No spoken words
Blue Crack Supplier
Just wanted to share Phase 1 of my U2005 journey, which concluded on Saturday evening in San Jose.
It started on 3/28, with a stop at the San Diego Zoo before the opening show of the tour. Nothing quite like an elephant taking a bathroom break as you walk by to get one in the mood for a concert.
I will not go too in-depth with any one show, I'll just give an overall view, kind of a macro-view.
First of all, I'd never been to an opening show of any tour, for any band, let alone for my all-time favorite. I had used my pre-sale code for this show, and after 90 minutes of internet fun, finally scored 2 not too horrible tickets. I have never been more excited for a show, I stayed away from all discussions/speculation regarding set lists, so, my surprise and delight was very real when The Electric Co. and An Cat Dubh/Into the Heart were played. Wow, never would have EVER guessed that 2 songs from Boy would be played that did not include I Will Follow. That and the return of Zoo Station had me psyched beyond belief. Left SD knowing that there was rust and glitches, and that things would only improve, but if this was as good as it ever got, it'd be good enough for me, and then some.
Enjoyed both Anaheim shows, was glad to get to hear I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For once again, that was nice.
Was at Staples 2 next, and for once, I had great seats. Was about 4 rows back of the ellipse, 1/2 way between the stage and the tip. When Bono would walk by, he was VERY close and it kind of freaked me out. The show was just so more....real...and intense....down there, it might have spoiled me forever. The vantage point combined with the band starting to hit their stride more and more made this the best of the shows I'd seen so far, and probably the most enjoyable show for me in many years. I was on Cloud 9 the entire next day at work.
San Jose was fun, set list now settling in, The Ocean played again which is an interesting choice. I was sitting next to someone who had never seen the band before, so that was fun for me to observe. How good of a concert song is New Year's Day, by the way? So big and grand, perfect for a concert. Sure, there are better songs in their catalog, live or otherwise, but this song fits a concert hall to a tee, at least to my ears.
I am now going U2-less until the shows in May in NY/NJ, which will be special for me since I'm from there originally, and I'll be going to all 3 shows with a close friend who loves the band as much as I do. Going with a casual fan is great, but when I punch my friend in the arm when the insanely pleasing guitar intro to An Cat Dubh starts, he'll understand more than the others.
I'm listening to HTDAAB all day today, then shutting down U2 listening until I leave for NY, I do not necessarily need a breather from the band, just want one for a bit. Am going to focus on The Doves for a bit in preparation for their show in SF in May.
I'll close with saying that the combination of my 2 softball teams starting play with the beginning of baseball season and all these amazing U2 shows has really lifted my spirits these past 2 weeks. The feeling I get at a U2 show is beyond description, is beyond approximating elsewhere, and is beyond price. How can 4 people do this for me time and time again, over the span of 20+ years? I have no idea, I just know they do. Edge's guitar, more than anything in music, simply transports me. Every song sounds like a 3-minute adventure to me, with his guitar as the guide. That sounds corny, but so be it.
Anyway, just wanted to paint some broad strokes about my experiences lately concerning the band. It's been a great 2 weeks, and while I'm sated for now, I look forward, eagerly, to 3 more shows in the City of Blinding Lights.
It started on 3/28, with a stop at the San Diego Zoo before the opening show of the tour. Nothing quite like an elephant taking a bathroom break as you walk by to get one in the mood for a concert.
I will not go too in-depth with any one show, I'll just give an overall view, kind of a macro-view.
First of all, I'd never been to an opening show of any tour, for any band, let alone for my all-time favorite. I had used my pre-sale code for this show, and after 90 minutes of internet fun, finally scored 2 not too horrible tickets. I have never been more excited for a show, I stayed away from all discussions/speculation regarding set lists, so, my surprise and delight was very real when The Electric Co. and An Cat Dubh/Into the Heart were played. Wow, never would have EVER guessed that 2 songs from Boy would be played that did not include I Will Follow. That and the return of Zoo Station had me psyched beyond belief. Left SD knowing that there was rust and glitches, and that things would only improve, but if this was as good as it ever got, it'd be good enough for me, and then some.
Enjoyed both Anaheim shows, was glad to get to hear I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For once again, that was nice.
Was at Staples 2 next, and for once, I had great seats. Was about 4 rows back of the ellipse, 1/2 way between the stage and the tip. When Bono would walk by, he was VERY close and it kind of freaked me out. The show was just so more....real...and intense....down there, it might have spoiled me forever. The vantage point combined with the band starting to hit their stride more and more made this the best of the shows I'd seen so far, and probably the most enjoyable show for me in many years. I was on Cloud 9 the entire next day at work.
San Jose was fun, set list now settling in, The Ocean played again which is an interesting choice. I was sitting next to someone who had never seen the band before, so that was fun for me to observe. How good of a concert song is New Year's Day, by the way? So big and grand, perfect for a concert. Sure, there are better songs in their catalog, live or otherwise, but this song fits a concert hall to a tee, at least to my ears.
I am now going U2-less until the shows in May in NY/NJ, which will be special for me since I'm from there originally, and I'll be going to all 3 shows with a close friend who loves the band as much as I do. Going with a casual fan is great, but when I punch my friend in the arm when the insanely pleasing guitar intro to An Cat Dubh starts, he'll understand more than the others.
I'm listening to HTDAAB all day today, then shutting down U2 listening until I leave for NY, I do not necessarily need a breather from the band, just want one for a bit. Am going to focus on The Doves for a bit in preparation for their show in SF in May.
I'll close with saying that the combination of my 2 softball teams starting play with the beginning of baseball season and all these amazing U2 shows has really lifted my spirits these past 2 weeks. The feeling I get at a U2 show is beyond description, is beyond approximating elsewhere, and is beyond price. How can 4 people do this for me time and time again, over the span of 20+ years? I have no idea, I just know they do. Edge's guitar, more than anything in music, simply transports me. Every song sounds like a 3-minute adventure to me, with his guitar as the guide. That sounds corny, but so be it.
Anyway, just wanted to paint some broad strokes about my experiences lately concerning the band. It's been a great 2 weeks, and while I'm sated for now, I look forward, eagerly, to 3 more shows in the City of Blinding Lights.
Thanks for that NSW! Excellent post! 
