Haven't seen this posted before.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/cowbell/blog
(WARNING! WARNING! Guy in his 30s talking about a band who peaked 12 years ago!)
I saw U2 last night at the Staples Center and sent an e-mail to my friends about it before realizing I should have just posted it right here. Here's what I sent:
1. Bono is completely out of control. He's a rambling lunatic, not that he wasn't before, but now he's just plain nuts. Told a fantastic story about the Pope that was absolutely incoherent, followed by Bono pulling out some rosary beads that the Pope gave him and dramatically hanging them on the microphone. Had a speech about Africa where people were glancing at each other like "Do you understand this?" He's the best.
2. The stage was really cool – speakers were over their heads, and there was a circular stage that went all the way around so Bono could prance around and do Bono things. Best part of the show: He pulled some hot chick on stage during "Mysterious Ways" – like Springsteen with Courtney Cox – only her friend (had to be a stripper) decided after a minute that she would jump up as well with her 44DDs, delighting the audience and terrifying Bono, who grabbed the other guy and ran away from her. The stripper followed them and they did a complete circle around the stage, followed by security going after the girl before Bono changed his mind and decided she could stay. Then she crawled on the ground and shook her butt at him during the end of the song, which actually worked. Bono ended it by saying, "Only in Los AN-ge-les!" He refuses to call it "L.A" by the way.
3. Bono dedicated "Running to Stand Still" – a song about heroin users, if I remember correctly – to the U.S. troops overseas. He also dedicated "One" – a song about a relationship falling apart, if I remember correctly – to the plight of Africans, even changing some of the lyrics. He's turning into the new Elton John. I kept waiting for him to change the lyrics of "Party Girl" to honor Princess Di.
4. Some random older stuff they played: "Electric Co," "New Year's Day," "New Song," even "The Ocean" – a short song from "Boy" that most of the crowd didn't recognize. (I was DELIGHTED by this. I'm convinced they played "The Ocean" to see how many real fans were in the audience – it was like they were saying, "All right, head count!") I thought "New Year's Day" was the best song of the night – replete with The Edge playing the piano and guitar. It was really good. "Where the Streets Have No Name" was also top-notch. The crowd was 4X-5X more excited for anything from the '80s – every time they started a newer song, everyone was trying to hide their disappointment, except for "Vertigo" and "Beautiful Day," which had all the pseudos in the crowd going crazy. They also did a really good job with "Zoo Station" and "The Fly," which were always underrated songs I think. They didn't play anything from "Unforgettable Fire" other than "Pride," which was downright indefensible since it's been 20 years.
(Note: Shouldn't they play "Unforgettable Fire" – the song, not the album – in every concert? Shouldn't this be mandatory? I always thought that was their greatest song other than "One Tree Hill," which they never play in concert, either. Go figure.)
5. Bono didn't call The Edge "The Edge" nearly enough for my liking. I also didn't like their choice to open the show – "City of Blinding Lights" – which was just a lame pick and didn't get the crowd properly fired up. They should have started with "Vertigo."
(Remind me to go as The Edge next Halloween. Easy costume – dark jeans, a black T-shirt, a bandanna and a guitar.)
6. They played "Pride" and Bono went into his "Dr. King" routine – he really has run out of things to say about MLK at this point and doesn't seem that interested in the first place. He needs to mix it up with this song and re-dedicate it to Abe Lincoln or something, so he can discuss the ramifications of slavery back in the 1860s. Or maybe Nelson Mandela.
7. LA was a goofy place to see a U2 show – decked-out chicks, guys on their cellphones, different type of energy. Bono must hate coming here.
All in all, it was a solid time, although I felt old for most of it. One of these times, I want to see them have a concert where they strip away all the BS and just belt out some of their best songs – "Running to Stand Still" was excellent and had a different vibe than most of the other songs they played, I wish they had gone in that direction. They desperately need to do an "Unplugged"-type concert before Bono loses his voice for good.
PS: New column coming on Friday. And on that note, I'm off to Boston.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/cowbell/blog
(WARNING! WARNING! Guy in his 30s talking about a band who peaked 12 years ago!)
I saw U2 last night at the Staples Center and sent an e-mail to my friends about it before realizing I should have just posted it right here. Here's what I sent:
1. Bono is completely out of control. He's a rambling lunatic, not that he wasn't before, but now he's just plain nuts. Told a fantastic story about the Pope that was absolutely incoherent, followed by Bono pulling out some rosary beads that the Pope gave him and dramatically hanging them on the microphone. Had a speech about Africa where people were glancing at each other like "Do you understand this?" He's the best.
2. The stage was really cool – speakers were over their heads, and there was a circular stage that went all the way around so Bono could prance around and do Bono things. Best part of the show: He pulled some hot chick on stage during "Mysterious Ways" – like Springsteen with Courtney Cox – only her friend (had to be a stripper) decided after a minute that she would jump up as well with her 44DDs, delighting the audience and terrifying Bono, who grabbed the other guy and ran away from her. The stripper followed them and they did a complete circle around the stage, followed by security going after the girl before Bono changed his mind and decided she could stay. Then she crawled on the ground and shook her butt at him during the end of the song, which actually worked. Bono ended it by saying, "Only in Los AN-ge-les!" He refuses to call it "L.A" by the way.
3. Bono dedicated "Running to Stand Still" – a song about heroin users, if I remember correctly – to the U.S. troops overseas. He also dedicated "One" – a song about a relationship falling apart, if I remember correctly – to the plight of Africans, even changing some of the lyrics. He's turning into the new Elton John. I kept waiting for him to change the lyrics of "Party Girl" to honor Princess Di.
4. Some random older stuff they played: "Electric Co," "New Year's Day," "New Song," even "The Ocean" – a short song from "Boy" that most of the crowd didn't recognize. (I was DELIGHTED by this. I'm convinced they played "The Ocean" to see how many real fans were in the audience – it was like they were saying, "All right, head count!") I thought "New Year's Day" was the best song of the night – replete with The Edge playing the piano and guitar. It was really good. "Where the Streets Have No Name" was also top-notch. The crowd was 4X-5X more excited for anything from the '80s – every time they started a newer song, everyone was trying to hide their disappointment, except for "Vertigo" and "Beautiful Day," which had all the pseudos in the crowd going crazy. They also did a really good job with "Zoo Station" and "The Fly," which were always underrated songs I think. They didn't play anything from "Unforgettable Fire" other than "Pride," which was downright indefensible since it's been 20 years.
(Note: Shouldn't they play "Unforgettable Fire" – the song, not the album – in every concert? Shouldn't this be mandatory? I always thought that was their greatest song other than "One Tree Hill," which they never play in concert, either. Go figure.)
5. Bono didn't call The Edge "The Edge" nearly enough for my liking. I also didn't like their choice to open the show – "City of Blinding Lights" – which was just a lame pick and didn't get the crowd properly fired up. They should have started with "Vertigo."
(Remind me to go as The Edge next Halloween. Easy costume – dark jeans, a black T-shirt, a bandanna and a guitar.)
6. They played "Pride" and Bono went into his "Dr. King" routine – he really has run out of things to say about MLK at this point and doesn't seem that interested in the first place. He needs to mix it up with this song and re-dedicate it to Abe Lincoln or something, so he can discuss the ramifications of slavery back in the 1860s. Or maybe Nelson Mandela.
7. LA was a goofy place to see a U2 show – decked-out chicks, guys on their cellphones, different type of energy. Bono must hate coming here.
All in all, it was a solid time, although I felt old for most of it. One of these times, I want to see them have a concert where they strip away all the BS and just belt out some of their best songs – "Running to Stand Still" was excellent and had a different vibe than most of the other songs they played, I wish they had gone in that direction. They desperately need to do an "Unplugged"-type concert before Bono loses his voice for good.
PS: New column coming on Friday. And on that note, I'm off to Boston.
