by Tom

U2 April 9, 2001 Saddledome, Calgary

The show started as I had heard on the Net, with the house lights UP and on full blast. I think we were actually singing "woo hoo" before Elevation even started! When the boys did come out it was to thunderous applause, Larry first slipping behind the drumkit, then Adam, Edge and Bono dressed in black leather. Let the rock begin!!

Elevation and Beautiful Day were both very well received, and the lights finally went down at the end of the 1st song. The light show was very restrained to begin with and the 4 black & white screens (one on each band member) didn't light up until New Year's Day I think.

Highlights of the night were many, but I was particularly impressed with the classics. They played a stunning Sunday Bloody Sunday and I could HEAR the crowd singing the refrain. I was SO SO happy when they did the bridge section of I Will Follow, like I had heard from the olden days but they had never done live for me before ("your eyes, make a circle...") Oh was I shouting this song out loud!!

During the first bit of the concert, Bono came down to the end of the heart-shaped ramps and pulled one sign from the audience and paraded it around for everyone to see. It was a large yellow sign that said "I Dream Out Loud" - quite appropriate for a Zooropa nut like myself!

As far as talking during the show, he was somewhat restrained. He said that his family was here tonight, including his two girls somewhere in the crowd which was quite amazing to me to think that they would be here too :) He did stop to "introduce the band old style", starting with Larry who "gave us our first job and will never, ever, ever let us forget it". Then Adam, and finally the Edge "The scientist, who could pilot the space shuttle but I'd be afraid for the pilot!" Needless to say we cheered very very loud.

Bono threw in some nice snippets of other songs during the night, including the "Get Up, Stand Up" Bob Marley bit as well as a "Sexual Healing" for a few lines. He also threw in one very tantalizing line from the Ocean (!!!) at the end of One "If they'd listen to what I said" and me and one other guy both shouted "The Sea!" but no one else seemed to get it, heh heh.

Songs wise, it was my first opportunity to hear Bad live in person so I was very very happy about that - Edge's ringing guitar was so so cool. They also played the Sweetest Thing with Bono on piano, a first for me to see and it worked well live - people sang happily along. The Fly received a radical reworking of the music but thankfully the kick-ass guitar solo survived. Speaking of solos, Edge's finish to Mysterious Ways was it's usual screaming finish! Bono dragged out the harmonica to top off the soft version of Desire they did which was sweet. And OH MAN was Bullet the Blue Sky great!! Bono walked down the catwalk with a portable spotlight and then with all the lights off he shone the light at the edge from the tip of the heart, putting him up a la Rattle N Hum. But it was Edge's noodling on Bullet that sold me. He had the Strat. guitar just screaming and he hit some new lows towards the finish that I had never ever heard him play before so I've got to get a copy of these shows to hear that again! Bono proceeded to shine the spotlight around the stadium and people roared as the light passed over them - another nice way to keep them involved. He also made a nice subtle change to the line "Outside, it's NOT America" :) Finally, he did the "can you hear me love, scratching at your door" type bit for the end of One which was very pleasing to my ears!

At the end of the night, they played us the encore I'd heard about but you know I think Walk On is a great way to end the show! It's actually quite an emotional song when you listen to the words and I was singing it with what voice I had left :) We gave them thunderous applause to close it out, and I actually thought they were going to come back again when the lights went down because we were cheering so loud, but no...

My one complaint of the night was merchandise - $46 for a T-shirt, hello ?!
Heh heh, I'll probably still buy one anyways, tomorrow..... !!

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