by AP

This was my 5th U2 Tour I have seen, 8th show.  The last show I saw was 360 tour in Minneapolis - in the rain - most amazing concert experience i will ever have.  So i came into this show with the expectation to not raise the bar as high....and thankfully so. 

  The show opening was excellent - coming out with new matieral mixed in with Out of Control and I will Follow was GREAT!  High energy from the band and the sound with the new 'surround sound' is amazing.  The large video display interaction with their new material went well - very interesting artistic expression for live music - always a must for U2!   Highlight of the night for me was Sunday Bloody Sunday - new accoustic arrangement, all 4 members of the band out in the center walkway with the lights of lit to the colors of the Irish flag - very moving!!

  Things went downhill when they moved to the 2nd smaller stage though...  an attempted tribute to BB King with 'When Love Comes to Town' was an obvious unhearsed tune for the tour -  band felt uncomfortable and Bono didnt remember the lyrics, combined with the bit of bringing a girl onstage to record the band with an iphone - she turned the video off, so bit failed!  

  By the time the band got to 'Pride' Bono seemed to have given up on the crowd.  I must say, after having been to amazing shows in the Midwest, the CA crowd was by far the worst I have ever seen - just not into the show at all.  You could tell the band had nothing to feed off of, when they got little to no response from 'Pride' chants show might as well be done.  'Streets' is my all-time favorite U2 song, and the energy just wasnt there.  Bono stood at his mic & did his duty, closing with 'still havent found' would have been a beautiful opportunity to finish it off with a '40' sing back tribute to the band - but they were done as soon as the final chorus was finished.  It will be a long tour and I am sure it will produce some AMAZING shows with better crowds...  next tour I will try to NOT see them in the Bay area!!  

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