Venue: Georgia Dome, Atlanta
Support: Muse
In the Company of: Chris & Ethan
Music fans around the world speculate after each new U2 album and subsequent tour whether or not it will be their last. And time after time, the Dubliners return evolved with a new look and sound. This was most noticeable between the rootsy ode to America that was The Joshua Tree and the techno awsomeness of Achtung Baby. The mid nineties were iffy for the members of U2, however. Talk of a breakup persisted, especially after Zooropa and Pop failed to sell as expected. But the band managed to redefine itself once again and land on their feet.
Touring in support of their latest release, No Line On The Horizon, U2 have again created a gem. This one clearly showcases their maturity and musicianship. Bono’s voice – his instrumental contribution to the group – has never sounded better. At 49, Bono (Paul Hewson) still has the pipes to hit all the notes. It seems his voice has actually improved since the release of Boy in 1980.
Fast-forward to 2009 and the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. The near-capacity crowd of over 65,000 fans were giddy with anticipation. Then, heavy fog rolled over the stage and we heard David Bowie’s “Space Oddity,” setting the stage for the space ship on the 360° Tour to take orbit. They kicked off the show with the raucous “Breathe,” from No Line, which almost seemed to depict their current lives (“Walk out, into the sunburst street / Sing your heart out, sing my heart out / I've found grace inside a sound / I found grace, it's all that I found / And I can breathe”).
During “Beautiful Day,” Bono drifted into a gorgeous version of the Beatles’ “Blackbird.” Sampling bits of great old songs is something the band does very often and very well. They somehow always blend something timely and relevant. During “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” Bono broke into Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me.” Again, Bono reached into his record collection and began Sly and the Family Stone’s “I Want To Thank You For Letting Me Be Myself,” which seamlessly merged into a beat-heavy, techno-explosive version of “I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight.” The only recognizable thing about this song was the lyrics, but it definitely worked. U2 are all about taking risks. This gamble paid off, even if some in the crowd had no idea what they were listening to.
Bono informed his fans that the monstrous claw stage was actually built to get closer to them. But apparently we were not close enough, as he wanted to “make it disappear tonight.” At one point, Edge experienced technical difficulties with his acoustic guitar. While working on it, Bono told the audience, “You know, Edge is from the future. He just traveled back in time to play with us tonight.” Everyone believed it. After the rhythm section of Larry Mullen Jr. (drums) and Adam Clayton (bass) took a break and the guitar was repaired, Bono and the Edge played a beautiful unplugged version of, “Stuck In A Moment You Can’t Get Out Of.”
The set list included an array of U2 classics, paired with some newer cuts. Unfortunately, nothing was played from the Boy, October, Zooropa, or Pop albums. But then again, the lads can’t play all night. Something’s gotta give. No complaining though, as they played such gems as “Sunday Bloody Sunday” (paired with “People Get Ready”). The highlight for me had to be “The Unforgettable Fire,” from the 1984 album of the same name. This was their fourth release and the first one I had actually bought for myself (after a college friend shared War with me and hooked me on the band). When Bono sings, “Carnival, the wheels fly and the colours spin through alcohol / Red wine that punctures the skin / Face to face in a dry and waterless place,” I am transported back 25 years to the memory of buying that wonderful piece of vinyl. “MLK,” a song from the same album, was played as an intro to “Walk On.” This song was written in honor of Aung San Suu Kyi, the Burmese activist who has remained under house arrest since 1990 after being elected Prime Minister. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991.
Following a taped message from Bishop Desmund Tutu, a set of two encores ensued. My second highlight was “Ultraviolet (Light My Way)” from Achtung Baby. It’s just one of those songs that I always liked and never really heard much on the radio. It sounded superb live. After much genuine thanks to fans throughout the night, and one final thank you to the fans, U2 left the building. As the house lights came up, the sound system played Elton John’s “Rocket Man” (another reference to the spaceship theme of the show). The only thing keeping this show from being perfect was the sub-par acoustics of the Georgia Dome. It’s just too big and not designed to host such an event. To fill that space, the band had the volume at a high level.
Opening the show – and giving the crowd a two-for-one deal – was England’s Muse. This is a band born to play the arenas, and have been waiting quite some time to “break” in America. Judging from the crowd reaction that night, it appears they already have, as well as the fact that their new album, The Resistance, debuted at number three on the Billboard charts. The trio of Matthew Bellamy, Christopher Wolstenholme, and Dominic Howard played like headliners and loudly introduced themselves to thousands of unsuspecting new fans.
To get the evening started, Muse came out strong with their heavy new single, “Uprising” (“They will not force us / They will stop degrading us / They will not control us / We will be victorious…so come on”). Their first flirtation with a hit in America, “Supermassive Black Hole” from 2006, dragged the crowd all the way in.
In Muse’s 45-minute set, they also performed “Undisclosed Desires” and the terrific “Starlight.” In my humble opinion, this is one of the best opening bands out there. Strike that, one of the best bands out there. Period.
U2 Set List:
Breathe
Get On Your Boots
Mysterious Ways
Beautiful Day
I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For
Stuck In A Moment You Can’t Get Out Of
No Line On The Horizon
Magnificent
Elevation
Until The End Of The World
The Unforgettable Fire
City Of Blinding Lights
Vertigo
I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight
Sunday Bloody Sunday
MLK
Walk On
Encore 1:
One
Amazing Grace
Where The Streets Have No Name
Encore 2:
Ultraviolet (Light My Way)
With Or Without You
Moment Of Surrender
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