by Jonathan U2BassAce

What a show! 3rd of the tour after seeing the two opening night shows in San Diego and a late night meet up with Bono on Wednesday night!!

I am not sure if U2 has ever totally turned a set list upside down in mid tour. But that is what they did last night. It's pretty obvious that the show really has three or four distinct "sections" to it. Each with 4 to 5 songs. What they did was jugle the sections around and I think for the better.

Now the key is will it continue? Maybe this will be the first tour that they actually play 2 or 3 totally different set lists night to night? I don't know but by the way they have broken them down to these groupings they could without too much problem technically.

That being said, wed show in SD reminded me of a Metallica show I went to last summer. Kinda the run away freight train machine gun rock song after rock song feel to it. To the point you were exhausted after the first 8 to 9 songs. That show was great but in a totally different way and feel form last night.

Last night's show was in my opinion a great balance of the rock/arena thumpers and some of the moody slower songs thrown in here and there. It was a perfect combo. The boys were on tonight and with the larger arena of the Anaheim Pond helped open up another new dimension of the show. 12,000 or so fans are nice but it's something to see 20,000 fans rocking out! Plus the higher ceiling of the Pond allowed the stage effects to be used to their full potential. City of Blinding Lights was much more spetacular with the higher ceiling for the confetti to fall from! Very cool.

I will say make sure you get in your seat for the kickoff. Love and Peace or Else is my favorite show moment and as soon as I saw Bono hit the stage in his Red, White, Blue and Black leather jacket I knew something was up. I could not believe it when the broke into that song right off the bat. MUCH better opener than COBL and moving Vertigo with COBL later into the show created a new mid concert highlight.

The crowd was very loud as compared to SD. Might be because of the larger venue but it really enhances the sing along parts!

I am not sure about the encore deal. The band did hit their encore earlier in the show. They were about 8 minutes ahead of schedule. Me a veteran of 2 concerts on this tour was wondering if MAYBE they were going to break out a song after 40. Heck the rest of the show was turned upside down. The crowd was into it. But in my opinion if the crowd has stopped chanting the 40 fade out then turn the house lights on damn it! I was confused and I know a first time fan had to really feel let down without another song or two. To leave the house lights on for over 5 minutes with the fans going crazy is a sure fire let down. I have a feeling that will not happen again. But it's still not the end of the world just had more signifigance because it was the last impression.

But other than that this was the best show of the tour in the best venue of the tour. I don't know what to expect at tonights show. Another revamp or is the order set for the next 12 months? Who knows? All I know is it's been the time of my life to see the show grow from night one and get better and better!! LAst night's show was a 8.5 out of 10, U2 standards with much potential at this point for this rock show to really really blow up!!! Midwest and East coast I have a feeling we are about to send you a Bomb Shell of a concert!!!

I will check in tomorrow after tonight's show. Boys Play Rock and Roll and again last night they did to the heart and souls of Anaheim!!!!

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