by Marcngin

Lots of thoughts raced through my head as I watched U2 at a completely overmatched and inadequate facility in Charlottesville, VA. As good as it may be for a football game, the 15-20,000 extra fans completely swamps this stadium's ability to handle the traffic flow, the promenades around the stadium were virtually impassable, and the crawl to get out by car was substantial. The addition of color-coded parking lots and carpooler areas was a positive, but I am not ready to crown Scott Stadium a world-class concert venue by any stretch.

Now, to the show. As I arrived at my seat, I realized that the giant "legs" attached to the base of U2's ridiculously enormous stage would inhibit me from seeing Larry Mullen all night. As a drummer, this was very disappointing to me, and although there was no "obstructed view" warning or advisory, this was a serious misstep on the band's part. As a band of equal talents and parts, obstructing one of them without a word to the public about the possibility of this was a glaring error. Also, the overhang at Scott Stadium prevented us from seeing the top of the giant four-legged air traffic control-style tower with it's hissing smoke, red warning lights and air-reaching spotlights. To be fair, I did not pay the upper-tier price for this concert, but I still did not expect the location to be a handicap. For most of the night, it wasn't, but there was still a sour note struck at the beginning of the night.

U2 loves sounding good, and they did all night. I could only imagine bands in my heyday sounding this good outdoors, even U2 sounded dreadful one night in the 90's at Giants Stadium for a Zoo TV Outside Broadcast, virtually no vocals were coming out of the speakers all night. Tonight was different, thankfully, but the vast repertoire that U2 holds musically was not properly represented by the band's new-album-laden opening numbers. I understand a band's wish to sell records, but this band, who's musical library arguably comes close to a generational holy grail, has so much to draw from that having to hear nothing from their early years until a good five or six songs into the show, in my opinion, drains their ability to draw in their core audience effectively.

Energy levels were moderate to high for the band members. Bono always gyrates and rises on his pop pulpit effortlessly. Edge is the Ying to the Adam Clayton Yang as usual. I can't imagine one ever playing with another and being nearly as good as they are, and have been for a long time. A very humble and telling closing, where Bono thanked the other band members for "letting me be in your band" underscores the respect that each has for the other's craft. The moments that stood out, ironically for such a huge endeavor, were the intimacies between the four members of the band. The exchange between Bono and Edge during "Stuck in a Moment" was probably most memorable, as Edge's falsetto chorus chant was treated as literal and figurative gospel by Bono. The interplay during instrumental moments was geniune and fun to watch (from what you could see, as several times the band members became swallowed up by their stage). The redux of "If I Don't Go Crazy" into a Sly and the Family Stone "take you higher" soul groove was a welcome moment to see Larry emerge from behind his static kit to play a spirited bongo in the round. And during "Streets Have No Name," the medium-shot of the band, mid-stage, all four looking toward each other and feeding off each other's sonic power, made, at least for a moment, the stage monoliths, lights, smoke, mirrors, and money, all disappear, without a trace, to borrow a phrase.

Overall, a U2 concert should be an outstretched hand to many generations, as 80's children age and have their own children, who know only the U2 of their post-"Pop" cd's. The Joshua Tree is, without a doubt, one of the top five albums of that generation, and the music contained in it should be celebrated and given its due respect when played live. I feel very protective of the U2 of the Joshua Tree and War eras, and glimpses of them are tantamount to witnessing history at a level of The Beatles playing Shea Stadium or Candlestick Park. History will measure U2 kindly, I think, but historians may look back at the stages of Popmart and U2 360 and say, "What were they thinking?" I know what they are partly thinking - bigger is better, people want a spectacle. This is to be understood from this generation, but does this honestly appeal to the U2 fan of the 80s? My guess would be no. HEARING the music and seeing the faces is what I wanted. That is what I remember from previous U2 concerts. I was a participant, not a spectator as I was tonight, peering through binoculars, or my cell phone camera, for a glimpse, even if my seats were so-so. I was there with them in their earlier shows, goosebumps and all. The goosebumps were sadly missing for most of the night this time around. I hope that future tours for U2 arrive with a level of intimacy and history that they either don't want to embrace yet, or are too blinded by the light to see clearly. I miss the goosebumps, I wonder if U2 feels the same. Is it getting better? Hmmm...

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