dsmith2904
ONE love, blood, life
By Chrissi Blaesing
2005.12
I have a confession to make—up until Dec. 14th at the Savvis Center in St. Louis, I'd never experienced general admission at a U2 show.
I have had the pleasure of seeing U2 from some really great seats and I've had a really great time at all of those shows but I can assuredly say that seats are a pale comparison to the energy and sound that surround you in the GA floor area. As I type this I'm exhausted beyond the capacity for rational thought, possibly dehydrated, the clothes I wore to camp out in the GA line will have to be burned and I'm pretty sure I broke a toe sometime Wednesday night and yet, I can't remember having a better time. Being on the rail inside the ellipse is absolutely the best experience a U2 fan can have during the Vertigo Tour. For those who have not had this experience, it's like watching a U2 concert on DVD, only you're right there, a poor analogy but that's the best I can come up with at the moment.
I can't adequately give a review of this show without mentioning the superb opening performance by rap wunderkind Kanye West. The crowd received an early treat of Bono unexpectedly introducing West's appearance, his debut on the Vertigo tour (he's since been drafted to open for U2 on its 2006 through Australia and New Zealand). Clad in his usual jeans, hoodie and straw cowboy hat, Bono made the case for the supposedly odd match up of U2 and West. Bono stated that both U2 and West were both looking for something different from music and that U2 was honored to share the same bill with him. The speech was an unspoken challenge to fans who've openly questioned and criticized U2's decision to have the Grammy Award-winning West as an opening act in the Heartland. As Bono exited the stage, he and West embraced.
While not wanting to take anything away from U2's previous opening acts on the Vertigo Tour, I can say without a doubt that West is my personal favorite. West himself states that, as a rule, he doesn't generally get nervous before a show but prior to taking the stage he was nervous for the first time in a year and a half. As he gradually warmed to the audience, West stated that appearing in front of the U2 audience wasn't nearly as bad as he'd expected it to be. The highlights of the set were of course mainstream hits such as the powerful "Jesus Walks" and the current chart topping single "Gold Digger," the latter of which had U2 fans chanting along with West, "We want prenup." I can't speak for the rest of the arena, but those close to the rail in the ellipse did a great job of supporting West, which wasn't a hardship as West is an exceptionally talented performer. My one hope is that any U2 fans seeing the latter Vertigo shows will come with an open mind and just go along for the ride with West. That we get to see two phenomenally talented acts (albeit from quite different genres) should be seen as a true gift, not a cross-cultural imposition.
U2's set list didn't stray from the standard set of late but the lack of variety didn't detract in any way from the show. At one point early on, Bono mentioned the internet with a playful jab at fans who can predict each song by asking where the mystery had gone nowadays. The band members all seemed to be in loose, fun, playful moods
for the receptive St. Louis audience. At another early point in the show drummer Larry Mullen Jr. fumbled one of his drumsticks but in a deft move caught the drumstick mid-air, remarkably never missing a beat. Instead of the usually mirthless scowl that accompanies Larry's stage demeanor, he gamely laughed the incident off with bassist Adam Clayton who in turn continued to smirk about the indecent as he joined Bono towards the front. Larry continued to laugh, smile, and dare I say it, wink at the audience and his fellow band members throughout the night. "Beautiful Day" saw Bono snippeting West's "Jesus Walks" at the end of the song. During "Love and Peace or Else" I was able to see a different perspective of the song live as I wasn't able to focus on Bono and Larry's interaction on the ellipse but rather was able to stare straight up at the Edge and Adam who stay on main stage to anchor the song and give it the lift off that I have taken for granted. At one point both the Edge and Adam were completely illuminated with bright white lights in front of me staring down at the front rail. I do believe that it's possible I experienced a bit of transcendence, a feeling I'll carry with me for quite a long time.
"Sunday Bloody Sunday" saw the prerequisite blindfolded Bono stumbling to find the microphone. The anxiety that Bono's assistant must have been feeling as Bono slightly teetered in reaching for the microphone was almost palpable. Luckily Bono was able to find the microphone with no intervention. The song continued on with Bono finding a small boy from the ellipse to come on stage to shout the "no more" refrain of the song. The little one couldn't have been more than six or seven years old but had a great stage presence and even surprised Bono at the end with an extra "no more" that had the singer looking positively tickled. Bono led the young boy off stage into bodyguard John Sampson's arms who tried unsuccessfully to give the child to our little group of U2 fans—the horrified looks on our faces and the frantic pointing to the boy's father had Sampson chuckling as he delivered the boy back safely.
I hadn't heard "Miss Sarajevo" since early in the third leg and must say the improvement in the song is staggering. Bono's vocals are truly something to marvel at. The singer's voice has become both stronger and purer as the tour goes on. I have heard other fans talk about the experience of hearing "Where the Streets Have no Name" in the ellipse and I can now assist to it being a near religious experience—there's a certain kind of otherworldliness that surrounds the song. It is a concert staple because it deserves to be. The end of the song had the entire arena roaring in approval and the band members removing their earpieces the accompanying sound was so loud.
"One" saw guitar tech Dallas Schoo handing Edge the new Music Rising Guitar that's part of the initiative raising funds to replace the lost instruments and accessories of the musicians affected by the hurricanes that devastated the Gulf Coast earlier in the fall. The guitar itself is a beauty; pictures don't do it any justice.
The guitarist doesn't just play each song, he experiences them. The Edge was either observing the crowd with an amused smile on his face or deep within the song, his eyes closed and his foot stopping along to the beat. I can unabashedly call Edge a musical genius and was honored to be able to watch him perform the songs that mean so much to him at such a close range.
The first encore opened with fan favorite "Until the End of the World" and rather than the previous tour's bullfight between Bono and Edge both musicians chased each other around the ellipse at full tilt twice and ended with Edge positioned behind Larry, Bono and Adam on either side of the front of the drum kit forming a kind of U2 triptych. It is in these instances where you can see the four band members interacting with each other that the band is at its strongest.
During "Mysterious Ways" Edge performed his special funky white boy dance to the delight of those standing in front of him. I'm sure that the guitarist would not like this assessment of his dance but it is quite possibly the cutest part of the entire show. The end of "Mysterious Ways" and the beginning of "With or Without You" saw Bono select a new dancing girl from the center of the ellipse who looked more stunned and embarrassed of the attention that Bono was giving her in front of her husband than
anything else.
The second encore started with Edge and Bono at the tip of the ellipse performing the first part of "Stuck in a Moment" acoustically with Larry and Adam joining in towards the end of the song. The band then rejoined on the main stage to perform the John Lennon classic "Instant Karma." As a rule I don't generally like cover songs but this version was electric—from my vantage point both Edge and Larry were having a blast performing the song. Near the end of the song Bono snippeted "Happy Christmas (War Is Over)" while interacting with Larry who was again uncharacteristically charming, smiling at laughing at Bono as he tried to direct Larry in closing the song. At the conclusion of "Karma" Bono walked over to Edge to shake his hand and give him a quick hug.
According to the show's set list it appears the band decided to drop "All Because of You" and instead proceeded straight into "Yahweh" with a bit of a twist that had Bono
bringing a fan from around the tip of the ellipse to play piano for the song. The Edge ambled up to the piano to help the newest member of the band and offer support. Toward the end of the song Bono playfully chided the fan on the correct way to end the song (apparently it should sound like Christmas bells) and after a couple of attempts he got it right and Bono sang the end of the song again to close it out correctly. After big hugs from Edge and Bono the fan joyously leapt in the air making his way back to his spot. The traditional U2 concert ender "40" closed out the night with Larry being the last man standing on the now empty stage. After a quick smile and wink at the audience Larry descended from the stage and the house lights came on with the crowd still singing, "How long to sing this song?"
This is my last review for Vertigo 2005 and I can say I've enjoyed every bit of it. I think the main realization that I'll come away with is that, although the band is the driving force, a U2 show is made up of much more. The U2 fans I met the night before the show and in the GA line are the type of fans that any band would be proud to have supporting them. The fan interaction, love and support the band receives during a show are essential and I'm grateful to be part of the U2 fan community. The other essential and overlooked part of the U2 show is the talented and dedicated Vertigo Tour crew. Without these dedicated people we as fans would not be able to have the wonderful experience that I had Wednesday night. Not only do they look out for the band, they really do look out for the fans as well and the performance is more special because of it. U2 in the studio may be a four-legged table but on tour it's much greater than that with each group helping to carry the other.
I'm closing this review with the same lines that Bono used from Lennon's "Happy Christmas (War is Over)." "So this is Christmas/And what have you done/Another year over/And a new one just begun." The answer is quite a lot.
2005.12
I have a confession to make—up until Dec. 14th at the Savvis Center in St. Louis, I'd never experienced general admission at a U2 show.
I have had the pleasure of seeing U2 from some really great seats and I've had a really great time at all of those shows but I can assuredly say that seats are a pale comparison to the energy and sound that surround you in the GA floor area. As I type this I'm exhausted beyond the capacity for rational thought, possibly dehydrated, the clothes I wore to camp out in the GA line will have to be burned and I'm pretty sure I broke a toe sometime Wednesday night and yet, I can't remember having a better time. Being on the rail inside the ellipse is absolutely the best experience a U2 fan can have during the Vertigo Tour. For those who have not had this experience, it's like watching a U2 concert on DVD, only you're right there, a poor analogy but that's the best I can come up with at the moment.
I can't adequately give a review of this show without mentioning the superb opening performance by rap wunderkind Kanye West. The crowd received an early treat of Bono unexpectedly introducing West's appearance, his debut on the Vertigo tour (he's since been drafted to open for U2 on its 2006 through Australia and New Zealand). Clad in his usual jeans, hoodie and straw cowboy hat, Bono made the case for the supposedly odd match up of U2 and West. Bono stated that both U2 and West were both looking for something different from music and that U2 was honored to share the same bill with him. The speech was an unspoken challenge to fans who've openly questioned and criticized U2's decision to have the Grammy Award-winning West as an opening act in the Heartland. As Bono exited the stage, he and West embraced.
While not wanting to take anything away from U2's previous opening acts on the Vertigo Tour, I can say without a doubt that West is my personal favorite. West himself states that, as a rule, he doesn't generally get nervous before a show but prior to taking the stage he was nervous for the first time in a year and a half. As he gradually warmed to the audience, West stated that appearing in front of the U2 audience wasn't nearly as bad as he'd expected it to be. The highlights of the set were of course mainstream hits such as the powerful "Jesus Walks" and the current chart topping single "Gold Digger," the latter of which had U2 fans chanting along with West, "We want prenup." I can't speak for the rest of the arena, but those close to the rail in the ellipse did a great job of supporting West, which wasn't a hardship as West is an exceptionally talented performer. My one hope is that any U2 fans seeing the latter Vertigo shows will come with an open mind and just go along for the ride with West. That we get to see two phenomenally talented acts (albeit from quite different genres) should be seen as a true gift, not a cross-cultural imposition.
U2's set list didn't stray from the standard set of late but the lack of variety didn't detract in any way from the show. At one point early on, Bono mentioned the internet with a playful jab at fans who can predict each song by asking where the mystery had gone nowadays. The band members all seemed to be in loose, fun, playful moods
for the receptive St. Louis audience. At another early point in the show drummer Larry Mullen Jr. fumbled one of his drumsticks but in a deft move caught the drumstick mid-air, remarkably never missing a beat. Instead of the usually mirthless scowl that accompanies Larry's stage demeanor, he gamely laughed the incident off with bassist Adam Clayton who in turn continued to smirk about the indecent as he joined Bono towards the front. Larry continued to laugh, smile, and dare I say it, wink at the audience and his fellow band members throughout the night. "Beautiful Day" saw Bono snippeting West's "Jesus Walks" at the end of the song. During "Love and Peace or Else" I was able to see a different perspective of the song live as I wasn't able to focus on Bono and Larry's interaction on the ellipse but rather was able to stare straight up at the Edge and Adam who stay on main stage to anchor the song and give it the lift off that I have taken for granted. At one point both the Edge and Adam were completely illuminated with bright white lights in front of me staring down at the front rail. I do believe that it's possible I experienced a bit of transcendence, a feeling I'll carry with me for quite a long time.
"Sunday Bloody Sunday" saw the prerequisite blindfolded Bono stumbling to find the microphone. The anxiety that Bono's assistant must have been feeling as Bono slightly teetered in reaching for the microphone was almost palpable. Luckily Bono was able to find the microphone with no intervention. The song continued on with Bono finding a small boy from the ellipse to come on stage to shout the "no more" refrain of the song. The little one couldn't have been more than six or seven years old but had a great stage presence and even surprised Bono at the end with an extra "no more" that had the singer looking positively tickled. Bono led the young boy off stage into bodyguard John Sampson's arms who tried unsuccessfully to give the child to our little group of U2 fans—the horrified looks on our faces and the frantic pointing to the boy's father had Sampson chuckling as he delivered the boy back safely.
I hadn't heard "Miss Sarajevo" since early in the third leg and must say the improvement in the song is staggering. Bono's vocals are truly something to marvel at. The singer's voice has become both stronger and purer as the tour goes on. I have heard other fans talk about the experience of hearing "Where the Streets Have no Name" in the ellipse and I can now assist to it being a near religious experience—there's a certain kind of otherworldliness that surrounds the song. It is a concert staple because it deserves to be. The end of the song had the entire arena roaring in approval and the band members removing their earpieces the accompanying sound was so loud.
"One" saw guitar tech Dallas Schoo handing Edge the new Music Rising Guitar that's part of the initiative raising funds to replace the lost instruments and accessories of the musicians affected by the hurricanes that devastated the Gulf Coast earlier in the fall. The guitar itself is a beauty; pictures don't do it any justice.
The guitarist doesn't just play each song, he experiences them. The Edge was either observing the crowd with an amused smile on his face or deep within the song, his eyes closed and his foot stopping along to the beat. I can unabashedly call Edge a musical genius and was honored to be able to watch him perform the songs that mean so much to him at such a close range.
The first encore opened with fan favorite "Until the End of the World" and rather than the previous tour's bullfight between Bono and Edge both musicians chased each other around the ellipse at full tilt twice and ended with Edge positioned behind Larry, Bono and Adam on either side of the front of the drum kit forming a kind of U2 triptych. It is in these instances where you can see the four band members interacting with each other that the band is at its strongest.
During "Mysterious Ways" Edge performed his special funky white boy dance to the delight of those standing in front of him. I'm sure that the guitarist would not like this assessment of his dance but it is quite possibly the cutest part of the entire show. The end of "Mysterious Ways" and the beginning of "With or Without You" saw Bono select a new dancing girl from the center of the ellipse who looked more stunned and embarrassed of the attention that Bono was giving her in front of her husband than
anything else.
The second encore started with Edge and Bono at the tip of the ellipse performing the first part of "Stuck in a Moment" acoustically with Larry and Adam joining in towards the end of the song. The band then rejoined on the main stage to perform the John Lennon classic "Instant Karma." As a rule I don't generally like cover songs but this version was electric—from my vantage point both Edge and Larry were having a blast performing the song. Near the end of the song Bono snippeted "Happy Christmas (War Is Over)" while interacting with Larry who was again uncharacteristically charming, smiling at laughing at Bono as he tried to direct Larry in closing the song. At the conclusion of "Karma" Bono walked over to Edge to shake his hand and give him a quick hug.
According to the show's set list it appears the band decided to drop "All Because of You" and instead proceeded straight into "Yahweh" with a bit of a twist that had Bono
bringing a fan from around the tip of the ellipse to play piano for the song. The Edge ambled up to the piano to help the newest member of the band and offer support. Toward the end of the song Bono playfully chided the fan on the correct way to end the song (apparently it should sound like Christmas bells) and after a couple of attempts he got it right and Bono sang the end of the song again to close it out correctly. After big hugs from Edge and Bono the fan joyously leapt in the air making his way back to his spot. The traditional U2 concert ender "40" closed out the night with Larry being the last man standing on the now empty stage. After a quick smile and wink at the audience Larry descended from the stage and the house lights came on with the crowd still singing, "How long to sing this song?"
This is my last review for Vertigo 2005 and I can say I've enjoyed every bit of it. I think the main realization that I'll come away with is that, although the band is the driving force, a U2 show is made up of much more. The U2 fans I met the night before the show and in the GA line are the type of fans that any band would be proud to have supporting them. The fan interaction, love and support the band receives during a show are essential and I'm grateful to be part of the U2 fan community. The other essential and overlooked part of the U2 show is the talented and dedicated Vertigo Tour crew. Without these dedicated people we as fans would not be able to have the wonderful experience that I had Wednesday night. Not only do they look out for the band, they really do look out for the fans as well and the performance is more special because of it. U2 in the studio may be a four-legged table but on tour it's much greater than that with each group helping to carry the other.
I'm closing this review with the same lines that Bono used from Lennon's "Happy Christmas (War is Over)." "So this is Christmas/And what have you done/Another year over/And a new one just begun." The answer is quite a lot.
