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Here's an interesting review from the New York Times (you have to subscribe (free) so here it is:

Rock Icons Content to Do the Things They Do Best
By KELEFA SANNEH

Published: March 30, 2005

SAN DIEGO, March 29 - "I don't know if I can take it/ I'm not easy on my knees," Bono sang, and in case an arena full of fans didn't believe him, he spent two hours proving it.

Over and over again, during Monday night's sold-out world-premiere concert here, he dropped to his knees to emphasize a point. Kneeling is Bono's way of reminding everyone that he contains multitudes: when he went down, he became a repentant sinner, an eager-to-please lover, an abused prisoner, even - if this isn't too much of a stretch - a grateful 44-year-old rock star, basking in his fans' adulation.

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The concert, at a rather plain hockey rink with a rather unplain name (officially, it's the iPay One Center at the Sports Arena), was the first of the band's "Vertigo 2005" tour, celebrating the release of its strong new album, "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" (Interscope). U2 is not, to put it mildly, the kind of band that seems sheepish about its own popularity, and so tonight's concert didn't aim to surprise or confuse or tease the audience.

This was an intensely satisfying performance by a band that has figured out what it does best and seems content to do it. Some bands get swallowed up by big arenas, but U2 was built for them: the Edge's echoey guitar lines are only improved when they bounce off concrete walls, and Bono's lyrics are best when they're delivered by tens of thousands of fans.

If anyone loves U2 more than the fans, it is record executives. Nearly 30 years into its career, the band has evolved from selling lots of vinyl LP's to selling lots of branded iPods. The customers are loyal, and Bono's charity work has only strengthened the brand; he's idealistic and outspoken but not, for the most part, controversial. The band's new live show is sturdy but not flashy; the only special effect is a giant beaded curtain where the flashing beads do double duty as pixels in a huge video screen.

The tour is to continue through the end of the year, with a series of European dates this summer. The band is to play Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, N.J., on May 17 and 18, and Madison Square Garden on May 21 and again for five dates in October.

In 1997, when U2 released the ambitious, electronica-influenced album "Pop," the group didn't seem quite as bulletproof as it does now: you got the sense that, for better and for worse, its members were struggling to stay current.

But these days, current seems less current than ever. U2's old-fashioned earnestness and big, ringing guitars seem right at home in today's old-fashioned alternative-rock world. Not coincidentally, the band has booked old-fashioned young alternative-rock bands to open for them, including the Killers, Snow Patrol and Kings of Leon, who opened tonight's performance. And right before U2 took the stage, the sound system blasted "Wake Up," by the Arcade Fire - a sly way, perhaps, of asking whether the resounding guitar chords and pleading vocals sounded familiar.

As always, Bono put on a show of his own, not only kneeling but strutting and pantomiming and begging for sing-alongs. At one point he lay flat on his back, and you didn't have to be a fan of the provokable basketball player Ron Artest to wonder what reaction might have been inspired by a well-aimed cup of something cold. There were speeches, too: perhaps there is a room where Americans resent listening to an Irishman lecture them about the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ("He wasn't just talking about the American dream," Bono explained. "His dream was even bigger than that.") But this wasn't it.

While Bono delighted in playing the diplomat and playing the showman (and in hinting that these two characters have something in common), the rest of the band got down to work, creating the deceptively simple sounds and textures that appear again and again in their songs. Even when the Edge was unleashing one of his jagged shock-therapy solos, it was Bono who gave the outsize performance, jolting in time to the noise.
 
Wow! I won’t forget it. U2 live. Unequalled.

A friend and myself made the long trek across the continent from Montreal on Sunday to see the show. It was exhausting, but I’m sure we were in good company. We went to The Field that night in the Gaslamp district and a good percentage of the place was occupied by Irish fans who had made an even longer trip to get there. On a little bit of a side note, San Diego (or the little parts that we saw) is a charming city. I’m a big fan of cities for this reason and for me to take the time to compliment San Diego here is a testament to it. Anyway, on Monday we got to the Arena at around 3pm to see what kind of ruckus was happening and with our ears up to the doors we were lucky enough to hear the band rehearsing Bullet, Streets, Zoo Station (!!), The Fly and Running To Stand Still.

The show was awesome. Aside from a slight slip up in Elevation, the musical performance was tremendous. For an opening night performance this is rare. The set list was so random I would have found it surprising had it not been for the LA rehearsal reports. I don’t care what people have been saying about City of Blinding Lights…it’s an amazing opener. For those who haven’t heard Vertigo live yet, all I can say is you are in for a treat. It’s a great crowd song. I have to add that the lights were amazing…especially the bead screens behind the band. The stage is an ellipse and most of it protrudes out into the crowd like the elevation heart with fans in the middle. The big difference is the lighting on this stage is even better. They played the new material really well, Love and Peace being one of the highlight because Bono took over from Larry, who had a single drum placed at the tip of the ellipse, and began smashing it like a madman. The crowd rewarded them accordingly. Sometimes was very well done and it seems that camera phones have replaced lighters as the instrument of choice for holding up during intimate songs. The three Boy songs were a nice bonus as was Zoo Station! A highlight for me was also the crowd repeating the Pride hum without the band for a good 30 seconds after song. I thought Streets was the best song of the evening, as usual, and it lacked the transitory intro that we’re used to. When they play that song it’s mesmerizing. The energy level is than a fever pitch. It’s just nuts! The band was maybe a little stiff out of the blocks. Bono was less active around the stage overall but I’m sure that’s just because it was the first show. It was amazing and it’ll only get better.

What a show! I still don’t know if I’m grasping what I saw. Something tells me the enormity will hit me when I can finally get some sleep. In 2 days we put 7,400km (4,600 miles) of flying behind us for one dose of Vertigo and it was worth every penny, every second and all the lost sleep. I have no voice and way too much work, but what the heck? I’m still kind of in shock. It was that incredible. These four polite and humble guys are still grateful to their fans and I would have to say are the ultimate performers. I’m already ripped to see them in London and Montreal.

Please solve the GA problem before then. It's really not fair that people who spend all day waiting outside can't get into the ellipse while people who show up at 6pm can.

Jon
 
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Review From Hot Press - Opening night:

Blinded By The Light
29 Mar 2005

Tara McCarthy

Dateline San Diego, March 28th: with seven songs from their world-beating Vertigo album in the set, on the opening night of their world tour, it quickly became clear that – the occasional glitch notwithstanding – U2 have re-imagined their live set with remarkable success. Tara McCarthy asks: how do they do it? Page 1/2 <prev 1 2 next>

U2 Live At San Diego Sports Arena, California

It’s pretty much a given that no one waves cigarette lighters overhead at concerts anymore—and certainly not in California, where smoking is so just not done. These days the glow comes from cell phone cameras, lights swarming across the arena like digital fireflies. And what a wonderful tableau it creates.

The even greater miracle is that many of the throbbing, shrieking, mobile-toting hordes in the front rows now snapping shots of U2 were waving Zippos overhead to at least some of the same songs, oh, a whole fifteen or even twenty years ago. Sure, the band have proven their mettle tour, after tour, after tour in the meantime – but you still have to marvel every new occasion they work that magic afresh.

On this, the first night of their Vertigo tour, they confirmed to a receptive San Diego crowd that they have reinvented their live show, one more time, and with amazing results.

As the opening song, ‘City of Blinding Lights’ from How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, began, the crowd watched transfixed, as curtains of light framed the stage—like haywire Lite-Brites in midair—and confetti fell from on high. Bono—eyes up, palms out, grin wide—seemed as surprised as the guy in LL18 Row 8 Seat 10 to see wisps of metallic paper filling the air. And so, the sense of wonder that would carry through the night was established right from the off.

You wondered if Bono knew about the confetti—of course he did! You wondered what they’d play next, and last, and for an encore—so many songs to choose from! You wondered, quite simply, how do they do it? How do they put it all together again, just so, and add lines about freedom and newborn baby’s heads and manage to elicit the same kind of spine-tingling chill in you, that you used to get back when you were running to stand still? The answer is that you don’t know, but they do.

Digging into their back catalogue with precision tools, the band uncovered two especially precious gems, ‘Cry/Electric Co.’ and the more familiar ‘40’, reinstated joyfully as the closing track. Bono introduced the former by saying that they were going to go back to where they started. The rendition that followed was so loving, so full, so true, that it reminded you not just of where they began their journey, but equally of how far they’ve come. There, too, U2 have avoided cliché. They’ve refused to be dragged back into the past, to become one of those bands whose fans wince at the prospect of dreaded “new songs”.

All of the phases of U2 were represented in the set, more or less – alright, there was no ‘Angel Of Harlem’ from Rattle and Hum – but at the heart of the set a trilogy of new songs, ‘Miracle Drug’, ‘Sometimes You Can’t Make it On Your Own’, and ‘Love and Peace of Else’ nestled, and they stood up, proud and strong, alongside the classics that framed them, ‘New Year’s Day’ and ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’.

The visuals, as always, were flawless (okay, I’m in denial that the Popmart tour ever happened). Front and centre, above stage, four screens—each with a single-camera shot of one band member—sat side by side, like frames of the same strip of celluloid. The effect of these four parallel movies—and the simultaneous isolation and integration of each of the pieces of this miraculous whole they achieved—was nothing short of stunning.

But these are minor caveats, given the overall substance of the U2 show and the power of the band in full flight, with Edge ringing the changes and Larry and Adam stoking the furnace superbly. When a band can roll out twenty-two—count ‘em, twenty-two—songs, without a dud among them (well, maybe ‘The Fly’ is on the slight side), while also making compelling pleas for the proliferation of basic human rights worldwide and increased awareness of the plight of Africa, you have to say that they’ve done a full day’s work. Happily for U2 fans around the globe, this San Diego show was just the first of many.

As part of an encore that boggled with its brilliance, ‘All Because of You’ and the anthemic ‘Yahwey’ – both from How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb – were rousing high points. Sung under big blue lamps, the sort of which might dangle over an oversized pool table, these songs in particular seemed to draw the crowd together, to make them one.

Even in an arena packed with twenty thousand bodies, during those final songs it felt like an exclusive gig in a fantastic bar that just happened to be extraordinarily large. It felt like a moment, even after all this time, of discovery – and of intimacy.

You get to carry each other. No one else in rock’n’roll achieves that feeling quite like U2. They’re coming your way soon…

http://www.hotpress.com/music/news/2788771.html?page=2
 
BTW, despite my lack of faith (and some of the crowd seemed to be at mass), they played Yaweh darn well! The acoustic is very powerful!

Jon
 
Re: Opening night review

great review!!! i met you, by the way...I'm the Italian looking girl who was across the catwalk from you and we talked a few times. Anyway, thanks for the post.


gregvernon said:
With ears still ringing and visions of U2 dancing in my head...

The night got off an amazing start for me when, from my seat in the front row of a section just off the floor to the left of the stage, I spotted Steve Lillywhite walking towards the sound booth. It happened that he was looking right at me as he walked past and so I said hello and applauded a bit. He stopped, looked at me with a big smile, and indicated that I'd best remove the ear plugs in my ears. I threw them to the floor. He laughed and walked over to me and said, "It isn't going to be that loud." I shook his hand and told him that after many U2 tours it was my first "opening night." He said that after 7 albums it was his first "opening night show as well." He complimented my seats and we exchanged a couple more comments before he moved on, obviously totally pumped for the night. The night was off to a good start!

After the requisite between-act music priming us for U2, and with the lights up, a song broke through the pattern with a completely different feel. It had a tribal drum beat and sounded a lot like a young U2. Lillywhite, who had found his place in the center of the console in the sound booth, was grinning from ear to ear and pumping his fist with the beat. This was it!!

Would U2 enter the arena, house lights up, as in Elevation 2001?

Lights out. Insanity. And as everyone by now knows, comes the piano introduction to "City of Blinding Lights." I'd told my friend that I expected to hear the song but I'd kept myself ignorant of pre-show proposed set lists and rumors and had no idea they would open the show with it. So to be completely honest, my first reaction was disappointment-- it's a soaring, beautiful, spiritually uplifting piece that I originally felt should have been more at the back end.

Oh, how wrong I was.

It's an unusual opener only from the standpoint that it doesn't have the punch of a "Zoo Station" or "Elevation" or "Streets" from the word "go," but I had forgotten how well it builds into a joyous rave. The San Diego Sports Arena was hands in the air, bodies moving up and down, church was in session and U2 was proclaiming the good word. And it was good.

There's going to be endless discussions about the entire setlist and it's here in another thread to be analyzed, so I won't waste your time going song by song. I'll just mention a few standouts:

"The Electric Co." - What a joy to hear this gem in the place held by "I Will Follow" for so many tours. And in my opinion, a declaration that U2 is not here to cater to the Top 10 but to play a U2 show for U2 fans. And if that wasn't enough, immediately thereafter:

"An Cat Dubh" - Oh. My. God. Pull out all versions you have of the song. Find the darkest version, with Edge's guitar as achingly beautiful as it gets. Trust me: last night's version was more dark and more beautiful. I don't want to ruin it for anyone but I have to describe this: lights go down, screens go blue with individual shots of the boys (a la Elevation 2001) and only stark blue light creating an otherworldly wash bathe them in this blue hue-- and then this plaintive, aching wailing of Edge's guitar. Edge, Play The Blues, indeed. Bono obviously doesn't sound like the Bono of 1980 but in my opinion he sounds even better with the soulful rasp in his voice and he sounded absolutely perfect to me as his falsetto reached the heights of "Yes and I know the truth about you." But you ask, what about the extended bridge between "An Cat Dubh" and "Into The Heart"? Like a dream, Bono started prowling like a panther (the black cat, yes?) around the circle, then getting down on all fours, then rolling over onto his back and going completely still. Focus back to Edge and Adam who shared one lone blue light and the guitar work went into what I can only describe as ecstasy. It was like U2 suddenly channeled the Doors, Edge letting himself stretch out like Robby Krieger in the day. You might ask: wouldn't the drastic energy change be a show-killer after "Electric Co."? If anything it just built the energy in the place to a fever pitch.

All I can tell you is it was the glory of rock and roll in all its glory. It was a moment that wouldn't have worked in any of the 90s shows but fit like a glove last night. And was probably the moment, in a show with many such moments, that was about giving the fans -- and I mean the fans going back to 1980 -- what they want.

Frankly I don't remember a thing that happened after that. Just kidding. But for me it was U2 taking off the gloves and taking charge of not only being a great rock band but moreover, taking charge of being U fucking 2.

Let's see-- other highlights? Without being a drooling fan, there were many highlights. "Zoo Station," "Running to Stand Still," every song from HTDAAB.

Let me just take a moment to comment to anyone who thinks HTDAAB is to "mellow." SEE THIS SHOW. U2 blew the lid off the place with every single song from HTDAAB, including "Sometimes," which is easily the slowest pace of the bunch. Not to blow any surprises, but I've never been a huge fan of "Yahweh," but their acoustic version made me see the song in a whole new light. It's a song, like "Walk On" that I just did not "get" in CD form, but now that I've seen them perform it, well, I "get it" now.

No surprise here but LAPOE is just freaking thunder. In the show that ACD/ITH was allowed to stretch out, LAPOE was in step in reminded the crowd that U2 can explode.

I frequently looked over to the sound booth to see how Lillywhite was enjoying himself and I will tell you that he didn't stop moving through the entire show. His grin was endless and he was dancing from beginning to end, even playing air guitar with Edge during some of the harder stuff. His boys are back and brilliant.

Where would I rate the show in the context of seeing every tour multiple times since 11/18/87? It's impossible because I'm still 10 feet off the ground. It was their least self conscious tour (as I felt the 90s shows were way too self conscious) in the sense that they didn't feel the need to avoid or protect an image. They just came out and kicked out a show that was true to the U2 of ages. Am I just saying that because they left the stage a la the early 80s with the crowd eagerly singing "How long to sing this song?" Maybe somewhat. But trust me, when they come to your town, you'll probably hear from the first notes of COBL that their intention is to play the kind of U2 show that they would want to hear- and we're invited to sit in.
 
Was at SD opening. Found out after the fact on u2.com for the random deal for the inner elipse wristbands.

I heard nothing of this before the show nor saw anything on this til after-the-fact.

Was curious for those posting here that got into that area. Was there a special area/station to scan the tickets? Did it come up when the reg. attendant scanned the ticket for admission?

The group of us coming in there was no direction to get "scanned for the inner elipse" or anything.

But what else is new. Guess since we didn't have 38 Double D's they didn't bother to tell us?

As well there was nothing for u2.com members v. non-members we all just were merge into one line.



Now I/we were delayed getting to the right gate, with sold out parking that forced us into back out of the venue and find parking about 1/2 mile away (since they were towing across the street mall) then since security original told us that GA was at any entrance so we were queued up for the eastern gate and then find out after some wait that wasn't the right entrance for the floor tickets. Then walk to north gate from the east and turned away for some gate that was now up and had to rewalk around the entire lot to come in from the west gate.

Curious on how we appeared to miss out on this. But what else is new.
 
I must have looked at the time and thought 'This time last year I was ...' about a dozen times since Saturday.
Listened to the show on my way into work today too.
 
diamond said:


Carrie,
Very well.:)

Review Opening Night Vertigo Tour 2005 San Diego.

A Fusion of Boldness and Hope.

By David Schroeder


This tour was a fusion of some of U2's best work and live songs
of the past and incorporated all into one bold presentation on where they're headed.

By the end of the evening Bono gave his audience both a plea and admonition.


The band opened the show with City of Blinding Lights. It was grand in scale and magnificent to behold. At the end, multi colored confetti showered the entire arena. Felt like prom night and the best of all holidays. This gesture set the tone for the evening.

Early on Bono look determined to sell his wares and the audience were like Pavlov dogs lapping up every morsel thrown their way by the singer.

Vertigo came off o.k. San Diego being next to Mexico had a large contingent of Spanish speaking fans in the audience. Later on in the evening Bono promised to visit Mexico in 2006. Stories for Boys were partially sung and came off decent.
I saw early on Bono was going to fuse his past work into this show.

Bono next pulled Electric Co out of his ass and fused "Bring on the Clowns" and didn’t seem too worried about a potentail copyright lawsuit this time.

Times have changed for U2 esp knowing you have large bollocks after being a recent inductee into the Rock and Rock Hall of Fame.
It was rumored the Bono's balls were so large a wheel barrel could be needed to help him on and off the stage this evening.
He was in rare form.

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Next came An Cat Dubh-"The Black Cat" and Into the Heart. Bono was mimicing a rapid cat biting at the audience during Edge's instrumental part,while at center mic. Next they segued into ITH and Bono walked towords the tip of the egg lieing down beautifully singing. He was as comfortable as a carefree pauper laying on a bed of roses.

We were on our way.

Next came Beautiful Day. This was a crowd favorite and the entire arena was on it's feet and LOUD.

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Part of the fusing was the large Pop Mart screen was ressurected for a few songs.

Bono struted ran the same way like on the Heart but now the Heart was shape like an Oval or Egg. There was the large Pop Mart screen that would be used for a few songs thru out the evening-hence the fusing I spoke of.

NYD and Miracle Drug were next and they both came off decent.
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SomeTimes You Cant Make It OnYour Own was both poignant and charming.

Love Peace or Else was one of the many climatical moments of the night. Larry had a standing drum kit at the tip of the Egg. Bono toward the end of the song swipes Larry's sticks and TAKES OVER.

Yes BONO PLAYS the DRUMS and magnificently! Bono is at Larry's standing drum kit with a headband on and POUNDING the DRUM. Like a warrior soilder leading a war parade Bono proudly beats the shit out of Lawerence's drum Bono has took over. Stoic and proud with his chin high Bono pounded for about 3 mins. it was quite a sight something most have never seen before.

Bono during one part of the show and mimiced a hostage with a blindfold similar to what we all hve seen on the news. I believe it was Bullet the Blue Sky He then segued into Hands That Built America. Very MOVING and THEACTRICAL.




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Paul McGunniness was in the Egg and I had chatted w/him earlier. Bill Walton was there as well..

Next Zoo Station and The Fly were performed. The large PopMart Type Screen was incorporated and grafted in quite well.

Elevation was next and only so so.

Pride and Streets followed Bono admonished the crowd to get involved w/the One Campaign and Africa. This is the direction this band is heading. In 10 yrs time I can see Bono retired from Rock and Rock to exert all of his energies on this cause, which should be every decent person's cause as well.

One was played -a crowd favorite.

All Because of You was an encore song and a crowd pleaser. Yahweh was next and done acoustically. Larry had a computerized keyboard set up by Adam.

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Speaking of Adam he is probably the best looking of the four now.:)
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The last song of the night was 40. Adam and Edge switched sides.
This classic U2 closer came off touching somber and melancholy.

The crowd knew this was the last song and left peacefully.
Once again all feeling fed and nourished and our souls replenished we exited the arena with smiles on our faces and joy in our hearts.

There were mobs of TV cameras wanting to talk to fans. I avoided these people, I needed to look for my ride Mr Eliv8 (Kev) who has been so kind to put me up for these 2 shows here in SD. A very gracious and hospitable fellow indeed.

Now to prepare for night #2.:)

diamond
David Schroeder
(the big guy).

i still thought i gave a terrific review, but it seemed to be met w little enthusiasm.
 
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