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U2, Joshua Tree at 30
Jun. 3rd, 2017 11:00 pmI've seen U2 several times over the years, but their more recent albums didn't excite me much. And so their tours didn't much either. Or at least I decided I didn't need to see them every tour. But this time they came around to play The Joshua Tree in honor of its 30th birthday. So that sounded like a good excuse to see the band again.
I got good seats. Upper deck, but in the front row, and alongside the stage, so we were pretty close. Not as good as the lower deck, but I was happy.
They started off with "Sunday Bloody Sunday." Larry walked out from the back of the stage, all the way to his kit on the B-stage, accompanied by a Pogues song. He sat down and started playing. That went on for a few bars. Edge started walking out, and started playing as his feet hit the runway. Then Bono, then Adam. Then more big hits: "New Years Day", "Bad" and "Pride".
After those heavy hitters from before Joshua Tree, they took to the main stage for the big opening - "Where the Streets Have No Name". The red wall behind them, this time with a silhouette of their Joshua tree. That's not a song I call out as one of my favorites, but you can't deny the call - it's just an amazing opener. It draws you in. They played them all in order, something they weren't sure they'd do, when they were still planning the tour. "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, followed by "With or Without You", which is not one of my favorites. Then "Bullet the Blue Sky" which is. From there out, I just love the album. Much of it is fascinating, and the way it flows, it just draws you in. "Running to Stand Still", "Red Hill Mining Town" and "In God's Country". Then "Trip Through Your Wires" and "One Tree Hill". Bono told the story of a young man in New Zealand who asked to join their crew on the road. He became part of the family, but was killed in an accident. He was the inspiration for One Tree Hill. The finale is the killer "Exit" followed up with "Mothers of the Disappeared". It was inspired by the mothers who lost sons in the conflict in Nicaragua.
There was a short break and they came back for the rest of the show. The rainbow of "Beautiful Day". Then "Elevation". Then they played one of their Passengers songs, "Miss Sarajevo", with Pavarotti on recording. This was accompanied by video of the Syrian refugee camps, and introduced by a teenage girl there, named Omaima. She shared her wish for all to be happy, and for her to visit America, the land of dreams. Then "Ultarviolet (Light My Way)". It was dedicated to women. Bono introduced it with mention of the band's wives and supporters, plus the women on the crew. During the song, video showed photos, names and dates of many women from history. Politicians and suffragettes, businesswomen and laborers, artists and activists.
The band came back out to the B-stage for the encore. They did "One" but I decided I'd better take a bathroom break and pick up a program. As I came back in, they led the audients in "Happy Birthday" for Island Records founder, Chris Blackwell, who was there at the show, and who will turn 79 in a couple of weeks. Then they finished up with their first hit, the bouncy "I Will Follow".
The Lumineers opened, but we had other things to do, so we only caught the last four songs, one of which I recognized - the one about Ophelia. I'm sure they'd be a lot of fun to see in a small venue. They were just tiny people on a small section of stage in an enormous space.
( setlist and photos )
I got good seats. Upper deck, but in the front row, and alongside the stage, so we were pretty close. Not as good as the lower deck, but I was happy.
They started off with "Sunday Bloody Sunday." Larry walked out from the back of the stage, all the way to his kit on the B-stage, accompanied by a Pogues song. He sat down and started playing. That went on for a few bars. Edge started walking out, and started playing as his feet hit the runway. Then Bono, then Adam. Then more big hits: "New Years Day", "Bad" and "Pride".
After those heavy hitters from before Joshua Tree, they took to the main stage for the big opening - "Where the Streets Have No Name". The red wall behind them, this time with a silhouette of their Joshua tree. That's not a song I call out as one of my favorites, but you can't deny the call - it's just an amazing opener. It draws you in. They played them all in order, something they weren't sure they'd do, when they were still planning the tour. "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, followed by "With or Without You", which is not one of my favorites. Then "Bullet the Blue Sky" which is. From there out, I just love the album. Much of it is fascinating, and the way it flows, it just draws you in. "Running to Stand Still", "Red Hill Mining Town" and "In God's Country". Then "Trip Through Your Wires" and "One Tree Hill". Bono told the story of a young man in New Zealand who asked to join their crew on the road. He became part of the family, but was killed in an accident. He was the inspiration for One Tree Hill. The finale is the killer "Exit" followed up with "Mothers of the Disappeared". It was inspired by the mothers who lost sons in the conflict in Nicaragua.
There was a short break and they came back for the rest of the show. The rainbow of "Beautiful Day". Then "Elevation". Then they played one of their Passengers songs, "Miss Sarajevo", with Pavarotti on recording. This was accompanied by video of the Syrian refugee camps, and introduced by a teenage girl there, named Omaima. She shared her wish for all to be happy, and for her to visit America, the land of dreams. Then "Ultarviolet (Light My Way)". It was dedicated to women. Bono introduced it with mention of the band's wives and supporters, plus the women on the crew. During the song, video showed photos, names and dates of many women from history. Politicians and suffragettes, businesswomen and laborers, artists and activists.
The band came back out to the B-stage for the encore. They did "One" but I decided I'd better take a bathroom break and pick up a program. As I came back in, they led the audients in "Happy Birthday" for Island Records founder, Chris Blackwell, who was there at the show, and who will turn 79 in a couple of weeks. Then they finished up with their first hit, the bouncy "I Will Follow".
The Lumineers opened, but we had other things to do, so we only caught the last four songs, one of which I recognized - the one about Ophelia. I'm sure they'd be a lot of fun to see in a small venue. They were just tiny people on a small section of stage in an enormous space.
( setlist and photos )
