Well....After 33 years and over 200 concerts under my belt I finally heard the rattle and hum.
I can't wait for a second helping.

What an outstanding show. My interest in U2 was stoked by the world's biggest U2 fan 5 years ago.

Tom McGee whom I coach with told me simply..."If you ever see them live you'll understand. It's like being at church." Long before I had ever met Tom I always of the opinion that David Evans was without question one of the premier guitar players in rock and roll although nobody ever mentioned him in the same sentence with the so called greats. Well last night everthing came full circle and I am still trying to digest all of it.

All things being equal I realized that this was U2 without the theatrical production of the Zooropa Tour. Which I was grateful for. Let the music do the talking. So after P.J. Harvey finished a 45 minute opening set, which I thought was pretty good for an opening act, I sat there and waited like a good little boy. The wait wasn't long and the boys hit the stage running opening with ELEVATION which really got the "younger" U2 fans up and moving. I loved the vibe from the start and was just sat there with this Svengali grin realizing I was where I was supposed to be and what I was about to experience was going to be incredible. As the band rolled through BEAUTIFUL DAY and UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD I felt the passion of the crowd which was directed to the band. It reminded me of the countless Jimmy Buffett shows I had been to when you realize that these people would have been here regardless if the world was ending at that particular moment or not. Then something this novice could grab hold of started out of the amps...NEW YEAR'S DAY. "Nothing changes on New Year's Day......" but yet I could since a change in U2. They wanted to get back to their fans and back to what it has always been about ....the music. Running through STUCK IN A MOMENT, GONE (Which was beautifully dedicated to INXS frontman Michael Hutchence) and NEW YORK the band waited as Larry Mullen pounded out the military intro to SUNDAY BLOODY SUNDAY and the band hit full stride as they gave a very powerful and vengence filled version of what, in my opinion, will be a rock classic long after we are no longer here. I only wish they would have waited until the encore to play SBS...it is such a watershed song and has so much power it almost seemed cruel to leave standing naked in the first quarter of the show.

A very beautiful I WILL FOLLOW led into possibly the best rock love song of all time and yes one of my two favorite U2 songs....THE SWEETEST THING. Lyrically it is paramount, musically it makes me smile.....perfect song. IN A LITTLE WHILE and GROUND BENEATH HER FEET lead into a very spirited BAD which in turn led me to the rooftop of a Los Angeles hotel and WHERE THE STREETS HAVE NO NAME. The Edge completely dominated the song with incredible lead and ryhthm guitar parts that once again made me think of how this guy isn't talked about more. AT one point of the song Bono looked over and folded his arms and The Edge just smiled, closed his eyes and wailed. Agreat and intertaining Bono dominated MYSTERIOUS WAYS which was very visual and energetic and the regular set closed with THE FLY. The encore was icing on an already very tasty cake.....A short video of Charleton Heston talking about guns led into my other favorite song BULLET THE BLUE SKY which had to be witnessed to be fully understood...INCRDIBLE......."They run scared to the valley below"....Then the trio of WITH OR WITHOUT YOU,ONE and WALK ON closed the show. Bono at one point asking for the Irish flag to be tossed down from the rafters....a hesitant group of fans waited to long and Bono simply said.."Just do it. I think after 700 years of oppression dropping the flag will be the least of our problems. Just hand it down".

Well......I hope it's not 700 years till they come again. If you haven't seen them "just go and you'll understand. It's like being at church."

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