I had been waiting to see U2 in concert since I first became a fan back in 1980 or so. Were they worth the wait?
The Black Eyed Peas opened for them…
Enough said about them, now on to the reason for the concert.
The concert was held at the University of Oklahoma’s football stadium. The first thing you notice is the huge stage. It looked like a huge spaceship. Bono referred to it a couple of times as the mother ship. It was huge. And it glowed and moved and shot lights and lasers during the show. It also had a huge screen. It was circular and projected concert footage or other effects during the show.
U2 rocked the house from the moment they took the stage. 30 years has not slowed them down one bit. Edge tore up the guitar. Bono’s vocals were amazing. The rhythm section of Larry and Adam was rock solid. In a word, wow!
The set was close to 2 hours including the encores. It was very immersive due to the massive screen and of course, Bono. Bono had the audience eating out of his hand. He’s an amazing presence on stage. He had the audience singing along on several of the songs.
It’s hard for me to pick my favorite song of the night, it was all good. Really. Good. But if I had to pick a highlight of the show, it would probably be Sunday Bloody Sunday and MLK
The stage turned green during Sunday Bloody Sunday as a show of solidarity with the Iranian Election Protesters. Images of the protests were projected on the screen. That song then morphed into MLK, which Bono dedicated to Aung San Suu Kyi
buy The Man with the Golden Gun
, the detained politician of of Burma/Myanmar who has been in prison since winning the election for Prime Minister in 1990.
To me that is what sets U2 apart from most bands, they sing about real things, and at least try to better this world. Which brings me back to the Peas. It seemed a strange match up to begin with. You have U2 in a fairly emotional plea of the injustice going on around the world juxtapose that with the Black Eyed Peas who are singing My Humps during their bit. Totally different planes of existence. I’m not saying the Peas set was bad, it’s just U2 was in the stratosphere.
Another highlight for me was the encores. The first encore was One, which turned into a snippet of Amazing Grace that flowed into Where the Streets Have No Name. It was brilliant. They ended the show with another 3 song encore set that included Ultraviolet and With or Without You.
So, was it worth the wait for me. Absolutely! Best. Concert. Ever. I was literally speechless for most of the show. And my feeble attempt to describe the concert falls way short. They far exceeded my expectations and I knew it was going to be good. If you can make it, go.
Update 10/21/09 Hoot move Stormbreaker divx
9 film — U2 Will Stream Their 360° Tour On YouTube FOR FREE Oct 25, 2009
Links:
download C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America If I Didnt Care full movie Mean Streets dvd
I guess I’m a little behind since I’m just now reading this…
I had the same thought about the Black Eyed Peas. I had just watched a video on Effective Worship Leading that talked about the fulfillment that comes from singing for a cause, versus just for fun. The Black Eyed Peas music is fun, but it’s empty…
Stark contrast to U2 who tries to use their music and celebrity to make the world a better place. And not just with lip service either.
Right, exactly. It was such a stark contrast to me.