by Kumar Ramanathan

Review for both nights

Written on April 23, 2005


Striving for Form:

The General Admission line witnessed my friend and I imitating various U2 tour openings. No one can do a better ZOO TV Bono "kick" than I can. However, my friend did an outstanding "Bono boxer" imitation recalling memories from PopMart. My revelation about the live performances of U2 found this expression: this band is about delivering a form. This band is not about the simple playing of their music. The dates U2 had with Denver proved nothing less.

What do I mean by form? A common complaint amongst U2 fans for years has been the limited selection of songs they bring to their fans. U2 must have contempt for their fans if they do not perform certain songs from their catalogue (Look at the past five tours, practically the same set every night) . Great live performers do not gain their reputations simply from their music. They gain their reputations from the presentation of their music-a musical interpretation willed upon the crowd.
The goal of any performance is to create a permanent memory for the audience. U2 has done this by believing in the tenants of momentum and rhytym. Moreover, they tie their songs together in a thematic fashion. U2 has always been concerned with bringing song and video together to deliver a message. The songs they choose are always consistent with that message. In other words, U2 wants to leave you with a memory that lasts for the rest of your life. U2 fans that understand this would not have gone seen the Elevation Tour, PopMart, or ZOO TV tour over and over again. I no longer ask myself what will U2 play on a given night. I ask myself what will U2 do to enhance their presentation.

The two nights U2 played at Denver witnessed our favorite band delivering a presentation unbeknownst to any other band. Watching Adam Clayton walk in choreographed steps around the ellipse during New Year's Day is worth every penny (four steps, pause, and smile at the audience). Watching Bono bang on a drum during Love and Peace or Else is worth all the film in my camera. Watching Larry Mullen Jr. at the top of the ellipse singing with Bono during Love and Peace or Else will be reason enough for U2 fans to see multiple Vertigo shows. Edge is U2's technician. He is the heart of U2's form. The Edge makes Bono the performer he is. There are so many other elements that made U2's presentation brilliant, but you fans can consider those moments in private.

The next time you see a Vertigo show ask yourself this question: Do you want to hear U2 play a song you like or do you want U2 to deliver a presentation that will be etched in your memory for the rest of your life?

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