U2 rocked the sold out Madison Square Garden on October 7 in what was their first of five shows there (one of two for me). From the opening piano of “City of Blinding Lights,” to the classics of “The Electric Co.” and “The Ocean,” to the blistering anti-war trio of “Love and Peace or Else,” “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” and “Bullet the Blue Sky,” the arena was exploding with energy.
There were several moments of note during the night. The first came during “Elevation” when Bono pulled the shirtless “Tattoo” Dan (a regular at many shows) up on stage, and paraded around with him until the end of the song. Bono then proved during “Miss Sarajevo” (originally recorded as a duet with Luciano Pavarotti) that 25 years of singing has not taken a toll on his voice, by performing both his own part and Pavarotti’s operatic part of the song. Later in the night, Bono donned his famous cowboy hat and chose yet another person to bring up on stage, this time during “Fast Cars” - a woman with a bright yellow shirt, who amazed everyone with the gypsy-like dance she performed. Finally, when “With or Without You” closed the show (for the first time since 1992), Bono serenaded a lucky lady from the front row, as he always does during this song.
The performance may be the most important part of the concert, but I cannot fail to mention the overwhelmingly impressive stage itself. It was in the shape of an ellipse, and glowed many different colors. There was also a “curtain of lights,” as I call it, which served the same purpose as scenery in a play, adding to the meaning of certain songs. For instance, during “Where the Streets Have No Name,” all the flags of the world were displayed against a backdrop of Africa, a continent the band feels very strongly about helping.
I have been a U2 fan for a long time, but this was my first show. The four members of the band performed with all of their hearts. Their love for New York City was pouring out of the music they made. It was a spectacular night and is not something I will soon forget.

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