Main Set: Vertigo, The Electric Co., Elevation, Beautiful Day, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, City of Blinding Lights, Miracle Drug, Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own, Love and Peace or Else, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Bullet the Blue Sky, Miss Sarajevo, Pride, Where the Streets Have No Name, One - Ol' Man River
Encore(s): All Because of You, The Fly, With or Without You, Yahweh, Bad
Wow, just back home from the ACC and another incredible night of U2. Once again, I had to give up my GAs for this show due to my surgery, but I have to say my seats in section 320 gave me a great view of the entire stage, and ended up being not half-bad. The boys played another solid show, with Edge dead-on and hitting every note. It wasn't quite the calibre of Monday's show (I really think we saw something special there; the difference between an "average" U2 show--and I use the term loosely, because any U2 show is always phenomenal--and one of those really special U2 shows that ends up being a spiritual experience), but it was a great night. Bono was a little hoarse and stumbled over the lyrics during Yahweh and All Because of You (which was actually quite endearing!) and there were some technical difficulties (lighting not working on part of the ellipse, and Edge's guitar + Bono's mike cutting out a couple of times), but other than that, it was a great performance.
As for the set, the show was about 20 minutes shorter than Monday's unprecedented marathon. The set was generally similar, although notably absent tonight were I Will Follow, In A Little While, Zoo Station, Fast Cars and 40. However, we did get Bad tacked on right at the end and the song closed out the show (still my favourite U2 song; my fists were pumping and I sang every word). What was also fantastic was that during Bad, Daniel Lanois joined the band on stage and played guitar; the "home town boy," as Bono introduced him. It was nice to see Lanois up on stage with the band he has worked with so closely for 20 years. A little reunion with U2's unofficial 5th member.
Some standout points tonight: early in the show, Bono began talking in a Jamaican accent, and then told the crowd, "Hello. We're a band called U2 and we're from Jamaica." That got a good laugh out of everyone. Later during WOWY, Bono searched the crowd fruitlessly for a girl who had come dressed as a bellydancer. He had obvious spotted her earlier in the show and decided he would bring her on stage. He kept asking, "where is the girl who dressed up?" but unfortunately she didn't materialize during WOWY. During Bad, however, Bono finally found her and pulled her on stage. She briefly bellydanced, then returned to the crowd. Lucky she didn't miss that opportunity! During Yahweh, all 4 members of the band moved to the tip of the ellipse one by one, something they did not do on Monday. It was cool to see them all down there, reminiscent of the way Desire was played during the Elevation tour.
Bono wasn't as chatty tonight as he was Monday, but he was still obviously in a great mood. Right before Miracle Drug, he told a little anecdote about how Edge is not only from the future, but an entirely different planet. He remarked that when he, Larry and Adam were young, they saw a spaceship and heard an incredible noise (Edge's guitar). As Bono tells it, Edge came out of the spaceship and announced he was from the future. When the boys asked him what the future was like, Edge said, "it's better." Anyway, it was a great story, and a wonderful moment, the first of a couple of really moving moments tonight. The other was just before One, where Bono told the crowd that if there is one thing U2 is about, it's about people being bigger than ideas. Very poignant, and just incredible to have the man himself sum up U2 in so many words.
Highlights for me, among other things, were Bad (of course; still my favourite); The Electric Co (The more I hear this song live the more I love it; the guitar is AWESOME); Miss Sarajevo once again (this song, the way it is performed now, is quickly becoming one of staple U2's live anthems) Yahweh with the all 4 boys together on the tip of the ellipse; and Pride, which tonight sounded clear as a bell. I think it's the best I've ever heard them perform it.
Anyway, another great show. I'm very much looking forward to Friday. Can't wait!