by Joe Hebert

This show marked the first time that I had seen U2 since the Unforgettable Fire tour for various reasons. Needless to say, I was more than excited to be seeing them in support of their best release since JT, in my opinion.
Bono was not in a preaching mood for this show, at least not via the spoken word. He was on a mission. Instead, he let the passion and power of the songs lead us all to an elevated place. The musicianship was flawless. As an Edge fan, it was just incredible to watch him sanctify each U2 song, mostly with his cream Les Paul sceptre. Bono worked the crowd wonderfully and sounded great while not coming across as "selling" the show - he didn't need to.
This show was all about rock and roll. I can't imagine a better 1-2 punch by any artist than Bad and Streets, which were played back-to-back. Bad had been my favorite song for a long time, but hearing Streets live was beyond awesome, and has taken over the mantle for me. SBS was wonderful, as was Until the End of the World. I Will Follow was mesmorizing as a fan since the beginning, and I thought that on this night, it was played true to the original's frenetic and empassioned level.
Lastly, my request to you is that when you attend your next U2 show on this tour, please take a moment to visit the tables that Jubilee 2000 and Amnesty International have at each show. These are great organizations and great causes that need your support to ultimately succeed. If you think U2 means a lot to you now, you should feel the power of the band when you not only share the love of the band's music, but also are active in supporting many of the causes that they are involved in.
Thanks for reading this review. It is so lacking in being able to demostrate with words what is such an emotional event. Music is a powerful tool that U2 have harnessed to epic proportions. They are gifted, and it is up to us to decide whether or not to accept that gift. For those who do...
See you in Detroit!

Joe

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