i said elsewhere on this thread that i think vertigo would not make a good opener becuase its starts too fast...not enough build up...
The first time i heard COBL i thought "this will open the the tour!" and i was so excited because i love that song. Then at Anaheim they opened with LAPOE, and .it brought the house down...great momentum leading up to it..i even think the 'everyone' flows better into it and it has that 30-40 seconds of just noise and chance for members to walk out. I believe that it was Bono and larry walking out to far edge of the ellipse with flashlights in hand, lighting up the crowd in the dark as the red lights came on....i'm geting excited just remembering it. Then the song starts and has a careful cautiousness to it that eventually bleeds away into pure rock'n roll exctacy. "we need love and peace"...awsome...then to go right into vertigo is brilliant, now the crowd is amped up..no there into it...then you say "uno..dos...tres...catorce!" and that first guitar lick from edge come in, and the place explodes. i think it only works because of the LAPOE buildup.
I think COBL has also found its place, with the children asked on to the stage to look yup, or raise their hands or whatever to start that song. Listen to the anaheim tapes you'll see what i mean.
Favorite all time opener? Bono doing his "getting shot at " impression, then goose stepping to Zoo station.