Love and Peace
I don’t know if I can take it
I’m not easy on my knees
Here’s my heart you can break itI need some release, release, release
We need Love and peace
Love and peace
Those of you living in a cave might not know that U2 stormed through town last Wednesday night. I’ve been looking forward to this show since last March, when my lovely wife bought the tickets for my birthday.
Was it worth the wait? Absolutely. U2 has been around for more than a quarter century, and the reason is that they are not just musicians, but showmen of the highest order. There are a lot of people with musical talent. There are not a lot of people who can keep a crowd rocking for a twenty song set, including a six-song encore, like this band. They opened with “City of Blinding Lights,” moved quickly into “Vertigo,” rolled into “Elevation,” and shifted into “Mysterious Ways.” Remember that video arcade boxing game, the one that would say “Body blow! Body blow!” every time you threw a punch? That’s what this opening set felt like - a relentless torrent of punches to the “Rawk!” center of the brain. Each song, the crowd took over Bono’s singing duties for the parts that went “Whoo-ooo” (except for “Mysterious Ways” which inexplicably lacks a “Whoo-ooo” part).
The crowd connection didn’t end there. A circular runway from the stage allowed each of the band members to roam deep into the floor section. Towards the end of the show, Bono began pulling audience members up to sit on the stage for a song, and in one almost creepy instance, to slow dance with him. The connection went wireless, too - an onstage screen flashed names of some of those who sent a text message of support for the band’s anti-poverty campaign during the show.
Always political, the band praised America’s efforts to provide AIDS medication in Africa and rescue workers’ efforts in New Orleans. They dedicated a song to the U.S. military, tweaked the NRA, and urged the children of “Father Abraham” to coexist in peace. If the Irish and the English can do it, then hey, Middle East peace ought to be a snap, right?
But rarely did the activism threaten to overshadow the entertainment. All the elements came together for one of the best shows I’ve ever seen - unwavering enthusiasm from band and fans alike, creative and technically excellent staging, lighting, and effects, all built on a foundation of decades’ worth of solid material. If this show in coming to your town, get a seat even if you have to proposition a roadie to get in.
