by Jarrett Tilton

Atlanta Show Review
30-3-01

U2 was welcomed Friday night to one incredible reception by fans young and old, parents and their children, and generations bound together by the love and inspiration of four talented musicians. A solid bond was formed between the audience and band in a way that I have never seen in all of my 35 years. Let me just say that I felt as though "my spirit was lifting out of my body" and transcending to the stage to be with Bono and the guys. It was literally an "out of body/mind experience" for us. My wife and I spent the entire two hours + standing on our feet with our hands in the air and singing along word-for-word to the carefully and beautifully worked setlist of 22 songs. I joyfully watched as my wife joyfully sang on 'Stuck in a Moment' (dedicated to Michael Hutchence), a bass-filled 'New Year's Day', and the 'Get Up Stand Up' chorus at the ending of 'Sunday Bloody Sunday'.

Bono announced early in the evening that this show was about friendship and love. Boy was he right!! (For those of you whose shows are yet to come during this tour, you will not be disappointed). The band's effort to become more intimate with the crowd with the new design and the arena shows has succeeded beyond anyone's expectations.

From the moment they took the stage with the house lights still on with 'Elevation', through the life affirming of 'Beautiful Day', the nostalgia of 'Sunday Bloody Sunday' to the uplifting spiritual triumph of 'Walk On', this band--on this night--rocked us like we have never been rocked before!!! You could feel the energy in the crowd from the very beginning and I truly believe that the band rode this wave the entire evening to a dramatic and soul cleansing experience for both them and for us. At one point near the end of the show during 'One', I could see tears coming down Bono's face. He was visibly moved by the outpouring of affection from those in the pit and throughout the arena. From our seats 5 rows back on the side of the heart, Bono glanced directly at my wife during 'Bad' and smiled as she took his picture. Earlier, when the introductions were made and Larry took his lap around the catwalk, I yelled his name loudly as he passed by in front of us. He turned, looked and waved his hand in the air as acknowledgement. What a thrill!!!

Highlights for us were as follows:

The two instances described above; The bullfight routine between Bono and Edge at the end of 'Until The End of The World' (I found myself in the aisle charging at the air with fingers pointed as horns on my head then high-fived the sweet girl on the next aisle at the ending!!); The absolutely perfect (and older version) of 'Sunday Bloody Sunday' after a thrilling rendition of 'I Will Follow'; The new, retooled version of 'The Fly' (One of the best songs of the night as we lost ourselves in the wavelike flow of Edge's guitar riffs); Bono intermingling the words to '40' at the end of 'Bad'; The aesthetically elegant version of 'The Ground Beneath Her Feet'. During this song I could literally feel the prescence of my late mother as I raised my arms overhead and reached out to touch her--she tragically succumbed to cancer several years ago at the tender age of 52. Also, at the opening of 'Ground Beneath Her Feet' Bono gave a fitting personal tribute to Salmon Rushdie and the sacrifices he has made in his life escaping repression and authoritarian rule; Then my personal favorites--Gone, New York, Mysterious Ways and the uplifting closer 'Walk On' were performed with as much passion as I've seen in a long time from these guys.

We didn't see the shows in Miami or Charlotte, but if Friday night was any indication of things to come, we are all in for a real treat as this gig will only improve as the tour progresses. We hope to catch the Band again in New York at Madison Square Garden in June (with our Propaganda tickets), and at Slane Castle in August if we're fortunate enough to book one of the travel packages before they sellout.

Final message: this show has renewed my faith in life and my desire to accomplish things for the good of others and myself in the short time which God has given us during this life. I'm thinking of joining in on the Debt cancellation efforts by Bono and doing something positive with this newfound energy.

Best Regards to All.

U2 4ever

J.Tilton
Atlanta, Georgia

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