by Crewboy

This was my third show of this tour and it's been nothing short of exciting watching the band experiment thru what I'd like to call a "work in progress". They're still tinkering with the set list and changing things around to see what's working and what's not. As usual, the band is sounding great and we're only six shows into the tour. The problem seems that the band has yet to find the pacing and flow that they're looking for before they can consider this show "locked down". After two straight shows with an identical set list, the band went back to opening the show with COBL. Having seen the two Anaheim shows open up with a blistering LAPOE, I have to admit that this was a bit of a letdown for me. COBL just seems like a song that the band wants to keep in the show, however they just don't know where to place it yet. The Boy material went over well yet again. While it was nice to hear The Ocean, it's also a bit of a mood killer. Might be best to keep this one in the vaults. Vertigo is by far on it's way to becoming a U2 concert staple ala Streets and Pride. I've never seen a new song become an audience sing along rouser as fast as this one has become...it's simply blistering, again proving that U2 is one of the few bands that sounds better live than they do on their recordings. Miracle Drug seems to be on it's way to becoming the part of the show where Bono just "talks" to the crowd. No message, no preaching, just him talking to the audience. Edge's subtle guitar work leading into the main melody of the song it simply amazing. Sometimes it's the simple things that stand out. This show to me, is about messages and awareness, with portions of the show "themed" with songs to express a viewpoint als the trio of Pride/Streets/One in regard to Africa, while Bullet/Hands/RTST being the "political moment" Streets is still the moment that has everybody going nuts. However, people are disappointed that the band is doing the "full white" only at the midway point of the song instead of at the beginning as well. But all in all....even what a U2 fan would consider an "average" show is a GREAT show on any other day. This tour will only get better as it goes on. Lookign forward to seeing what we get come November.

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