by Ingo

To quote U2's long-time stage manager: Rocko Reedy - "You will always see a good U2 show, sometimes a great show, and sometimes a special U2 show." Saturday night at INVESCO Field was a good U2 show. As a pre Red Rocks '83 fan, and veteran of almost 20 live shows, I think other long-termers like myself will agree with me regarding where this band is, and where it's going.

First of all, it was a typical U2 performance - the guys can still bring it with un-paralleled energy and professionalism. There is not a band anywhere that KNOWS exactly what their fans paying $200 for a ticket WANT to hear. They completely lit INVESCO on fire when they burned through Pride, Sunday, and Streets; the fans went into a feeding frenzy. U2 knows what their fans want. With that said, it's the first show that I have ever seen that was not opened by a new song.
I understand Bono's back last year, put a wrench into not only the tour, but I will argue the future of the band itself. This, for lack of a better term, is a Greatest Hits Tour. Their catalog is far too deep and broad to keep including I Will Follow, Sunday and Pride almost every night. Zooropa and Miss Sarejevo are nice additons to an otherwise stale setlist. It's a shame that we can't hear Mercy or North Star, which might have been signs that the band is still all about the "future". I understand that No Line on the Horizon did not do well commercially, but the album sounds spectacular live (with the exception of Crazy Tonight, which is a complete travesty live now). How Larry agreed to strut around stage with a congo drum around his neck for two years now, is beyond me. They should never have given up playing No Line, Breathe, and Unknown Caller - all fantastic live songs. And if you saw the first 360 tour in North America in '09, you will be offended what they have done to Magnificent in concert.

With that said, if you are a casual U2 fan, you will completely eat this show up. For guys like me, you will walk away wondering what this tour really is. I believe it's a farewell tour, or a non-reunion, reunion tour, for a band that has never broken up. Not yet, at least.

If so, it's been a great 30 year run, watching the greatest live concert band ever.

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