by Andy

U2's much anticipated show at the Pepsi Center was okay. I've read so many great reviews about the shows so far on this tour that I was psyched to see this show. I guess I was most excited about the way everyone said they felt so included in the show, being in such an "intimate" venue. Unfortunately, I felt kind of left out.

I should have known I was setting myself up for disappointment when I kept trying to convince myself that my $130 seats at the back of the arena weren't really all that bad. Who was I kidding? Gold circle? Please. But, I was glad to get seats anywhere, considering how quickly it sold out.

The opening was very cool, with the house lights still on. Elevation had the place jumping and howling "Woo-hoo" with Bono. I was in awe with that "that's really them up there" feeling for the first few songs. Bono's voice sounded good, in my opinion, but throughout the show, the overall sound was atrocious. I've seen other acts at the Pepsi Center, and they didn't sound nearly as bad. They were so loud it distorted the sound. They sounded really muddy. I'm only 26 years old, and I'm complaining about the loudness. It really made it sound lame and unprofessional.

When Bono first spoke, he thanked their friends in Denver and thanked Barry Fey, the local promoter that staged "Under a Blood Red Sky" at Red Rocks in 1983. After "Sweetest Thing", he grabbed a huge sign on a sheet from some fans in the pit and wrapped himself in it. It appeared to say "U2 is the Sweetest Thing".

"Bad" was *easily* the highlight of the show. The older songs had the whole crowd singing along, and I really wished they could have broken into "Seconds" or "Gloria" or "Sort of Homecoming". I guess I can only dream of a tour consisting of pre-Joshua Tree songs.

A lot of people are saying that it's nice without the distraction of all the props and screen of Zoo TV and PopMart, and letting the music be the focus of the show. I disagree. At the very least, I felt the big screens added something to the music. The burning cross effects in ZooTV's "Bullet" is a good example of how the screens can really add to a song in a powerful visual way. Even a 40 foot lemon complemented the show. On the Elevation tour, unless you're up close, there's not much to see, and sadly, the new music just doesn't stand up on it's own live. The way older stuff seemed to carry itself, but even "Beautiful Day" and "New York" just didn't come across well. They sound great in the small venue recordings, SNL type stuff, but just get lost on a big arena when Bono is a 2" guy hundreds of feet away and the sound sucks on top of it. He played well to the crowd at the other end of the arena, but I felt stuck watching the small big screen TV's coldly displaying each band member, as I tried desperately to feel involved and appreciate the music on it's own. I wish I'd purchased general admission seats. Despite the huge line outside, the floor looked barely half full, and at $45 a pop, they certainly kicked my "Gold Circle" ticket's behind.

I'm glad I went. It was a decent show. I've never seen "Bad" live, and now I can die in peace having heard it. "Walk On" and "I Will Follow" were also amazing, but that's about it. However, I had similar seats near the back at PopMart in St. Louis, and it was a much better show. They somehow seemed closer in a domed stadium than they did in a much smaller arena. Sad, but true. I hope everyone else can enjoy the Elevation Tour more than I did.

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