by Mike S

I was excited to see the Vertigo tour and admired the changes from Elevation, but I didn't feel the same energy that the Elevation tour had. First off, I think the set list was rotten.

I know it would be "too obvious" for U2 to open with Vertigo, but they really should anyway. It's a rocking opener. Love and Peace or Else is a good song with driving bass, but a show opener it is not.

Also, I'm just a bit bored with the setlist. U2 shouldn't play Bullet the Blue Sky or New Year's Day or even (gasp!) Sunday Bloody Sunday anymore. They lack the energy from the band or the crowd response.

In my opinion, newer songs like Hold Me, Thrill Me, Even Better than the Real Thing, Electrical Storm, and Please would challenge the audience much more and keep us interested.

And honestly, don't you think the band would look forward to playing "Please" every night rather than the tired New Years Day? Please was the best live song off Popmart and they haven't played it since.

So all I've done is rant and that's not fair. U2 are still a great live band and even on a slightly off night like this where that magical spark was missing, and even with a boring setlist they're still worth every penny.

The visuals are more stimulating than Elevation's were and I enjoy the close proximity to the band for a reasonable price.

I hope they're better in Chicago in a couple of weeks! Get that magic back and blow up that setlist!

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