by Jonathan Kinney

Drove down from Vancouver, BC for the show with my wife. My third show of this tour...and in my opinion the best. I always love final shows...there's always a little something that's different...not always in the set list but sometimes with the "thank yous" and hugs and handshakes. This show was no different.

I always find it funny when people complain about a U2 setlist or the band's energy. We have such high expectations for these guys and spend months building ourselves up for a show that, in reality, they can never meet it. That was my problem for Seattle and Vancouver earlier this year. I'd listened to most of the concerts prior to those shows and thus I expected something different. And to be honest I was disappointed. I decided afterwards that I wasn't going to listen to another show from the tour prior to heading down to Portland...in fact I didn't even watch the DVD even though I bought it. I wanted it to be something new and fresh. You know what? It was new and fresh. To me it felt like I was in a club and these guys just came out and had a blast. Was Bono's voice the best? No, but it was surely better than it was earlier on the tour. Did they sing a lot of "standards" sure they did. Not everyone has the luxury of seeing or hearing more than one show so to deprive these folks of SBS, WTSHNN, WOWY, or MW just because I've heard it live a bunch of times seems a little selfish doesn't it?

This was a great show. My wife and I had a blast. And the people that I was around were glad they came. U2 owes me nothing...except of course a few more albums and tours. :-)

Merry Christmas all...

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