by David

Having purchased and paid for our tickets during presale, My now very pregnant wife and I were eager for the show. Support act, Interpol, was quite suitable to me. It was hard to keep from toe-tapping. I enjoyed their sound far more than I enjoyed Kings of Leon on the previous tour. Also, Interpol matched the tenor of U2's music far better, as well.
Of course the band were amazing. There were technical glitches, but those were easy to overlook. One wouldn't have been surprised if the rain was planned to begin at the moment it did.
The atmosphere was such a visceral, sensory thing, as to be simply unforgettable. From the band to the songs, to the size and scope of the stage and venue, to the wind, the rain, and the lightning, even to the not-too-distant fireworks display clearly visible from the upper bowl, this was a fitting start to the end-of-tour party. The rain references were plenty, and aside from over-using "Singing in the Rain", effective and appropriate. While the levity made the show fun (which, given the rain, was quite necessary), it also made the accustomed political commentary seem rather heavy-handed, if simply a bit forced.
The U2 fan in me would've liked more material from the new album, most especially "Magnificent", but "Breathe", "Unknown Caller", and "No Line on the Horizon" would've been great components of this set. I was really surprised and delighted with "Scarlet", though, as it's so little known. Missing songs from the newest album is excusable, considering the material the band needs to include in nearly every show, like "Where the Streets Have No Name" and "Pride (In the Name of Love)". I was glad to see "With or Without You", as it was excluded last time I saw them -- however, it fell just slightly flat for me. It lacked that resilient, euphoric, and powerful lift at the end that really brings it home. "Moment of Surrender" was a beautiful way to close the show.

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