by Kristy Mikos

Sunday; May 13th, 2001
2nd Chicago Elevation Concert

This was my first Elevation concert and my dad's first U2 concert ever! I'm 21 and my dad is 54. I asked my dad if he wanted to go to a PopMart concert with me, last time. He loves the band (but isn't a fanatic like I am) but he laughed and said no. So, I didn't ask him this time cause I thought the same thing would happen. Well, about a month before the Chicago Elevation shows, my dad asks me if he can come with! He had a great time... and he actually danced, which was a little scary, LOL! Anyway, about the show...

I'll try to not rehash everything everyone's said about this show so far. It was incredible. Of the three Chicago Elevation shows I saw (the last three) this one and Wednesday night were the best. I think Wednesday was a bit better, though. Tuesday should've been the best, but I was on the floor and had to avoid being knocked over by drunken, dancing fans. I really (*REALLY*) enjoyed 11 O'clock Tick Tock and Out of Control... but the crowd went so completely out of control while they were played, I was had to spend my time getting out of the way of spastic dancers and people passing out. So, I didn't get to enjoy the songs as much as I could've. Oh well, anyway...

Elevation was amazing. I love how the crowd does the "Oooohhhhhooooo ooooohh!" parts with Bono. It sounds a little funny, but everyone has so much fun. Beautiful Day rocked, again, the crowd was loud and sung along wonderfully. Then Pride was the third song and we were so damn surprised, LOL! Incredible, remarkable, version. Ahhh, feel the love in the house. Bono and Edge were smiling from ear to ear for the first three songs!

Stuck and Kite were good. Gone was friggin' amazing! Oh my God! It was so excellent! I was up with the sun! Everyone else was, too! Bono really stretched out the, "I'll be uuuuupppp wiiitth the ssuuuuuunnnn, you stiiilllll hoooolllding oooonnnnn!" parts and it sounded wonderful. He voice was great. The "I'm not coming down!" parts were excellent. Bono didn't give the word "down" that defiant quality he does sometimes, you know, he says it almost hard like? It was a "pure" version, so to speak. No lurking darkness, just blinding sunlight. Edge had his, "DOOOOOOOWWWNNN!" parts right on time and a lot of the crowd (including me) sung along with him. I love how that sounds!

The lights during Gone (I think they did it for Gone as well as Streets)... those glittery "sun lights" and sparkling strobes around the heart, damn, that's just so cool. Fits the song so well, great addition to the atmosphere!

Disco was insane and I loved it. The United Center was a giant party for that song. The multi-colored lights that flash around are great. So much fun seeing the crowd bathed in technicolor and dancing like crazy! SATS was good, as well.

New York was excellent. I love how Bono really stretches out "NEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWW YOOOOOOOOORRRRRKKKKKK!" now. How can he sing it for that long? I ran outta breath! As others have mentioned before, Bono messed up the verses a bit. For the "The Irish been coming here for years..." part, he started singing something else. Then he stopped and said, "Wait, that's not right!" LOL! It was hilarious! He looked like he was laughing at himself and he and Edge had these great grins. He finished what he was singing and did the "The Irish been..." part after that. It was funny!

By the way, my Dad and I were in Section 110 ("Golden Circle" tix) for this show. The seats are very good, but I dunno if they're worth the price. Floor tix are much better for the money. Where we were (about 3/4th down the floor on Edge's side) the boys were about the size of your pinky finger. A little small, but not too bad considering how little they could look! We had binoculars and used them througout the night. When Bono & Edge came to the tip of the heart, we could see them much better and just about make out the expressions on their faces. Those video screens they have focused on each band member are an incredible help, though. Back to the show:

I Will Follow was excellent. I love the energy the band has during that song. SBS kicked major arse, though! Excellent, incredible version. It's funny, though. At the very beginning of the song, I knew it was SBS. But then, for some reason, I thought it was New Year's Day. Then it went back to SBS. Did Edge start playing the chords for New Year's Day by accident or something? A lot of people in our section were confused!

But, it didn't matter, even if Edge did mess up. SBS was awesome. Just about in between an acoustic version and a full out "military" (for lack of a better word) version. Perhaps a bit rougher, though. Incredible energy. And the crowd went nuts when Edge started those memorable chords. Ahhh, I love the guitar and drums in SBS!

Bono did put on a leopard cowboy hat someone threw to him during the show. Can't remember what song it was during, though. He looked good in it! That was funny when he was gonna sing TGBHF and asked, "Is this a hat song?" The crowd started yelling, "NO!" and he threw it back. He said something like 'this is a song most of you don't know' and said Salman Rushdie wrote it for them before playing The Ground Beneath Her Feet. Oh God, I *LOVE* that song! I'd love to hear the whole band play a really rocking version of it, though the soft, acoustic one was still great. I thought Bono forgot the words for a second, when he started singing, "Dooo doo doo, do do do do do do, dooo doo dooo, do do do do do" for the musical part in the song. Dunno what that instrument is in the CD version, but it sounds excellent.

All I Want Is You was heartfelt and moving and the entire arena sang along. Bono continued the audience responses of "All I want is.... yooooouuurrr looooovvee!" for quite awhile. He was clearing enjoying it.

Streets was... well, you know! Incredible, amazing, mindblowing, awesome... they always blow the roof off the place with it. Bono did his laps around the heart and looked at his watch, which I thought was funny. I didn't tell my dad about how the lights go up for it (he'd never even seen a U2 concert on tape before), so I grabbed him when the lights went on and he just went nuts! ISHFWILF is my dad's favorite U2 song and I felt bad he didn't get to see it. But later, he said seeing Streets live made up for it!

Mysterious Ways was great! I boogied like crazy and the other girls in the Golden Circle busted out their belly dancer moves, as well. Intense energy. Love Edge's solos. Bono was dancing with the belly dancer on the first screen, right behind Edge, when it went down into the floor right in the middle of his groove. He put his hands up and went, "NOOO!", then put his hands on his head, and finally lowered his head like he was crushed he didn't get to finish the dance. It was so funny. I dunno if he usually does that or not, but it looked spontaneous and was quite hilarious. Edge looked back with a satisfied, evil smirk, hehe!

The Fly was so powerful. I love how Bono starts it out by himself with the "Loooove, we'll shine like a burning star..." and then they just tear into it. Much different than the AB version. And the "Love" and "Love Me"'s on the screens by the stage, too funny. Wish they would've done the "BeLIEve" thing the same way as Zoo TV, but oh well. It was excellent seeing it back, again. At the end, Bono smashed himself up against the flashing, multicolored screens and really did look like a fly smashed on a windshield. Arms and legs spread out and all. He did that again Tuesday night, be he looked *much* more "flyish" tonight. Brought insane screams and applause from the crowd.

Bullet? WOW! This is my favorite song, I can't help but love it. Love the video bit before it. As someone mentioned before. It is a little unnerving when people clap for the video. Yes, Heston is the enemy, but I don't know if they're clapping for his speech or for the bands' stance against it. I felt a little strange clapping for it, but you have to, it's great! Although, even though that "A gun in the hands of a good man is no threat to anyone... except bad people." statement *is* wrong... it just sounds so freakin' cool that you have to clap! I agree, ripping right into it with the frozen image of a little girl holding a gun is extremely haunting... and it makes the song that much better!

I dunno. The Bono with a flashlight bit doesn't quite do it for me. Guess it just seems too Rattle & Hum or something. We've seen it before. But, the crowd loves it when he shines it on them. People almost start doing the wave, hehe. Interesting note here. My dad was watching Bono through the binoculars for all of Bullet. He said when Bono ended it, the flashlight exploded in his hands. I'm thinking maybe he just turned it off, cause that would just be too perfect timing, ya know, but he swears it exploded! Can anyone verify this? Anyone near the tip of the heart see? If it did explode, that's pretty cool... maybe it was staged. Self-destructing flashlight, hehe.

Something I noticed during the concert. The inside lining of Bono's leather jacket looks like it had the US flag on it. Anyone know for sure? Thought he might show it during Bullet, but he didn't. Also, the people outside of the heart crowd-surfed this girl over to the tip of the heart (for WOWY?), but she fell just before she made it to Bono and wasn't seen again. He pulled up a different girl for WOWY. She fell, too, and he sang nearly the whole song while lying on her legs and/or stomach. I looked at her through the binoculars and she was holding her hands up like, "He's crazy!" and laughing. Might have gotten a picture of it, not sure - haven't gotten them developed, yet. If I do, anyone want a copy?

Bono danced with another girl near the tip of the heart for... SATS, I think. I can't remember which song, but I noticed something funny. Bono twirled his finger (making a circle shape) like, "Add another verse so I can dance longer". But, Edge didn't! He just ended it and Bono looked a little sad. Edge turned around smiling mischieviously and laughing as he walked away like, "Hehehehehehe!" LOL! I saw their expressions perfectly. It was priceless!

One was great. Very, very soulful. Everyone leaning on and hugging each other. A beautiful version that brought tears to my eyes. Yeah, the beginning of Walk On sounded pretty strange. Thanks to whoever it was who posted what Bono was saying during Edge's technical difficulties. I couldn't make out what he was saying. Sounded like he said, "Edge's having some bad love, but Larry Mullen will do the trick" or something like that! LOL! I was a little frightened after that, hehe!

Walk On was incredible. This song is so much better live. The guitar and soul and, man... it's a great closing song. The "Halleujah"'s were great, though I couldn't tell what Bono was saying until the very end. I thought he was saying, "I've been good, God. I've been gooooooddd." Apparently not!

Bono and Edge really looked like they wanted to stay on the stage. I'm not sure if it was this night or not (but Bono did it a couple times for different Chicago shows) Bono went up to the mike and looked like he really wanted to say something. Then he backed away and did it again before finally leaving. I thought he was gonna tell us Ali had the baby or something. Then Edge and Bono hugged and it was sweet. They looked so happy!

A couple of notes before I go. (I know, this review is long, I'm finishing it!) Someone said that "Bono *IS* the spectacle" and they were really right. He's such a clown and actor... they don't need any lemons or arches or trambants. I thought I'd really miss the "Show" aspect of the Zoo TV and PopMart tours, but I really didn't. I knew all along the boys didn't need it, but they showed us all just how much they don't need it! Besides Bono being the entertainment... the music is all we need.

Also, there was a guy from Dublin and his fiance sitting next to me that night. He's NEVER seen them in Dublin. Never run into them. And the 2nd Chicago concert was his first U2 show. He was going crazy and it was so entertaining. Every so often we'd hear him yell, "BONOOOO... I LOVE YOU, MAN!" LOL! "YOU'RE MY HERO!" he yelled when Bono was lying on the chick during WOWY. I told the guy, "Yeah, Bono's a pimp!" And he said, "No, he's a hero. In Dublin, we call that a hero!" HAHAHA! That was great! Thanks for adding to my enjoyment of the show!

Kristy (I try to be brief, but it's impossible!)

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