DorianGray
The Fly
I'm going to preface all of this by saying I truly appreciate U2's music and just going to the concert was a true pleasure last night. So my comments will be along the line of saying "I had bad ice cream" - it was still good, just not great (Or like saying you had bad sex)
And before anyone jumps my case I'll be the first to admit that I'm spoiled because I've been to a good number of U2 shows. I guess because I've been to about a dozen I can tell a great show from a mediocre one (I know that's not near as many as some of you all.)
Last night in DC was the worst show I've seen.
Here's the setlist if anyone hasn't seen it yet:
COBL
Vertigo
Elevation
I Will Follow
Electric Co.
ISHFWILF (SNIPPET OF In A Little While)
Beautiful Day
Miracle Drug
Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
Love and Peace Or Else
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Bullet The Blue Sky (snippet of Johnny Comes Marching and Hands That Built America)
Miss Sarajevo
Pride
Where the Streets Have No Name
One
Old Man River
1st Encore
First Time
Stuck In A Moment
WOWY
2nd Encore
ABOY
Yahweh
40
You all remember back in ZOO TV when Bono would make phone calls from the stage. Well they did the same thing last night. They phoned in the entire concert (a little irony for those that were listening to the webcast.)
The show was pretty standard up to Bullet the Blue Sky. Just a great show, energy was high and even though they seemed to be going through the motions the crowd was excited and I was having a great time. Bono's voice sounded great last night as well.
But then they played the great Succubus.
STOP PLAYING MISS SARAJEVO!! Seriously, if you boys ever read these posts- STOP PLAYING MISS SARAJEVO. Bono, your voice sounded great and I know you play that song for your father. But after Miss Sarajevo the energy was totally gone. The crowd was totally out of it. People in several sections actually sat down (more on the sitting later.) I'm a little biased, I'll admit, because I hate that song anyway. I still can't believe I bought the Passengers CD.
They followed with Pride and WTSHNN, two of my favorites. But the crowd was just not getting into it- at least not with the same vigor that they had at the beginning of the show.
But then came One.
Oh sweet baby jesus. Bono, we love you, we support your causes because they're valid and good causes- nobody here or at any of the U2 concerts disagrees with you. Last night you literally preached to the choir for 10 minutes. After that the concert was over- all life totally gone.
Larry was totally right. He put down his drumsticks and I took my seat. Everyone around was sitting down. Bono joked during the encore that Larry timed One, and said that version was 15 minutes long. Edge played a great coda to the song, but Mr. The Edge couldn't make up for the ego of his singer. I don't expect U2 to be a jukebox but Bono, give it a rest and STFU and do what you do best- rock the place. People come to the concerts for some escapism, for a religious/spiritual revival, for a break from the doldrums and pain that is real life. I didn't come for a lecture on politics and the plights of humanity. Again I don't disagree with what was said, and I support your causes but there's a place and time for everything (and also a time limit on what should be said.)
As if sliding down this slope wasn't bad enough they ended the main set with Old Man River. OLD MAN RIVER?!! My girlfriend just looked at me with her mouth agape and said "Is that it? They walk off with Old Man River?"
Ah but doesn't U2 sing about redemption? The encores would be their redemption- they always rock the encores. They'd show me a good time yet. I knew it.
I was wrong.
The acoustic encore. Again, sweet baby jesus, who thought an acoustic encore was a good idea? Seriously. Let's get the crowd rocking with a down, acoustic encore. Oh and let's throw in the acoustic version of Stuck in A Moment and preface it with Micheal Hutchence's suicide. Boy was I up and ready to rock.
Okay, because I love the boys and maybe I'm prone to abusive relationships I held out hope for the second encore. Maybe the newer livelier version of Original of the Species, or maybe Bad! They'd do it, they'd make the place rock. They're U2- they never disappoint me.
Well, here's where being a spoiled U2 concert attendee has ruined me. I was expecting OOTS. But out came All Because of You. It was a great version of ABOY, seriously good stuff. But I was expecting something more.
And then the standard Yahweh and "40" closed the show.
It was the worst U2 concert I've ever seen. You could see the people's faces leaving the MCI Center. They were happy to have seen U2- but they weren't like the faces I've seen before. There were no stupid grins of pure bliss that I've seen in Boston or even in DC during the Elevation Tour.
It was phoned in last night. The setlist was awful. Hopefully they'll be better tonight because they rested last night. Of course I'm going tonight, they're my boys. But even your best friends can disappoint you sometimes.
And as one friend to another- stop playing Miss Sarajevo. Seriously, just stop. I grudgingly admit it's a beautiful song (I really do hate it) but it's not a live/concert song. Don't make me have an intervention.
And before anyone jumps my case I'll be the first to admit that I'm spoiled because I've been to a good number of U2 shows. I guess because I've been to about a dozen I can tell a great show from a mediocre one (I know that's not near as many as some of you all.)
Last night in DC was the worst show I've seen.
Here's the setlist if anyone hasn't seen it yet:
COBL
Vertigo
Elevation
I Will Follow
Electric Co.
ISHFWILF (SNIPPET OF In A Little While)
Beautiful Day
Miracle Drug
Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
Love and Peace Or Else
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Bullet The Blue Sky (snippet of Johnny Comes Marching and Hands That Built America)
Miss Sarajevo
Pride
Where the Streets Have No Name
One
Old Man River
1st Encore
First Time
Stuck In A Moment
WOWY
2nd Encore
ABOY
Yahweh
40
You all remember back in ZOO TV when Bono would make phone calls from the stage. Well they did the same thing last night. They phoned in the entire concert (a little irony for those that were listening to the webcast.)
The show was pretty standard up to Bullet the Blue Sky. Just a great show, energy was high and even though they seemed to be going through the motions the crowd was excited and I was having a great time. Bono's voice sounded great last night as well.
But then they played the great Succubus.
STOP PLAYING MISS SARAJEVO!! Seriously, if you boys ever read these posts- STOP PLAYING MISS SARAJEVO. Bono, your voice sounded great and I know you play that song for your father. But after Miss Sarajevo the energy was totally gone. The crowd was totally out of it. People in several sections actually sat down (more on the sitting later.) I'm a little biased, I'll admit, because I hate that song anyway. I still can't believe I bought the Passengers CD.
They followed with Pride and WTSHNN, two of my favorites. But the crowd was just not getting into it- at least not with the same vigor that they had at the beginning of the show.
But then came One.
Oh sweet baby jesus. Bono, we love you, we support your causes because they're valid and good causes- nobody here or at any of the U2 concerts disagrees with you. Last night you literally preached to the choir for 10 minutes. After that the concert was over- all life totally gone.
Larry was totally right. He put down his drumsticks and I took my seat. Everyone around was sitting down. Bono joked during the encore that Larry timed One, and said that version was 15 minutes long. Edge played a great coda to the song, but Mr. The Edge couldn't make up for the ego of his singer. I don't expect U2 to be a jukebox but Bono, give it a rest and STFU and do what you do best- rock the place. People come to the concerts for some escapism, for a religious/spiritual revival, for a break from the doldrums and pain that is real life. I didn't come for a lecture on politics and the plights of humanity. Again I don't disagree with what was said, and I support your causes but there's a place and time for everything (and also a time limit on what should be said.)
As if sliding down this slope wasn't bad enough they ended the main set with Old Man River. OLD MAN RIVER?!! My girlfriend just looked at me with her mouth agape and said "Is that it? They walk off with Old Man River?"
Ah but doesn't U2 sing about redemption? The encores would be their redemption- they always rock the encores. They'd show me a good time yet. I knew it.
I was wrong.
The acoustic encore. Again, sweet baby jesus, who thought an acoustic encore was a good idea? Seriously. Let's get the crowd rocking with a down, acoustic encore. Oh and let's throw in the acoustic version of Stuck in A Moment and preface it with Micheal Hutchence's suicide. Boy was I up and ready to rock.
Okay, because I love the boys and maybe I'm prone to abusive relationships I held out hope for the second encore. Maybe the newer livelier version of Original of the Species, or maybe Bad! They'd do it, they'd make the place rock. They're U2- they never disappoint me.
Well, here's where being a spoiled U2 concert attendee has ruined me. I was expecting OOTS. But out came All Because of You. It was a great version of ABOY, seriously good stuff. But I was expecting something more.
And then the standard Yahweh and "40" closed the show.
It was the worst U2 concert I've ever seen. You could see the people's faces leaving the MCI Center. They were happy to have seen U2- but they weren't like the faces I've seen before. There were no stupid grins of pure bliss that I've seen in Boston or even in DC during the Elevation Tour.
It was phoned in last night. The setlist was awful. Hopefully they'll be better tonight because they rested last night. Of course I'm going tonight, they're my boys. But even your best friends can disappoint you sometimes.
And as one friend to another- stop playing Miss Sarajevo. Seriously, just stop. I grudgingly admit it's a beautiful song (I really do hate it) but it's not a live/concert song. Don't make me have an intervention.
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