by Dawn S.

This was my first U2 concert in 13 years. I last saw them on the Zoo-TV tour, also in Philly, back in 1992. I missed PopMart in the spring of ’97 and Elevation in the spring of ‘01 because they coincided with the births of my two children and I was a bit sleep-deprived and distracted. Now the kids are 8 and 4 and there are no more babies on the way. Finally I get to see my all-time favorite band in concert again! City of Blinding Lights was an amazing opener! The effect of the song, the lights, the confetti, and the crowd reaction is incredible. I confess… I got all choked up and teary-eyed from the sheer joy of being at a U2 concert again. Vertigo seemed a little flat and tossed-off. I like the song so I’m not one of the people who complain that it’s overdone, but it did seem like the band just ran through it and moved on. But the momentum picked up again when they began Elevation. The playful way they start the song with just Bono and The Edge teasing the crowd was fun. When the full band bursts into the song, the place erupts. Everyone was really into it, including The Edge who was pogo-ing up and down along with the crowd. I loved the entire show, but I was struck by a realization that the songs that really “got me” were from the two most recent albums. I enjoyed the legendary classics like Sunday Bloody Sunday, With or Without You, and One… and hearing Electric Co and 40 took me right back to my first U2 concert back in 1984. But, the songs that I got the most emotional about in were the ones I had never heard live before… COBL, Love and Peace, Miracle Drug, Sometimes You Can’t Make It, and Stuck in a Moment. I was caught off-guard by how much hearing those songs affected me. I think that demonstrates how well U2's recent work holds up in comparison to their earlier releases. How many bands can you say that about? Random Thoughts: -The Arcade Fire song that is played right before U2 takes the stage is so great! The crowd went nuts when they heard it and was singing along at full volume. A perfect way to kick off the show. -The lighting for this concert is so cool. I loved the beaded light curtains and the rings of light around the stage and ellipse. One effect that was really awesome was when the rings of different-colored lights “raced” around the ellipse at different speeds. One would overtake another, they would blend together into another color for a brief moment, and then separate again. It’s hard to describe, but it was really cool. -Bono was so sweet with the boy he brought up on stage during Bullet. I’m sure the boy was pretty overwhelmed by the experience and you could see the father in Bono gently guiding and reassuring the boy, even with a blindfold on. It was really touching when Bono blended in the snippet of “These are the Hands That Built America” while holding the boy’s hand and then thanking him for “getting me home safe” after they got all the way around the ellipse. -I have to say that Adam Clayton has turned out to be one of the most gorgeous men on the planet. He just oozes suave-ness (Is that a word?!) and sex appeal. I loved his sly smile every time he came out on the ellipse. Can’t wait to see them again in Cleveland in December – I’m taking my son (who’ll be 9 by then) to that show. My 4-year-old daughter is a little too young yet but I've promised her that I’ll take her during the next tour!

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