Don't Get Sick

This post is all about the kick off of U2's tour, so if you don't want to hear about it. Stop reading. Oh, and you suck.

Here are some great reviews of the show.

'Challenging personal themes and enduring energy keep U2 relevant,’ reported the LA Times, whose reviewer Robert Hilburn said that the band brought the spirit of the new album to the stage in a two-hour set that was ‘as warm and eloquent as the songs’. For a band that made its mark with soaring guitar-driven anthems that commanded you to march along, these new songs are all the more touching because they rely on the superb subtlety and restraint of U2 as musicians. ‘Rock’n’roll has been built mostly on edgy elements, including rebellion, irreverence and exuberance. The Beatles became the first great rock band by both reflecting each of them and by introducing a strain of social optimism through tunes such as ‘All You Need is Love’. While thousands of bands have experimented with the rebellion and irreverence, U2 has explored the idealism with a dedication and conviction that would not only have impressed the Beatles but that has earned it a place alongside that band at the very creative heart of rock.’

'U2,' writes David Sinclair in The Times in the UK, 'Is now the only superpower left in the pop world… by the time that they had finished the event felt more like a date with destiny than anything so mundane as a concert. ‘Conjuring the illusion of intimacy with a natural grandiloquence, U2 have maintained their implacable sense of purpose while all those around them have faltered or to some extent fallen by the wayside.’

You know it was a powerful show,’ said Corey Moss at VH1, ‘When the band is done, the house lights are up and every single seat in the arena is still occupied by fans singing at the top of their lungs. ‘That was the scene Monday at the San Diego Sports Arena, where U2 kicked off their Vertigo Tour with a two-hour celebration of the new and the old and a few favourites in between, including a grand finale of "40" that felt more like the end of an Easter service than a rock concert the night after.

Steve Baltin at Rolling Stone concluded his review like this: ‘The band saved the night's biggest revelation for last, as Mullen began the repetitive drumbeat to "40," the biblical sing-along that used to close U2 shows. In a nod to the early days, at the song's conclusion, Bono walked off the stage first, followed by Clayton and the Edge, while Mullen provided the beat to the crowd's chanting of the chorus "How long to sing this song." When the lights came on, most in the San Diego Sports Arena were still singing.’

I guess the stage is designed like the album cover with the band at the centre of the bullseye and Bono circling around. Here's the set list from the San Diego show. I noticed there was only one song from All That You Can't Leave Behind and nothing from Pop. It's going to be an awesome show. I can't wait. My sister is going to a May show, so I'll get her review in here.

City of Blinding Lights (How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb)
The Electric Co. (Boy)
An Cat Dubh (Boy)
Into the Heart (Boy)
Beautiful Day (All That You Can't Leave Behind)
New Year's Day (War)
Miracle Drug (How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb)
Sometimes You Can't Make it on Your Own (How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb)
Love and Peace or Else (How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb)
Sunday Bloody Sunday (War)
Bullet the Blue Sky (The Joshua Tree)
Running to Stand Still (The Joshua Tree)
Zoo Station (Achtung Baby)
The Fly (Achtung Baby)
Elevation (All That You Can't Leave Behind)
Pride (In the Name of Love) (The Unforgettable Fire)
Where the Streets Have No Name (The Joshua Tree)
One (Achtung Baby)
All Because of You (How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb)
Yahweh (How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb)
40 (War)

Out.