I’m finally awake now- got home at almost 1:30 am. Poor Nick- I’d intended to let him have a day off today, but he was home sick on Monday so he had to drag himself out the door this morning. But he’s got his new concert tee on and he didn’t look too tired…
I tend to get long with these concert review things…
Let’s get the negative stuff out of the way first-
The guy in front of us who screamed every time Bono spoke.
The guy in the next section who whistled - long and loud - every time Bono spoke.
The people smoking (tobacco and not tobacco).
The silly no cap on soda/water bottle rule that resulted in much liquid spillage on the slippery steps.
The not so great sound system that really made it hard to hear Bono (especially over the screaming and whistling.)
The ride home- brilliant scheduling construction on Rt. 3 on the night of a concert at CAA.
OK, that’s it for negativity. Because the postives were so much more powerful!
We got our replacement tickets without a hitch, and went in to relax. Opening act Kings of Leon seemed like they might be good, but all their songs sounded alike- and very muddled.
The stage and lights were wild- an ellipse reached out from the main stage that all 4 band members came out onto at various points. Lots of flashing, blinking, colors everwhere. I took some pictures with my camera phone- they’re pretty lousy but you get the general idea. Lots of people taking pictures, despite the “No Cameras” on the ticket- they were only stopping people with professional setups, I think.
I’m a big fan, but not a BIG FAN, and this show was heavy with songs I don’t really know well, but loved hearing anyway. Nick seemed to most enjoy the new stuff (he really got into Vertigo) and some of the older songs like Pride. They opened with City of Blinding Lights, nice start for a NJ/NY crowd. Highlights for me were Beautiful Day (a song that helped carry me post-9/11), Sometimes You Can’t Make It on Your Own (great image of a walking man on the screen behind the stage- his dad?), Love and Peace or Else into Sunday Bloody Sunday into Bullet the Blue Sky… it’s stuff like this that makes for a great concert to me- the message in the music. Pride and Where the Streets… were wonderful- it was funny watching the older crowd members (you know, older than me ;) ) leap to their feet for these two. Nick was bemused.
Before they played One Bono told everyone to take out their cellphones and text their names to the word UNITE. I couldn’t figure out how to text on my phone (duh) but eventually figured it out and sent Nick’s name. During the song everyone waved their cellphones. Not quite the same as lighters of days gone by, but it looked pretty cool.
As expected, Bono made a few political and social comments throughout the show. I hate to paraphrase, so I won’t, but he talked about God inspiring people of science, and the hope that Believers can see the power of God in science… I agreed with that one so hard I nearly fell over :clap: !
They never really left the stage before playing the encores, at least not long enough to make you wonder if they were coming back (of course they were!) We got a total of eight encore songs, which apparently was the most they’ve done so far. My favorites were Original of the Species (wow, seeing that song while standing next to my amazing son, at the age when I most want him to hear what those words are saying…) which was apparently a last minute addition- Bono had to go over and tell The Edge to take off the guitar and head to the keyboard- and 40. At the end of 40 the band members waved and left the stage one by one- till just Larry Mullen was left at the drums. Suddenly he started bashing away… the stage lights come back up and the rest of the band appears and jumps into a reprise of Vertigo. I was absolutely amazed at how empty the arena was by then- so many people left even before The Edge was off the stage- and they missed this incredible finish (their loss!)
Neat thing- the woman next to us and I were both at the Arena on the night it opened in 1981 to see Springsteen.
Neater thing- seeing The Edge live. Wow.
Neatest thing- that my son is so into a band that had it’s first hit 10 years before he was even born! Less kids in the crowd than at the Springsteen shows, but still, a bunch of them. Although Nick enjoyed the Springsteen show, this one was for him- he knew the music, he really wanted to be there, he sang along… this is the glory part of being mom.
Baby slow down
The end is not as fun as the start
Please stay a child somewhere in your heart
I’ll give you everything you want
Except the thing that you want
You are the first one of your kind
