by Robert McSwain

For the third and last time this year I saw U2. The Bobcats Arena in uptown Charlotte played host to the band. With the skyline as a backdrop the arena is providing a nice venue for bands. Gone is the cavernous Charlotte Coliseum and while some will argue that 18,000 screaming U2 fans isn't intimate, I will say it is more intimate then the 24,000 seat Charlotte Coliseum and it is a lot more intimate then the 90,000 seat Clemson football stadium.

Bono appeared on the front of the stage and seemed to notice the crowd had their hands in the pockets and started to motion for the crowd to make some noise. Of course they responded and a rush of applause poured over the arena. The set list wasn't the best I've heard. I say this loosely as they could play their least popular songs and it would still be a great concert. They did, however, dust off an oldie but a goodie, "Gloria", which I have never heard live. I was also pleased to hear "Mysterious Ways" again. The extra solo The Edge plays is amazing.

It wasn't until "Sunday Bloody Sunday" that the crowd really came to life. During the Elevation tour, I took a friend and he said it wasn't until about halfway through the show that he realized where he was and who he was watching.

The encore opened with "Until the End of the World" which had The Edge and Bono meeting on the cat walk and when The Edge started his solo he took of running around the outside circle of the stage. In almost a full sprint The Edge played his solo with Bono running after him. I looked over at my friend, who was at his fifth U2 show and his jaw was open. We both are big admirers of The Edge but neither of us could figure out how he was playing a complicated solo while running? My friend, who is an accomplished guitar player later said, "I couldn't play that solo standing still, much less running." The solo ended with Bono catching The Edge who jumped up onto of a monitor at the back of the stage behind the drums and finishing the solo. This was something new that we had not seen. It just made The Edge that much more mythical in his guitar playing.

Charlotte was a good concert, but it wasn't the best I've seen on this tour nor was it the worst. Like I said, I use the term worst very loosely as a bad U2 concert is better then most things in life in my opinion. Charlotte's sound mix was a little off at times. I can only imagine what a nightmare it must be to mix sound in a place that big. The crowd was a little off as well but over all they came through in the end.

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