by kilcarkid

How wonderful it is to have good craigh on any night any where and at any time! The Irish in America happened to be in full Monty, so to speak, for one solid night of rock music at its best, Irish style, in Indianapolis on May 10, 2001.

Everyone in attendance seemed to have some special knowledge or know of some predetermined special bond that the music to be played and presented that night would take the form of an encounter that doesnt't happen that very often no matter how musically tuned one thinks they may be. This is art! Thank God Almighty, yes it is!

I found out by accident back in January that U2 would be coming to Indy the day tickets went on sale. Contrary to all wisdom obtained in 41 years of living on this planet, I splurged and spent my lunch money for the next 20 weeks on tix without consulting the wife. But I had seen U2 at the Hoosier Dome in 1987 from 110 yards away in the upper deck and knew that this is the show, the music, the experience that I could not live without. So the wife didn't go in retaliation.

So I dragged a good buddy to seats I had purchased on the phone within a half hour of them going on sale back in January for the Indy show. He is a huge music fan but not necessarily a post 1980's rock fan.

So there we sat for the opening of the show about 10 rows from the top in the upper balcony at Conseco. The sound was absolutely aweful-the worst in 100 plus concerts I've been to! The Fieldhouse opened about two years ago and has had a very bad reputation for not being good for music shows. No lyrics were audible from that perch and there was a constant drone. I think I heard the Edge do a riff but then again was it?

After seeing some of these reviews posted, I did not know they did "Birthday" at the end of their opening song "Elevation." Upset that I would die as a pedestrian man before I might never see these guys again, we had to move during the fourth song, "New Years Day." Rejected every where we turned to hear the show, some how, by the grace of almighty God, we ended up directly facing the band nearly on the floor right by the wheelchair access people looking directly at the band and getting the full effect of the presentation. Awesome!!! The songs!!! The sound!! The show! The contrast of the black and white video screens. I love this band! I love this music! I have got to see them again!

Some how this band knows how to connect with people. I have no idea what the magic is with these guys but it is very, very special. The middle of the show with the Edge and Bono doing "Stay", etc by themselves was extremely special. I have never heard "All I Want is You" live but that was a magical moment.

My buddy - he said "I think this is the last, but greatest, rock band alive. You don't see bands like this any more that know what to do. They're not hung up on themselves. They represent the last link to live musical instrument presentation that has any credibility as a rock art music form."

I cannot get the opening bass lines of "End of the World" off my mind. I think it was the third song before we moved but Conseco doesn't want me to care. I have to see these guys again. Somewhere and soon.

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