What could I possibly say about it that hasn't already been said by many (like Chris Gray of the Houston Press)?
I can't say I was really all that charged up about the show. Babysitter fell through, and Mrs. K got last-minute-ditched for a good buddy (thanks, honey), and the throng of traffic was daunting to say the least. But we were in our seats by the time U2 hit the stage, and oh-my-freaking-goodness what a stage! Balk at the ticket prices if you like, but your money was pretty much accounted for up on that incredible stage, the biggest and most stupendous setup I've seen since, well, PopMart (my only other U2 show).
No band on the planet does the grand gesture as well as U2, who incidentally put on a helluva music show even without the larger than life production values. And though I'm sure there were a few there would would've preferred more Unforgettable Fire than No Line On The Horizon, give the band credit: they build their shows around their latest material and make sure it gets a fair shake. Will all of it survive the test of time? Probably not, but U2 knows how to extend the vibe of a record to a massive stage show, with plenty of the hits mixed in.
I'm not the world's most hardcore U2 fan by any means, but I'll tell you this -- go see this show whenever you get the chance.
(Personal faves: "Sunday Bloody Sunday" - all raw power and simplicity against a backdrop of solidarity with Iran's revolutionaries; "Ultraviolet (Light My Way)" - perfect song made complete with Bono's laser jacket; "One", "Where The Streets Have No Name" - my favorite two U2 songs bridged by a 60,000-crowd singalong of "Amazing Grace." Pretty amazing.)
I can't wait! I'm taking my two older boys on Sunday night in OK City!
Posted by: Matt Nightingale | October 16, 2009 at 12:29 PM