Magnificent

Last night finished off the two night back-to-back U2 concert series that I attended here in Foxboro, MA. Despite some sporadic lack of energy on the part of the band and some sound issues due to perhaps some faulty acoustics issues or more likely an incompetent sound booth, the show was mind blowing.

"Lift Off!" Bono cried after their first performance last night. They were playing with their enormous, larger than life "spaceship" stage, inviting us to come along with them on a musical journey through different worldly regions, outer space and into the depth of our hearts.

Beginning with a lot of their newer songs like Magnificent, Get On Your Boots and No Line On The Horizon, U2 propelled themselves around their 360 degree stage, catering to every side of Gillete stadium while at the same time remaining as a close knit unit, soaring in their convictions and modest in their charm and humor. Highlights included inviting people up to participate in songs like Walk On and Until The End of the World and The Edge's powerful guitar solo in Unknown Caller. For anyone that doesn't find I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight a good song on the record, give the live showing version a chance- you'll be blown away by Larry's energy on the hand drum and The Edge's infectious stage jump to every driving beat of this intense, worldly, remix. It was the best part of the show, hands down!

They closed with Moment of Surrender, an emotional and powerful song that leads the way in favorites for me on the album. Somehow after two hours of singing to 50,000 people, Bono managed to conjure up his most powerful voice in the last song of the evening. Piercing over a haunting organ and Adam's driving bass line came Bono's heart wrenching vocals, painful and beautiful tones in the same breath that I hope touched as many hearts as it did mine. The ending of the song seemed to drop off to the end of the show too quickly and emotionless for any full appreciation of it, however. The band members put down their respective instruments in a manner that seemed to suggest that they were disappointed in their performance...that or they somehow have remained incredibly humbled in their nearly 3 decades as a group and earning the "Best Band In The World" title.

All in all the show was just as it was expected to be: Magnificent.