Big thanks to my buddy Jon, who secured four tickets to see U2. It was
a great time. The video is a quick look at some of the concert in
random order. No, they did not play "Rejoice," though it's a really
good song and would have been cool to hear.
The concert itself was grandiose. You just stand there and think, "There's never been anything else like this. Ever." They really are the "biggest band."
U2 are great musicians, also. And those guys are in amazing shape! Two hours none stop. One minor highlight for me was when Bono took off like a bullet, sprinting around the circular outer stage. The security detail, who followed him to intervene if the crowd tried to climb up, bolted after him. About a quarter of the way around they pulled up and just let him go. All out. All the way around. And then, the guy started singing like there was actually oxygen left in his lungs. He's wild.
It seems to me that "Bono" is a euphemism for hyperbole. His most recent New York Times op-ed made me roll my eyes at least once. Well a few times. The guy is talented at overstating his case. But you go to a concert and watch the intensity of the band's plea for Aung San Suu Kyi. Then suddenly the Rose Bowl is green, and Bono is speaking to the people of Iran on behalf of the world. Next he gives up the limelight, turning the stage over to Desmond Tutu, whose stirring videotaped message about Africa introduced "One." You have to wonder if maybe there's something to Bono's hype.
My favorite song of the night was "In A Little While." It's probably my favorite U2 song in general. They've not been playing it on their 360 Tour, so it was sweet that they broke it out for the concert I happened to be at. "In A Little While" has been repurposed a couple of times. Originally it was about Bono's hectic lifestyle and how he missed his family. Then, thanks to Joey Ramone, it turned into a gospel song. And now at the concert in Pasadena it became a cosmic space log, complete with Bono's confession that, "Space travel turns me on."
What was most impressive about the show and what is most incredible about U2 is how they've turned their talent and celebrity toward those in need -- the poor around the world. They obviously have a desire to use their position to encourage fans to do good in this world. I forget exactly how Bono put it. Something like, "We expect a lot more out of you. And we expect a lot more out of us." I got the impression he meant a lot more "rocking" and a lot more "doing good." Rock 'n' Roll often flashes a peace sign while indulging in the selfishness of sex, drugs, and excessive materialism. U2 sang about peace for two hours on end. For all the hugeness of the night, all the video on the monstrous screen showing off their faces, all the fans screaming praise for them; the show was as much about those in need around the world as it was about four guys from Ireland. That's cool.
The concert itself was grandiose. You just stand there and think, "There's never been anything else like this. Ever." They really are the "biggest band."
U2 are great musicians, also. And those guys are in amazing shape! Two hours none stop. One minor highlight for me was when Bono took off like a bullet, sprinting around the circular outer stage. The security detail, who followed him to intervene if the crowd tried to climb up, bolted after him. About a quarter of the way around they pulled up and just let him go. All out. All the way around. And then, the guy started singing like there was actually oxygen left in his lungs. He's wild.
It seems to me that "Bono" is a euphemism for hyperbole. His most recent New York Times op-ed made me roll my eyes at least once. Well a few times. The guy is talented at overstating his case. But you go to a concert and watch the intensity of the band's plea for Aung San Suu Kyi. Then suddenly the Rose Bowl is green, and Bono is speaking to the people of Iran on behalf of the world. Next he gives up the limelight, turning the stage over to Desmond Tutu, whose stirring videotaped message about Africa introduced "One." You have to wonder if maybe there's something to Bono's hype.
My favorite song of the night was "In A Little While." It's probably my favorite U2 song in general. They've not been playing it on their 360 Tour, so it was sweet that they broke it out for the concert I happened to be at. "In A Little While" has been repurposed a couple of times. Originally it was about Bono's hectic lifestyle and how he missed his family. Then, thanks to Joey Ramone, it turned into a gospel song. And now at the concert in Pasadena it became a cosmic space log, complete with Bono's confession that, "Space travel turns me on."
What was most impressive about the show and what is most incredible about U2 is how they've turned their talent and celebrity toward those in need -- the poor around the world. They obviously have a desire to use their position to encourage fans to do good in this world. I forget exactly how Bono put it. Something like, "We expect a lot more out of you. And we expect a lot more out of us." I got the impression he meant a lot more "rocking" and a lot more "doing good." Rock 'n' Roll often flashes a peace sign while indulging in the selfishness of sex, drugs, and excessive materialism. U2 sang about peace for two hours on end. For all the hugeness of the night, all the video on the monstrous screen showing off their faces, all the fans screaming praise for them; the show was as much about those in need around the world as it was about four guys from Ireland. That's cool.
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