by Sneeb

A solid set tonight; the band were in fine form, although the mood did seem a little somber at times. It was hard to escape the renewed context of many of the songs from the latest album. As Bono said at one point, "We feel lucky and honored to be playing in the U.S.A. at this time... we put our tickets on sale AFTER September 11."

During Stuck in a Moment, a fan threw an INXS shirt up on stage. Bono was visibly moved, and went over to pick the shirt up. At first he draped it over the mic stand, but you couldn't see the words on the shirt. So, instead he held it right up against his chest so you could see the INXS logo clearly. He looked off stage to the fan who had thrown him the shirt, and said, "Thank you" twice. He then kissed the shirt as he put it back down on the monitor.

Bono made numerous references to the shows in New York last week, which seemed to have made quite a lasting impression on the band. Bono said at one point, "We had quite a week in New York City... the city has a very strong spirit." He also dedicated Kite to New York.

During Bad, Bono went to the rear of the stage and climbed up to the loge section. He seemed to be trying to reach a little girl who was in the front row with her parents. Bono asked what her name was, and she shrieked "I love you!!" into the microphone. He then said a little prayer for her and for the rest of the world, for peace in our time. He later returned during the song to kiss her hand. I thought it was quite sweet.

During the encore, Bono took off his jacket to reveal a New York Fire Department shirt. Someone in the audience threw him an FDNY baseball cap, which he wore offstage and then for the remainder of the set, giving it back to the audience member after Walk On.

All in all, this was a wonderful show. I was fortunate to see the show from inside the heart, and was amazed at how much more intimate the show felt; it was almost like seeing U2 in a small club. The Providence Civic Center is a small venue to begin with. I would be surprised if there were any "bad seats" in the house.

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