by Collin Souter

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE HAVE ACHIEVED FULL-THROTTLE ELEVATION!!!

Well, I did anyway. Today, I had the moment. Many of you know which moment I mean. THE moment, that first time, the one you tell everyone about, even those you know won’t understand. Yes, THAT moment. I met Bono and The Edge outside the United Center today where they met about 50 of us. They seemed to be in great spirits and signed just about every autograph they could. Adam did too, but he didn’t get to everybody. No problem, Taxi Driver.

Okay, so what does that have to do with the show, you ask? I’m getting there, I promise. While Bono stood in front of me (and after I thanked him for helping to bring a very special woman into my life), I asked him if he would sing the extra verse to “With Or Without You.” He paused, looked up at me and asked, “What extra verse?”
“Uuuhh, ‘We’ll shine like stars in the summer night/ We’ll shine like stars in the winter light…’ That one.”
“Oh, well,” he said. “Sometimes, things, words, just come out and you don’t really know where they come from. They just happen. Where would I have sung that?”
“’Rattle and Hum,” I replied, completely surprised that he had no clue.
“Really, it’s in ‘Rattle and Hum?’” he asked.

Well, guess what? He knew exactly what I meant, because HE SANG IT!!! That’s it! Done! No more camping out! I requested a lyric. Bono sang it. Goodnight! A lot more happened as well, but I’m supposed to use this page to do a concert review, so let’s get to it.

Did I happen to mention we achieved total, full-throttle, Tomb Raiding Elevation? We did. “Kite” started out with Bono going solo acoustic by singing the opening verse, “Something is about to give/ I can feel it coming/ I think I know what it is.” Something gave, alright. After the song, the band gave the gift of surprise by ripping into “11 O’clock Tick Tock,” which didn’t come as a surprise to some people. But then, wait a minute! What’s this? “Out Of Control” comes blasting through the amps living up to its title.

“New York” sounded and looked better this evening. This time, three sheets lowered for the illustrations, but Bono still didn’t wear the hat. Oh, well. I still miss “Midnight Cowboy,” but it definitely won’t make or break a show.

For all you multiple-attendees, I recommend shutting your eyes during “Bad” and letting the music take you away for a few minutes. You’ll be amazed at what happens when you open them as the song winds down.

Polly Jean Harvey and the P.J. Harvey band also did their best work so far. Every song on the set list worked beautifully. She’s had a couple clunkers, but then, she really doesn’t belong in an arena. I’m still happy to have her on this tour. She plays around with her set a lot, but I think she should keep this one for a while. I’m looking forward to her headlining tour, but I’m not looking forward to the part where I have to actually leave when she gets off stage.

Only one problem with tonight’s show and this falls in the category of nitpicking, but I’ll say it anyway. Before the show got going, it looked as though Dallas (Edge’s guitar tech) had problems of some sort, which (I’m guessing) caused the show to start a bit late. Usually, after Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground” song, the band comes on stage. Instead, they came on after the good-but-vastly-overplayed “Yellow,” by Coldplay. I know I’m nitpicking, but I'm hoping that won't be a regular thing.


Back to the “meeting Bono” occurrence...one fan asked Bono if the band would start selling tickets with impossible-to-duplicate holograms next time out. Bono didn’t know what the guy meant, but apparently, scalpers have been selling fake tickets to unsuspecting buyers for as much as $150. The tickets supposedly look pretty authentic, but they have been printed on heavier paper stock. This came as a surprise to Bono, and hopefully this fan’s request will be granted.

Speaking of requests, rumor has it the band will be doing a “fan request” show. My request has already been granted. Thank you, Bono!

Unto the almighty…Hallelujah!

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