by Craig Kopra

First and foremost, I feel sorry for those who missed out on PJ Harvey. They’re a great band that doesn’t get too much exposure on local radio or music video stations. And I felt that they were fantastic and kicked off the night on the right foot.
This was the first time I saw U2. My sister was lucky enough to see them in the 80s. I missed out seeing them in the UK for their Zooropa Tour in 1993. Finally, I get to see them at HSBC (Hot Sauce Blue Cheese) Arena. After a long break from America, it was well worth the wait.
“All That You Can’t Leave Behind” is a great CD, and to hear/see the songs done live was simple amazing. The overhead video display of each band member was a nice touch providing angles to all sides of the arena. A footpath shaped like a giant heart, engulfed fans as well as enabling Bono run around like a spas during some songs. I liked the way they did “Desire” at the tip of the heart even though Adam Clayton seemed a bit unenthusiastic. I suppose a lot of touring may do that. It was nice to hear Bono mention Buffalo-based band Tallas, who they opened for about 20 years ago, prior to singing “In My Life”. Fabulous to hear their other classic tunes like “I Will Follow” and “Sunday Bloody Sunday”. A unique song I would have like to have heard is from my Australian import version of “All That You Can’t Leave Behind”, called ‘The Ground Beneath Her Feet’. Other cool effects used were during the song “Walk On” where celestial star maps of the northern and southern hemispheres spun around the arena. How can you not notice Crux? ;). All in all, it was an electrifying show from beginning to end and didn’t miss a beat. Hats off to everybody including the crew!
One of the biggest surprises was hearing Bono saying ‘thank you’ for paying the hard earned cash for the tickets. Especially when costs reached $130 per ticket, was greatly appreciated. It’s shows class when a band acknowledges what their fans are willing to pay for tickets. I think even Bono knows it was a bit extreme for the ticket costs. Let’s face it; most professional athletes hardly acknowledge ticket costs and their supporters, especially when they make more in 1 year when several people combined can earn in a lifetime.
Thank you too much guys and you’re more than welcome to return here – the sooner the better too!

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