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U2 in Detroit
Text & Photos By Scott Baker
While the future of quality music looks relatively grim, U2 are doing all they can to ensure a better future, both musically and spiritually. And they just began their third-round trek on the Vertigo World Tour.
Kicking in to a sold-out Palace of
Auburn Hills crowd on Monday, Oct. 24, following an explosive
opening set from former-Bush vocalist Gavin Rossdale's new group
Institute, U2 members The Edge, Larry Mullen, Jr., and
Adam Clayton made a modest and humble entrance to begin the sound
design.
The stage branched with a full circle
walkway platform, which went half-way out the main floor and wrapped
behind the stage as well, to roam into and around the audience. Bono
made his appearance, arms lifted in the middle of the arena on the
walkway as guitarist The Edge piloted the group into City of Blinding
Lights to kick off the night and an incredible gala of colors and
streamer-cut confetti. It felt as if it were raining sound.
With the current arena tours tightly
packed with the classic rock of the Stones and Paul McCartney
already on the fall trail, and Aerosmith to pick-up the winter,
it was U2 that represented the continuous future of rock, some 29
years after their debut. For an Irish band that has produced ambiance
and thought-provoking musical scripts over the years, their set was
riddled with tunes as far back as
Boy and a majority from the recent How To Dismantle An Atomic
Bomb. Dollar for dollar and we're talking tours with tickets that go
as high as $300+ per-ticket, U2 stand alone.
Coexist was Bono's theme for the
evening as well as subsequent tour, wrapped in a headband around his
head as he told both funny and incredible stories of some of the group's
adventures and idealisms between songs. With a large back catalog of
tunes, the group took the audience for a ride with classics I Will
Follow, The Electric Co., The Ocean, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Bullet The
Blue Sky as well as many of the classics from The Joshua Tree
up to 2003's Beautiful Day and even some select spots from few
and far in between.
While the music was a message alone, Bono
did not preach as one may think, while at the same time making everyone
feel positive that there will be a better tomorrow. And with love
for each other and a positive outlook, we can make the world a better
place all around. He told stories of a wrongful prisoner, dedicated a
song to the American military, opened up a chance for people to text
message their name for
http://www.one.org (while
lighting up the Palace with cell phone light, rather than lighters), and
all the while praising the individuals he shared the stage with and
faux-bowing at the alter of The Edge.
Some concerts have the fun; some have a
message, while others have groove and the soul. U2 had it all wrapped up
with a lot of love for tomorrow and each other.
Editor's Note: As an aside, I
received an interesting review of this show from a reader also in
attendance, who notes, "Like Dylan said, 'Everyone will remember your
songs, it's just that no can cover them'. It seems like everything U2
does is build around that strum & drang of Edge's guitar. It's their
style, but does anyone actually go around humming 'Streets'? Are they
really the big act of the decade, or a clever Irish con?'
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