by Marc H.

My wife and I were at lastnights show at the Fleet---my 3rd,her first---and what a show it was (totally awesome.) First of all I want to thank a nice young lady working the event staff who made our show expectations a little more exciting. Talking with her before the show, she gave us some info as to sound checks earlier in the day and where the boys would be entering the stage from. I wish I would have gotten her name, but Thank You and enjoy your "One" bracelet. Wear it proudly.
I will start by saying that I thought Kings of Leon weren't all that bad. The vocals were very distorted and you could not understand a word the lead singer was saying, but they can jam!! I'd go see them live if I had the chance. (My wife and I agreed that the lead singer resembled a younger long haired version of Ashton Kutcher, haha.)
Back to the main show. We had seats behind the stage and they were great. (5 rows back on the Edge's side) We had plain view of the entire stage and basically right behind the Edge's piano. I felt that the show was unreal. Total and complete utopia. It had been 8 years and 6 days since I last saw U2 and it was all worth the wait. The mix of old and new was a gift from God for me as I have been a fan from the very beginning. All of the new album sounded perfect. Complete perfection. I was most impressed with "Miricle Drug." Adam held this song together. This song was played flawlessly and in my opinion, the Edge is a guitar God truely undeserving of the lack of recognition that he receives. "Love and Peace or Else" as the opener was numbing for me. I felt that this was the best opener on the tour. The boys walking out with the lights in darkness with the sound basically vibrating the entire arena made my 8 year wait all worth it. "Vertigo" rocked the building as this song seems to be an instant classic. I can't imagine another live U2 show ever without this song. The ATYCLB songs got the crowd into a panic. The arrangement with "Elevation" was certainly a crowd teaser.
Breaking in full board in the second verse was cool. The main highlights for me were the pre-Zoo stuff. "Boy" was represented well with an over the top version of "Cat-Heart." "War" brought out total chaos as SBS and NYD sounded absolutly perfect. I was so looking forward to hearing "Bullet the Blue Sky." This song has always been my favorite live song U2 play. I have read many reviews of this tour version and not all favorable. After lastnight, I'm not sure I was listening to the same song as everyone else. The blues-ish version was fantastic. I felt that this version got Bono's message across loud and clear. WTSHNN was as religiously anticipated as always.. The encore was as coplete a package as a U2 fan could ask for. Bringing back "The Fly" ZOOTV style was great. The Edge can downright rock. UTEOTW was a song I wanted to hear again and they granted my wish. Again confirming that the Edge is a rock God. Bono forgetting the words to "Party Girl" reminded all of us U2 fans that the boys are still human. The fact that Bono told Edge during the song that he forgot the words made me love them even more that I already do.
I just realized how long and boring this post probably sounds.
I do have one more thought that I just want to get off of my chest.
I have probably read about every post from the first leg of the Vertigo tour. Some great and some pretty bad. I just do not understand giving this band negative feedback. My wife and I were in the city watching a young boy and his sister street performing earlier in the day. After their performance he told the crowd that they do not get paid to do what they do. They live on the money people pay to watch them perform. Donations. When you break it all down, this reminded me of Bono, Adam, Larry and the Edge. I see no difference between U2 and this young boy and his sister. They perform because they want to entertain. They love doing what they do. Of course U2 is on a much grander scale. The are millionaires living well. But the attitude is still the same. I saw U2 in that boy. I take offense to those who criticize U2 for sounding muddy, Bono's voice being raspy, playing emotionless show, the songs not flowing together well. The crowd reaction not being strong is not a U2 problem. The problem lies with each person willing to pay hard earned money to see the best live band that ever lived---Rock Legends---- then go home and complain that they did not play the song I wanted or that Bono didn't walk the ellipse enough, etc. The fact that the crowd was not into the show was never a problem for me. I went to the show feeling honored and felt it was a privilage to be in the same room as these four men. The four men who have everything any person would ever want and then some, but still want to write songs, put them on a CD, play in front of thousands of fans a night all because they simply love to perform. In essence, they are taking our donation so they can keep doing what they do. Just like the young boy and his sister.

I will be taking the privilage of seeing U2 again in Buffalo this fall.

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