Yesterday was a beautiful day for a concert and AC, JPX, Whirlygirl, desroc and myself trekked up to Foxboro to see U2 in all their glory. We got up there early in the day so we could wander around Patriot Place and get a bite to eat and just generally people watch. We were intrigued by a huge line of people until we figured out there was open floor seating so these people were lined up - standing - for at least three hours before they could even get into the venue. Where they then continued to stand for the entire length of the show. While watching these people we had a little discussion as to what band/person - current or past - that we would do that for. There weren't many, and U2 was not among them.We got into the venue about 6:30 - with excellent seats thanks to that expert concert-goer, AC. The opening band was pretty good. They are an Irish band called, "Snow Patrol." Mostly we used that time to go to the bathroom and grab some food. Snow Patrol played for an hour. And then we waited...and waited...and waited. Finally - at 9pm(!) U2 took the stage. But what a stage it was, check it out:
apparently it cost like half a billion dollars or some such thing. (That fact is according to JPX, so pretty good intel.) That giant piece in the middle is a huge screen that at this point in the show sort of broke apart and stretched down. Crazaaaaaazy! They started with a bang with four songs off the newest album: No Line on the Horizon, Breathe, Get on Your Boots and Magnificent. ROCK ON!! They really came out swinging and the crowd was definitely into it. THEN, the launched into Mysterious Ways!! (At which point I turned to AC and said, "I would have stood in line for six hours if I knew that was coming." One of my all time favorite U2 songs.)I'll put the entire set list at the end, but some highlights for me (other then Mysterious Ways), were I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For - in which the crowd sang the first few stanzas. I have to say, being in a crowd of 60,000 people all singing is a heady experience. At the end of the song they transitioned into Stand By Me, again letting the crowd take over. I admit, I was a little choked up. Cause I get silly and emotional like that. I also really liked the snippet they did of Stuck in a Moment with The Edge on acoustic guitar. They completely rocked on Elevation, Beautiful Day and Vertigo as well as the fun one off the new album, I Know I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight. Desroc and I stayed for the first encore and listened to the second encore from our car in the ridiculous traffic (that we know would have been worse if we stayed for the whole thing.)
This was definitely the largest concert venue I have even been to, and I'm sure there are some bands out there that couldn't pull it off. U2 is not one of those bands. The size and crazy pageantry of the stage did not overwhelm them. Their music and voices did not suffer because of the size of the arena. And they played such a great mix of new and old stuff, you couldn't help but be happy. In short - one of the best concert experiences I have ever had. Thanks again to our Concert Maven, AC. I hope you made it home!
Complete List:
Breathe
No Line on the Horizon
Get on your Boots
Magnificent
Mysterious Ways
Beautiful Day - Blackbird
Elevation
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For - Stand By Me
Unknown Caller
New Year's Day
Stuck in a Moment
The Unforgettable Fire
City of Blinding Lights
Vertigo
I'll Go Crazy if I Don't Go Crazy (remix)
Sunday Bloody Sunday
MKL
Walk On
Encore - One, Amazing Grace, Where the Streets Have No Name (awesome)
Encore2 - Ultraviolet, With or Without You, Moment of Surrender
6 comments:
excellent and accurate review dcd! thanks for writing it up.
what a "beautiful day" hanging with thonners (always a good thing) and listening to amazing music by a truly great band. i've never been a U2 fan, but the concert converted me. the main set was literally perfection from my point of view: the lineup of songs, the overall sound quality, which can't be easy to achieve in a football stadium, the band's sheer talent, the crazy space ship spectacle, the enthusiasm and particiapation of the (mostly good) crowd.
one of the many high points of the day was the experience of recognizing the first bar (really the first note) of "mysterious ways" with dcd, since we had previously discussed the song as being one of our absolute faves, and i didn't think they were going to play it at all, or perhaps not until the encores which i would have missed.
and speaking of missing encores, special props and lifelong appreciation go to jpx who despite a bad cold insisted on driving me halfway home (completely the opposite direction for him and whirlygirl! in horrible concert-related traffic!) so mr. ac could scoop me up (mr. ac gets props too).
i guess the only bad news is, now i have to go see U2 whenever they come to town. sigh.
Terrific summary, DCD! I've always heard that U2 puts on a great performance but this concert was absolutely sensational! The stage set was so immense that it took up more than a third of Gillette Stadium. Bono kept referring to the set as their "spaceship" and he wasn't kidding. The "spaceship" offered up a dazzling array of light, video and movement - I kept half-expecting the thing to take off. No amount of spectacle, however, could make up for a sub-par musical performance. Although I've never considered myself a huge U2 fan, I do enjoy a number of their songs and as AC noted, the set-list was almost tailor-made for us. The band put on an exceptional performance. There's a reason that U2 has been around for 34 years. I've noted in other concert reviews that there's nothing like seeing true professionals at the top of their game. This has been a terrific year for concerts including Fleetwood Mac, Springsteen, McCartney, and now U2. Whether you love any of these bands, have a passing interest, or utterly despise the music, watching musical legends perform is an amazing and ephemeral experience. New Year's Day is the first video I ever saw on MTV and to hear the band play it live sent shivers down my spine.
Next month, KISS!
Awesome show, great company, indeed a "Beautiful Day" !!!!!!!!
Sounds like a perfect day :)
That photgraph alone is incredible! Great review Dana!
I'm not a huge U2 fan but I give them their proper respect(up to and including Achtung Baby).
Looking forward to the KISS review...
Big stages, huge crowds, lots of pretty lights and effects.... Not for me. I would love to see them in a small venue or even unplugged in a cozy place but I never have been a fan of mega acts after they have made it. I love catching bands in smaller more intimate settings before they make it and really connecting with the musicians. I feel so disconnected from the stadium stuff.
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