by Mary Scallon

Same as last night with a few big surprises. Edge did Suspicious Minds and after MLK Bono and co. did the Beatles "Rain"!!!

I had great seats for this one, on the floor not too close so I could still soak in the video screen and not too far that I could still see the band clearly. Let me tell you that yesterday's show was great. But tonight's was unbelievable! I really didn't think it could get better than last night. I've seen them fifteen times in their and I will say that this show was one of the best I've seen. Even the Fun Lovin' Criminals turned out to be endearing! They are really funny and they kept telling us that we picked a great band to like and that U2 were true gentlemen and made them feel at home. They are one of the few opening bands that I've seen who checked their egos at the door and truly 'opened' the crowd with their constant interaction. As Howie B. deejayed, the crew kept throwing giant beach balls (7-8) into the crowd. They also tossed us this giant orange looking balloon that only took five minutes before someone popped it. It was definitely a party atmosphere. Things were relaxed this time around and not tense like the highly anticipated first date in Boston.

U2 were in high spririts being the final end of the first leg. It was a full capacity show and it seemed like everyone who was there last night returned with an extra dose of adrenaline. People were standing up way before the strains of Pop Musik emanated through the stadium. Mofo, I Will Follow, Until the End, and Gone got thunderous responses and the energy only continued to escalate from then on. The video screens were back to normal. The sound was so crisp. Everything was absolutely perfect this time around. Pride again saw a showdown between band and audience and ended in the former's defeat once more. Everything from Bullet, Streets, to I Still Haven't Found had the crowd going ballistic. I looked up at the stands in amazement as I saw everyone and I mean everyone with their hands clapping in the air in unison. U2 sure knows how to provoke harmony. During Edge's karaoke rendition of Suspicious Minds, the Fun Lovin' Criminals attacked the stage and our favorite guitar player. Edge was laughing so hard he could barely sing and the FLC lead singer kept repeatedly shouting out to the audience (perhaps mocking Bono) "This is the Edge!" All three exchanged big hugs with the Man before he teasingly kicked them off the stage like they had been fan stage intruders. The security played along and proceeded to carry them off as they put up a fight.

Again, I'm going to have to give Miami two thumbs up. The rhythm and beat during that song does the impossible to me. It makes me dance as if I've visited techno clubs every Friday night. The lucky girl who got pulled up tonight got really lucky. Bono had her entranced. I almost felt uncomfortable like I was imposing on an intimate moment. I was going to shout "Get a hotel room please!" :) The second biggest highlight (I know I haven't told you the first yet) was Please. I've never seen Bono do it with this much passion. The crowd instead of shifting uncomfortably listened attentively as Bono pleaded "get up off your knees". I think this is the first time I've seen the song affect the crowd in the way that it should. The lightning speed barrage of shots of Bono singing and Edge belting out the finale on the big screen really hit home the powerful message. People were moved, regardless if they knew the words or not.

I once read somewhere a long time ago that if Larry is smiling, it must be a really really good night. Well, the boy had a cheshire grin. All of us did. When he was sippin' on glass of lemonade during the Lemon encore entrance, he couldn't even remain frozen like he was supposed too. That smile kept showing itself. We knew something extraordinarily special was happening tonight. Bono knew it too. He talked a lot and thanked Boston by saying 'you've given us something we won't forget! I hope to see you all again very soon." He even got a response to If You Wear That Velvet Dress, much to the chagrin of this fan. He crooned like Sinatra. Then, we all sang every single word to With or Without You so loudly that Bono couldn't even be heard. He even added "yeah, we'll shine like stars in the summer night" But at this point, it started to RAIN! So he improvised "yeah we'll shine like stars in the rainy night" As they left the stage with their teasing goodbye, the stadium was having none of it. We stomped, screamed, whistled, and had our lighters blazing. And the rain kept on coming. It was welcomed as a much needed way of cooling the hot enthusiastic energy of fifty thousand fans.

No more than a minute, they returned with a rocking HMTMKMKM. This seems to be a popular one here in Boston. Mysterious Ways had a big sing along too that it drowned out Bono again. He kept saying goodbye and the fans for a second thought he really meant it. So when he played "our last song" One, the crowd went nuts as it has become THE U2 song everyone was waiting for all night. He added "can you hear me calling Lord, can you see me crawling, scratching at your door" That always sends shivers down my spine. Bono again sang MLK, especially since the lines "And if the thunderclouds passes rain, so let it rain, rain down on me" was appropriate to the sudden change in weather. As Larry, Adam, and Edge proceeded to wave and walk off the stage, you could feel that nobody wanted it to end. Two and a half hours already passed by and people still wanted more! Bono, always intuitive to his fans' needs, put back on his guitar and started strumming and singing the Beatles "Rain". Of course, we all sang along. Then, it seemed like I was having flashbacks of the Red Rocks concert during '40'. As Bono serenaded us, the other band members one by one returned to their instruments again. Larry was the first to kick in, then Adam, and finally Edge. They played a full extended version of the song. It was THE highlight that summed up the evening. Playful, relaxed, passionate and fun. Would you believe it that when it was over we STILL wanted more? Bono amusingly chided, "this was our last song. Fuck off!" Despite how harsh it may sound in print, it was hilarious and intimate at the same time! It was like one friend talking to another. We were still laughing as the lights when up at our unstoppable tenacity at holding on to U2. To sum it up, I think I've witnessed one of their stellar shows of their career. It was a perfect ending to a great first leg. I decided to apply Bono's fuck off to all the critics who loved to bash this show well before they had seen it. And to all those comments that U2 weren't the same anymore. They are the same in that they still can surprise us after all these years! What other show can have us simultaneously with one foot stomping firmly in nostalgia (of Boy and War) and the other tapping rythmically to the future (of POP)? U2 is the greatest band past, present and onwards.

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