Also for the second night in the Meadowlands area, U2 build their set up on the musical landscape of "City Of Blinding Nights" (see also my review on 05/17/05), starting from etheral sounds to punk-rock. Then Larry hits the drum intro for "Vertigo" and it stuns the crowd. Plus tonight there is a special for set-list watchers reserved: Bono steps back to the band's origins and inserts some lines from their first B-Side ever: "Stories For Boys", sung beautifully. Also there is a reference to Elvis Costello - obviously in the house - with his own "Pump It Up" also being put in HOW TO DISMANTLE AN ATOMIC BOMB's first single. Then the new arrangement "Elevation" has the crowd being an impressive choir again for the first verses, before rocking the hall in its full band version. Now tonight not one of the BOY tunes having been performed the night before, is chosen. Instead Bono talks about the next track being from the first album, then putting it right to the second. This means we get something from an album, U2 have not been held high live for the last 15 years: OCTOBER. And what a tune it is: "Gloria" being played with power and belief, you might never understand, why the tune has had to go that long. Bono is in high spirits, stretching his arme to the left and right, while Edge, Adam and Larry give evrything they have - as does the enthusiastic audience, too, with surprisingly many, many fans appreciating the tune's return as much as I do. The ending sees a snippet and so a tribute to another "Gloria" - whether it's the more sexual pointed Van Morrison version or Patti Smith's dramatic statement, you never know: "G-L-O-R-I-A". Then BOY returns with another great choice for die hard fans: Bono meets Oscar Wilde's novel hero Dorian Gray; the U2 singer reflects the myth of everlasting youth and the beauty of "The Ocean" at Jersey's shore. This track not having been performed since 1982 (!) may never have sounded better than sung by the Bono of his age right now. The usual enormous rocking "Beautiful Day" with its nice link to The Beatles "Blackbird" is next. Then the fixed bunch of HOW TO DISMANTLE AN ATOMIC BOMB tracks comes around with the emotional "Miracle Drug", Bob Hewson's farewell "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own" and the political "Love And Peace Or Else" with Bono transforming in a rocking "Ninja". "Sunday Bloody Sunday" with its reflective, mourning middle part is a great relief for everybody in the audience and still of importance. So is "Bullet The Blue Sky", filled with new guitar sounds and Bono as a lindfolded, maybe wounded Guantanamo Bay-like prisoner of war pleading for help and rescue. Also tonight Bono sings lines from "The Hands that Built America" and "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" as snippets. Then the next THE JOSHUA TREE tune comes around: "Running To Stand Still" in its celebrated classic piano band version with a harp intro, Bono on acoustic guitar and "Hallelujah" as a snippet. After the "Human Rights" interference, very inspired versions of "Pride (In The Name Of Love)", "Where The Streets Have No Name" and "One" follow. The encore starts with ACHTUNG BABY again: "Zoo Station" with Bono marching on the catwalk, "The Fly" with its new killer solo by The Edge and "Mysterious Ways" getting some the loudest cheers of the evening. All Because Of You" with Bono on tambourine opens the 2nd encore; "Yahweh" on the egg tip is next. Then Bono brings up three guys in stage, who have requestes to play with the band. So those "Bank Robbers" - a local punk combo - get to the main stage and play together with U2 one of the most remarkable versions of "I Still Havent Found What I'm Looking For". With Bono and one guy sharing the lead vocal's microphone also The Edge on acoustic guitar and Adam join in - and so does Larry accompaining his younger colleague on the other drum kit. For the third verse the "Bank Robber's" guitar player speeds up the tempo, much to the delight of Bono being happy finally to play a punk version of this tune. What a great moment! And another one follows: After the guys have left the stage, U2 play a nice version of "Bad" as the show closer with a snippet of "40" and a proper ending of this tune a la "Wide Awake In America". Thank you, U2, for this beautiful 2nd night full of surprises!

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