U2 Does Not Disappoint

Last night we got to see U2 in Boston, and it was worth all the waiting and anticipation. I had become aware of the fact that I had really built this up, not only in my own mind, but in selling it to Diana as the greatest thing ever, and there was the slightest possibility it might not measure up. But sure enough, they blew me away again.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I'd learned since the first show in October that the song they played right before coming on stage was "Wake Up" by the Arcade Fire, and it made an already powerful song totally evocative for me. So we were there in our seats (good seats in the balcony section, great view of the stage), waiting and waiting, and then the first chords of that song came on, and it seemed like half the arena began screaming, so they all knew what I knew. They opened with City of Blinding Lights, with the silver confetti coming down from the ceiling and the lights shimmering, and it was totally awesome.

The set list was about 75% the same as the show I saw before, which was totally fine. They were all good songs, and the ones they changed were good changes. I do wish they'd done Walk On instead of Stuck in a Moment, it's just stronger.

Now there's always something you can complain about, and for us, it was the drunk Irish dude standing in front of us. You could tell he was all business--he stood the entire show, starting out with a Bud in each hand, swaying ever so slowly and unpredictably. We were worried he'd topple right over, but he managed to stay standing, if not totally sober. But all in all, he was more amusing than anything. It seemed fitting to have a grey-haired, red-faced, drunken Irish guy at a U2 show in Boston. The only problem was, as you can see, his head was pretty much in the way if I sat down. So I stood. But I would have anyway.















One of the things I've really come to appreciate watching them live twice this year is how much fun they have playing together. They've been doing this for almost 30 years, and they still seem to love it. And they act and talk (in interviews, not to me) like guys who really are friends and coworkers and who love each other and drive each other crazy and sometimes want to kill each other. But all in all, they love what they're doing, and I even caught the little things like as they walked off stage after the last set, Edge put his hand on Bono's shoulder as they walked down the stairs. Not something staged or phony, but a real simple little gesture.

You can't help but be blown away by how good they are as musicians. Edge is one of the greatest guitarists ever, and to think that he writes most of the music is even more impressive. Larry is a fantastic drummer, and if you watch him through a whole song, it's just mesmerizing how he seems to be one with his sticks. And I always feel bad for Adam because he gets the least attention, but without him, they'd suck. Listen close for the bassline in a song like With or Without You and follow it through the whole song, and then try to imagine it without him playing like that. And it's easy to lose sight of how good a vocalist Bono is, since he's so much flash and charisma and politics, but there are songs where his voice just rips your heart out--Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own, where he's singing to his father, or Miss Sarajevo where he sang Pavarotti's part, or that wail in With Or Without You (I can never hear that song and not get a shiver when he hits those notes).

I really do respect what Bono's done with his celebrity. Yes, he definitely can be big-mouthed and grandiose, and there were some years there where he was pretty full of himself, but all in all, I really admire him. The interview in Rolling Stone recently gave some really good insight into his thinking and how he sees his role in all this. And I mean, only an asshole could argue with the idea of eliminating poverty, saving people with AIDS, or helping to guarantee human rights for people who have been oppressed.

There was a group of people with a bunch of flags (I could identify about half) that he drew up on the stage, and I really believe that he's getting through to people and making them believe that we really might all be able to get along. Sure, those people were psyched to get up on stage, but I think they really meant to make a point, and I personally like to see it. Gives me hope, as opposed to listening to my government.

We were watching the INXS DVD "Live Baby Live" the other night, the big show they did at Wembley Stadium in 1991, and Andrew Farriss said something I found to be an excellent summary of what I felt at these two U2 shows. He said that when you see a band in a club, it's just about the music and watching the band, but when you go to an arena or a stadium, it's as much about the person next to you and the people around you. The feeling you get from the crowd and the shared experience is a powerful thing. And as much as I loved seeing the band perform and hearing these songs I love, what really moved me was seeing an arena of thousands singing in full voice with them, to see the entire floor of people bouncing in unison, to see thousands of fists pumping to the chorus. The band didn't quite end the show the same way this time, but the crowd was expecting it, singing the refrain to "40" over and over as they left the stage, and hearing that verse "How long to sing this song" echo through the arena as each instrument fell silent nearly brought me to tears the first time I heard it.I have to admit though, seeing the show the second time, I was a little prepared for the emotion of it. It was still powerful, but it didn't catch me off guard or take my breath away like the first time, knowing what was coming. But just when I thought they couldn't get me, during the second encore, they played "Bad", one of my all-time favorites (from "The Unforgettable Fire") and something they don't often play, and that song just punched me in the gut and made me FEEL IT again. That was what I went there for, and they did not disappoint.