by Mike Wood

Yup, they're still U2.
"Now, if your're from the Bay Area, I dont have to tell you, but... If you yell loud enough.... ya know what I mean?"
Bono's always insightful banter rang true all night. No one sat down. Ever.
PJ Harvey wasn't that great, and I had kinda crappy seats, but thats what you get for being a real U2 fan... ya can't get a good break. It's those punks that got tickets from theire 45 year old uncle and saw one video on TRL or something that get to be in the front row... never me.
Anyway, when they hit the stage and ripped into an energetic "Elevation" redition, and quickly getting "Beautiful Day" out of the way, the show was well under way, and it was perhaps one of the most heart-felt shows these "Dooblin" boys have ever given to the bay area. But it wasn't exactly a show designed for the fans BEHIND the stage, seeing as how the show featured rising video screens that all but blocked the band from sight, and we only got two of the four video screens that the rest of the seats were able to view. But the music was there.
This was the first honest tour the guys have done in years, and that was the idea from the begining. Zoo TV was awesome, Popmart was insane, but the Elevation tour was a reintroduction to the band behind the flash and flare, which has almost completley been diminished in favor of salvaging what they hold as their crowning quality as a band... the heart and soul that they put into their music. This time, it was simply highlighted with a kinda cool light show and a big heart shaped runway for Bono(... and run he did!)
Anyway, after the first two tunes, we sort of got lost in a timeless collection of classic U2 tunes including "Until The End of The World," "I Will Fallow," and one dediacted to all those "young punk rock bands out there": an acoustic Bono/Edge "Desire".
I was most delighted to hear what may have been the most dramatically beautiful song they've ever written, "Bad." That was good.
Bono told us about the time that they played a High School Gym they played in San Jose back in the early days in which they were promised 1000 people would attend, and then over 2000 people ended up passing through the doors that night. He thanked all of his "many friends in the Bay Area"... well, not individually... it was one of those "all-at-once" thank you's.
Bono then expressed his grief in losing Punk Rock legend Joey Ramone, who died earlier this week. In memory of their favorite punk band and the influence they had on young U2, Bono dedicated "the last song Joey listened to before he died..." U2's own "In a Little While." It was an absolutley gorgeous and intimate performance of, again, just Bono and the Edge at the bottom tip of the "heart" runway, Bono poured his heart into this song. It was beutiful.
The night's set list included "Stuck In A Moment," "New Year's Day," "Pride," "Sunday, Bloody Sunday," "Where The Streets Have No Name," "Bullet The Blue Sky," and "Gone". I noticed the have "left behind" almost every track from "Zooropa" (even if you count "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me") and "Pop" (with the exception of "Gone")
The rest of the show and two encores later, U2 wrapped it up with "Walk On" and said goodnight as Bono poked his head out of the backstage stairway and gave one last wave to the fans in behind the stage.
This was an older and wiser band than U2 have admitted to being in their entire carreers. In all, the shirts were too expensive, the show was great, but not huge, and it was over all too quickly, but it was quite a wonderful experience.
If you get the chance to see this tour, you wont regret paying any price for seeing one of the world's greatest live bands in the year 2001 and still performing soulfully after more than 21 years together.
God Bless U2.
We'll be waiting for more.

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