The Concert of a Lifetime -- Part 2

As day gave way to dusk, and dusk in turn yielded to darkness under the shadow of the CN tower, my pulse increased as it struck me that I really was about to see U2. And then, I saw the cars roll in.



They were in the stadium.



As I looked onto the green monster of a stage, the speakers blared "Space Oddity" by Dave Bowie, and one by one, the members took the stage. Larry went to the kit and immediately started pounding the skins. Ash-haired Adam took his lanky stance with the bass. The Edge slung his guitar over his shoulder. And then a rather short man in a leather jacket came out. But enough of that... on to the concert.



In standard form for the 360 tour to that point, U2 opened with "Breathe", a song from their new album which I am still warming up to. A good friend of mine drew attention to a different lyrical interpretation of the song, casting it in the light of establishing one's personal identity. I'm still considering this, although I can say that it's very much a beat-like poem set to music, like nothing else they've ever written. In my mind, it took them a few songs to really get reved up. Next on the setlist was "No Line on the Horizon", a somewhat more compelling song from the new album, performed in front of a stark screen of black and white. Instrumentally, this was a very tight performance of a song which harkens a bit more to the glory days of the Joshua Tree. Bono's introduction of the band was disarmingly humourous, with a low key charm which contrasted with the high, operatic drama of the Popmart tour or ZooTV. Bono called Adam a "sexual predator" and dropped references to the "space ship" they were performing in and claimed that they had "some new songs, some old songs, and some songs they could barely play". It was blatant false humility on the last claim.



Next up on the roster was "Get on Your Boots", which I frankly think is one of their most ridiculous songs to date. Time will not redeem this song. It is the "Some Days are better Than Others" of the new album, without the contrived seriousness. "Magnificent", on the other hand, is hands-down the best song of the new album, a glorious return to old form, and an Augustinian declaration of worship. Their performance was indeed flawlessly magnificent, and with Bono's arms outstretched and eyes closed, I felt he was leading the unknowing crowd in worship of the Magnificent. Next was a rendition of "Beautiful Day", a personal favourite.



However, the next song -- "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" -- is the point where I felt the band began to capture the crowd and show their true magic. Bono let the crowd sing the first verse, and his singing of the rest of song was sweetly soulful. It was undeniably magical. "Elevation" came next, and then the rare and strange song "My Blue Room", which I admit I was not familiar with. The video, though, was a strangely haunting one, linking the viewer to an astronaut on the International Space Station. If it were a lesser band, it may have been a momentum killer. "Unknown Caller" followed on its heels, with a karaoke like screen.



Next, they pulled out one of my all-time favourite songs: "Until the End of the World". A musically epic, and poetically brilliant song, it is an exploration of sin and redemption, ironically written to sound like the tale of the broken and remade hearts of lovers, but actually somewhat cryptically written (mostly) from the vantage point of Judas Iscariot during the events surrounding the crucifixion. The Edge's guitar work could not be better, and Bono delivered with passion and drama, running a lap around the massive stage before collapsing in a heap at the Edge's feet, with the spotlight on him. This was definitely one of the best performances of the night.

U2 followed it with a song which is best performed live - "Stay (Faraway, So Close)". It was simply electrifying in its soaring beauty. U2 also played a stirring, sing-a-long version of "Stand by Me". It was simply one of those perfect moments.

"The Unforgettable Fire", a way-back-playback from its eponymous album, surprised me by how much I enjoyed it, as it usually is not a song I'm partial to. And in the first track from "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb", the pulled out "City of Blinding Lights", a song I was hoping they'd play. It was sweet to belt out the chorus to the band, "Oh, you look so beautiful tonight, in this city of blinding lights", underneath the lights of condos, Toronto's Bay Street Banking Core, and the CN tower. It seemed fitting.

Part 3 is yet to come...