Arrogance? Check. Socially conscious anthems? More than you can imagine. Brogues? You 'betcha. A night of consistent entertainment? Without a doubt. On Sept. 20, U2 rolled into Foxboro's Gillette Stadium to give fans, both young and old, all of this and more within a two hour, 23-song set.
Bono, guitarist The Edge, bassist Adam Clayton, and drummer Larry Mullen Jr. arrived on stage as David Bowie's dreary "Space Oddity" poured out of the sound system. The stage, a circular monstrosity with ramps that lead the band farther into the audience, was described by the band as their own spaceship. At various points during the show, it changed color and emitted bursts of smoke.
The band kicked off the night with a quartet of songs from their latest album No Line on The Horizon, beginning with the upbeat rocker "Breathe." Although the album was only moderately embraced by the American public, each of these songs sounded much more vibrant live, even the inane "Get on Your Boots," a boneheaded track perfectly designed for stadium shows. It was a risky move opening with four new tracks, but U2 managed to pull it off effortlessly.
The set did an admirable job providing the crowd with ample offerings of both new and old. Harder songs like "Sunday Bloody Sunday" sat comfortably beside more mellow tunes like "MLK." U2 demonstrated that they are not a band that relies on hits from the past. Recent radio staples like "Vertigo" and "Beautiful Day" were received just as enthusiastically as an old classics like "New Years Day." By playing about half of their latest album, they made it clear that they are making music today because they're still driven, not just as an excuse to tour.
The night was marked by a few epic surprises as well. "The Unforgettable Fire," a song from the underrated 1984 album of the same name, provided audiences with a dose of droning 1980s textured new wave as well as an impressive psychedelic light show. Also, it was somewhat shocking when the second encore began with "Ultraviolet (Light My Way)," a minor track from the album Achtung Baby.
The two encores provided what may have been the one setlist snafu of the night. Initially, Bono and co. returned to stage and launched into a one-two punch of megahits "One" and "Where the Streets Have No Name." The crowd was dancing and singing exuberantly to what could have been a perfect end to the show. Instead, the second encore featured "With or Without You," one of the band's biggest sing-along tracks, sandwiched in between the aforementioned "Ultraviolet" and "Moment of Surrender" from the new album. Though none of these songs flopped, it was almost painfully obvious that the two sets should have been flip-flopped for maximum effectiveness.
Each member of the band brought everything they had to the show. If Bono's voice has lost any range or power over the years it was not apparent that night at Gillette. Similarly, The Edge, who has never been considered a legendary guitar hero, played admirably all night as he drenched audiences in waves of his signature shimmering guitar tone. However, as some reviewers have noted throughout the tour, the expansive stage does present a bit of a drawback in that it removes some of the interaction and intimacy between band members.
Sure, you can argue that it would have been great to hear some of the other classics like "Bad" or "Pride (In the Name of Love)," but on a tour that attempts to combine the bulk of a new album with a catalogue full of popular hits, it is not surprising that a few well known tunes would be excluded. Nearly 30 years after releasing their debut album, it is still very apparent why U2 remains one of the most powerful and enduring musical acts in our lifetime.
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