by Benjamin

This was my first show of the Vertigo tour, 12th show of my life (1 ZooTV, 2 Pop, 8 Elevation)... I took a friend of mine to see them who'd never seen them before.

Let me first start off by saying, the band displayed incredible energy tonight, Bono's voice was strong as I've heard it, allaying fears of voice fatigue, and the Edge was simply blistering with the guitar. Larry and Adam were lockstep as usual.

I had read a lot of semi-negative reviews from fans about this tour up until now and went in feeling somewhat concerned. I am also growing weary of Bono's didactic tone so I was ready to bite my lip.

But the show definitely was an endless ride of energy and the fans recipricated like only NY'ers can. We showed why NJ can never beat us, we don't leave early to avoid traffic. I think we were rewarded with Origin of the Species and a 2nd Vertigo, instead of 40, as a closer. Although I've never heard 40 live, I didn't want to. It feels too sad to me and I'd rather go out with energy.

I was dissapointed but not surprised that they failed to play New York or Angel of Harlem. It would have been nice but I get the feeling that unless they rehearse these old songs well, they don't end up being played. I also knew not to expect anything from the Pop album, but still I missed it. I think Pop was some of their best live material.

My favorite highlights were the ZooTV encour. Zoo Station was the first song I'd ever heard live, and I felt transported back in time. Suprisingly, the end of the song got the weakest response of anything played tonight. That saddened me. Weirdly, Fly was better received, possibly because it was played often during the Elevation tour. Mysterious Ways, while cool, can easily be traded out for something like Even Better Than The Real Thing, or Until The End Of The World. Even Better... should not be forgotten by them.

I will say that I thought the show lacked emmotional intensity in terms of importance, but the last shows I saw were the 3 October 2001 shows in NYC, and fankly if you were there you know what I mean when I say that *nothing* will ever top that on the emmotional scale. Tonight's show didn't feel rushed, it just felt *fun*.

I think that U2 has more to live up to than any current/active band. They *are* the last of the rockstars. There does not seem to be a likelyhood that we will ever see new artists reach the size and global impact that U2 has had.

This band has been about so many things to so many people that its reached the pinnacle of its greatness and their music belies their true aging selves. Instead of trying to sound young, they sound how they feel, and for that they have to be respected.

We can't expect them to re-live our favorite moments of our youth, life moves on and U2 will carry a sense of honesty with them. I can't say that this tour feels as cohesive and urgent as Elevation (where Bono admitted they were out to reclaim the title as World's greatest Rock and Roll band), nor is it as experimental as Pop, or as monumental and groundbreaking as ZooTV. But going by this one show, it does feel like U2 has delivered us a show that reflects our experiences with them (minus the Pop material) and is having fun doing so.

The new album material all feels to me like its about being parental, being responsible, facing your parents aging and death. This is a weary album, not a hopeful one like All That You Can't... Maybe this feeling is reflected in their performances.

I will gladly see them again when they come through NYC in the fall. They are still the greatest Rock and Roll band and I believe they are still on a real ride, not a fabricated one. As long as that is the case, I will be there to see them perform.

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