17th December Salt Lake City - Delta Center

[dsmith2904]

Please post all reviews of the December 17th show here.

 

[pmickey]

Beautiful show in beautiful Utah!

This was my third U2 show here in lovely Salt Lake City, so I'll try and not compare with the others.

The crowd was very energetic (as all SLC crowds are) and the build-up was such that everyone there just esxploded when they finally started playing. It was a bit disappointing that Kanye West opened for them, and he was not treated well...lots of empty seats and even a few boos. No worries though, he was not the main attraction. Sorry Kanye.

The show exploded with a great opening followed by probably the best light visuals I've ever seen at a concert when they started into Vertigo. The only problem was that if you've ever seen a show at the Delta Center, it can sound like a transistor radio in a men's room. DAMN THAT LARRY MILLER!!! But that's what we've come to expect from the cheap-ass owner of the building...acoustics built for basketball, not music.

They adjusted the sound well, and by the time I will Follow came on, the sound was much better. It was a great show with a very charged atmosphere. It tended to drag at parts, but all cocnerts can do that. I was a bit disappointed at the setlist because I was really looking forward to hearing old standards like Ahn-Cat-Dubh or even Gloria. We got a pretty mainstream set, and I really think Pride and Bullet the Blue Sky need to go away...my opinion only.

Highlights were Love and Peace or Else, Miss Sarajevo, the smoking-hot chick in the tiny Santa costume that came up on stage and the little girl Bono brought up on stage to sing "no more" during Sunday Bloody Sunday. I've also loved the way Bono engages the audience...meaning when he's in Salt Lake City, you know that he is conscious of that. He cracked a few jokes about watching his language, and there not being a lot of Pubs to go to, but the crowd ate all of that up. He also has been very complimentary of the fans in Utah and how the band feels that we've stuck with them even during the experimental times in their careers. Overall, I think they genuinely like playing SLC...and I've listened to a lot of boots where they never mention the city.

The sparkling moment of the show was the encore. Coming out into Until the End of the World and right into Mysterious Ways was chilling, and the Edge just drove the show. We literally had chills during these two songs! The ending was great, and the gradually "walk-away" during 40 with Larry being the last man standing was priceless.

All in all, it was a special night. I'm sure they all are, but they were on their game, the songs are explosive and the crowd provided great fuel. A+!!!

On a side note...it amazes me how U2 still remains the only band where you want to hear the new stuff more than the old. I would rather hear Miracle Drug or CRumbs From Your Tables than Pride, I will Follow or Bullet the Blue Sky any day. That's the true judge of a great band...freshness!!!