet from Bono and the Edge for several songs was incredible – I handed an American Flag to Bono at one point for the guy behind me. He was lying inches from me during a couple of songs. Amazing!

Emotions seemed close to the surface in South Bend. It was hard to miss the messages and metaphors relating to Bono’s recent loss of his father to cancer. One of the true highlights was ‘When Will I See You Again’ which led into ‘Stuck In A Moment.’ For anyone who has seen the video for ‘Stuck’ and knows about the band – the video shows a football player named Hewson (Bono’s real name is Paul Hewson) who turns into a postman – Bono’s dad’s profession. The emotional version of ‘Kite,’ which Bono has said went from being a song about his kids to a song about his dad, was intense and moving. During Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Going On,’ Bono sang the words “father, father…” with heartfelt emotion.

All that being said, I am still not certain what seems missing from the show, or why it feels like less than the experience I was looking forward to. Did I expect too much? Was I hoping that Bono would say something so perfect that it would make me feel better about the world? After using their music almost therapeutically over the past few weeks, did I want something more from it in person? Perhaps it was the realization that I am no longer the wide-eyed innocent that I was before September 11, just there to enjoy the show. Perhaps I was looking for an enlightened message that could not be delivered.

In my humble opinion, Bono didn’t seem quite sure how or whether to try to comfort or explain the insanity of recent events. Then again, why should he? He was affected like us, having a place right in Manhattan. Several times he nearly spoke and the room hushed in anticipation of what might be said. Each time, he hesitated and moved into the next song, allowing the music to send the message. The truth is – never before have we been able to personally relate to the words that U2 has sung to us. I have always understood and appreciated the meaning and emotion behind U2’s music. Last night, the emotional connection of everyone in the room when Bono perfectly belted out ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’ and ‘Pride’ was on a different level than I have ever experienced. Those songs suddenly became the new anthems of our generation, rather than stories of events gone past. During the closing ‘Walk On’, the band brought out members of the New York Police and Fire Departments and paraded them around the stage to great cheers and admiration.

In retrospect, the part that is hardest for me is how Bono related to current events when he finally did speak up. Before ‘One,’ he went into a very long, drawn out dissertation on his platforms – Drop the Debt and AIDS in particular. I have always revered U2’s passion for their causes. Last night, however, Bono tried to relate those causes directly to the September 11 attacks – essentially saying that poverty is the reason for terrorism. It is just beginning to sink in that that may be where he lost me. While I wholeheartedly agree that poverty should be eliminated, last night I wanted recognition for the recent tragedies. What I got seemed to take away from the losses and pain of recent weeks. It felt like Bono was using our vulnerable state to help his own causes. Or maybe he was struggling to find words for the incomprehensible actions of madmen and that was all he came up with. To his credit, Bono did say that he was not a hero – giving that honor to the brave police and firefighters sharing in the evening. That was cool.

He did say at one point that “this is church.” And in a way it was. This was the homily – Bono imparted his message to us, speaking of changing the world. That part I could relate to. He told us that we can all change the world, even with small actions.

In the end, the music was enough. Being inches from Bono and the Edge was more than enough. Seeing a great show in such an intimate venue was amazing. I will move forward loving the music, as I always have.

There are 4 more shows that I will see this tour. I am cautiously optimistic that Bono and the boys will find their groove and bring me back the feeling of awe that I have had before. I know that you need to share your views, Bono. Just keep it simple. Tell us to end poverty because it is wrong. Sing us songs of tragedy and hope. Let us know that we are all in this together. Make us dance. You are the best band for the job. I believe in U2!

Return to previous page | Post a Review of this show!