Wow
My first U2 show and I'm really glad I made it.
Atlanta tickets were hard to get. But I made a last minute
decision, the clouds parted, the sun came out, and I had a
fantastic evening, one of the best nights I've had in a
long time. Having great seats helped-- in the club area,
near the stage-- but high enough not to require earplugs.
Awesome rocking show. The energy stayed high all night,
and the only "people leaving to drink moment" was during
Original of the Species which is a song I don't
particularly like either. I think it's the line "I'll give
you everything you want, except what you want" that doesn't
draw me in.
I am really glad I experienced this. You have to be there
in person to understand the feeling. And the one
descriptive word that jumps out more than any others is
JOY. It was so much fun!
There was no preaching: really, I was surprised. Just
gratitude--- a "look at what we have accomplished" kind of
attitude, and if the "and we can do more" was left hanging,
it wasn't accusatory in any way, more celebratory. Bono
saying "this is what we have done so far, here's the baton
Atlanta, America".
Besides, thanking the military makes up for the anti-
military stance of his songs. He's acknowledging the
service of the people while condemning, in his songs, the
acts of violence against people.
And yet...there we were, all together, already One, feeling
it, living it (Atlanta could be compared to New York in
terms of co-exist...many Christians, but also the gay
capital, the city of Atlanta has more African Americans
than white Europeans, heavy mexican influence, many
asians... in other words, "co-exist" is, for the most part, a done deal here.
"Can you hear us coming, Lord, knocking on your
door"...that's a great snippet, no matter what your
religious persuasion (or not). Powerful.
Sang Happy Birthday to Ted Turner.
Bono did add "only grace will let me in" (paraphrasing) at
the end of "The First Time". I spanked him in my mind.
Sorry Bono. But really, it doesn't matter.
We all have our own journey based on our beLIEfs.
Personal impresssions of the band--
Bono--masculine. His type of charisma will never go
out of style
Adam--permeates kindness, lots of smiles
Larry--focused, seemingly impervious... but he doesn't
miss a thing
Edge--on the oppposite side of me, but could still feel his
intensity
I was impressed with the U2 fans too--lots of friendly people
whether you are with your family or alone, they are chatty,
warm and good spirited (those I encountered).
Something I found interesting--a lot of U2's songs are
somber and when I listen to them at home they evoke a
feeling of sadness, or a feeling of yearning. MLK, which
they played last night, is such a somber hymn, with much
personal meaning. But at the concert, the songs had the
opposite affect--they all felt like a celebration-- even
his goodbye to his father.
The official review in the Atlanta paper describes Bono as
"serious as a biopsy report" but I didn't get that
impression while I was there. I got the impression that
the band is having a blast on stage. And if they are not,
they are all awesome actors, consummate professionals.
Even during Bad, one of my all time favorite "I can't take
it anymore" songs, which I have felt to my core-- while it
was playing, I felt joyful, happy to be alive-- and I'm
sure that's partly because when you are in a large arena
with fellow fans screaming the words, how can you feel
anything but happy? It's cathartic.
The girl he brought on stage during Mysterious Ways was
adorable. At first, I thought I was going to witness a
fall, but she got another push and made it up. She had an
awkward moment climbing back down too, but while she was
up, she shined. After a moment, she let go, and she could
really dance. My husband was all smiles.
I think it's funny how he plays with the girls just before
he picks one...reaches out, then withdraws, leaves, then
comes back...he's such a tease. But, what a face! He could
get away with it even if he wasn't a rock star.
More about the songs--Love and Peace is fantastic live, and
if I had any complaints about the mix, it was that the
vocals or drums weren't loud enough in certain parts. But
in this song, you feel the drums, the pounding energy, and
by the end, you're ready to take on the world. "Or else"
indeed.
I could say more, but I already wrote a book. My final
closing thoughts--no matter the quest to get there, it's
worth it. At least once.