by hosive t.

Bono said that the trick was making what they did EVERY night APPEAR spontaneous. They play nearly the same set list every night…the trick is to make it fresh. Here’s how they did it the first night in DC.

Kite Origins
Bono talked a lot to the audience last night, which may explain the shorter set. He said part of where kite began was when he took his kids kite flying because that’s what some book he read said to do to be a good dad. But the kite soon got caught in a tree. His kids asked if they could go home and play pokemon. The crowd laughed at Bono’s self-deprecation.

Washington Times
Bono also said how he had been coming to DC a lot lately for his various causes including drop the debt. He said a lot of about those trips but the sound system was uneven at times but that was his general thrust.
He also got nostalgic as he does in all cities about being here 20 years ago and playing in front of 20 people. The difference this time was when he asked someone in the front row what the name of the DC club was. The person said something but we couldn’t hear it. Bono sarcastically muttered “The club’s name was oh s—t! I don’t know!?”

No Acrobat
My crazy friend weiling tells me that Bono was responding to people asking for Acrobat near the tip of the heart. When he said no, we’re not playing that, they drooped. He added that the Edge would have to go into meditation for hours to play that. Hours.
But some girl with a sign saying it was her birthday apparently did get Bono to change from Stay to The ground beneath her feet.
Is it that easy to change the set list? make a sign that says its my birthday?

Desire
He noted that desire was a song about ambition or faith. Well both.

Pop Lights
Only one song from Pop…gone…..but notice the lights were the primary colors off the cover of the pop album.

The Energy
Bono was visibly surprised at the energy of the crowd last night. So was I. The heart was jumping…..the whole heart. Not all nights have been like that. The overall crowd was much louder than in Philly. We don’t have an NBA team in the finals to distract us. Bono thanked the crowd for the energy. The last time the band was in town, a thunderstorm put parts of the giant TV out of commission and u2 played like they just wanted to get out of town or upset at their props not working. I don’t blame them since the rfk was pretty dead that night in the mugginess. Fans didn’t seem to know the new songs that time. I remember Bono holding up the mike for people to sing please with him and it was met with huh? The response was much better for Elevation and Beautiful day. The Crowd matched the energy of the band. Bono looked pleasantly startled by it.

Bono’s energy seemed to also be much better having a day off to rest and heal from whatever was bringing him down in Philly He may have been energized also from his lunch with Jesse Helms. “Strange” political alliances bring renewal of the spirit: I think its called hope.
I was disappointed he didn’t do something extra special for DC because of the political activity. But Bullet the Blue Sky was stunning with rage. I stopped singing and just had to watch Bono.

The men from the boys:
U2 too old? I like the subtlety that age brings to the songs. Sunday Bloody Sunday was no longer just a rebel song. It was a father’s song now. How can we stop this madness so my children don’t have to live in this bs. Songs like gone, stuck in a moment, kite are grown up songs. Written by grown ups for grown ups with grown up souls. I don’t pay u2 to dress alike and do splits. They’re men. Not children. Fans who want “energy” should have saved their money for the backstreet boys at the Nissan pavilion on Friday. U2 concentrates on the soul. Maybe its precisely when our bodies can not do the things they did before that we take our attention off our bodies….and focus on the soul. The songs….the material itself is still good enough to carry the show. The band has written music that is now part of the American cultural psyche. As far as energy…...you try playing like that when you’re 40 and get 20,000 to show. Try getting 20.

With or Without You….a love song?
I’ve been weirded out by couples who think this is a make out song. Couples groping in the dark has made the encore creepy. Without you is good. But who wants to be told that I can’t live with you? I even saw one couple at one show…when the line of my hands are tied….turn it into a bondage song. ???? Please stop.

Thankfulness
Since the birth of his son, bono has been thankful for his life, the music and the fans. Humility makes me awe the band even more.

A good show overall. But I think Friday will be tight. Wish I had a ticket.

-Hosive
Rockville, MD

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