Vertigo

At 3:30 yesterday, I got a call from Entertainment Weekly. They had an extra ticket to see U2 and thought of me (of course). So I trekked downtown to the Staples Center, made it to the private suite, had a few drinks, watched Kings of Leon (I didn't think they were particularly great, and neither did anyone else in the audience - I actually felt bad for them), and prepared to see a good rock 'n roll show.

U2 doesn't disappoint. Opening with City of Blinding Lights, closing with 40 (!!!) and everything in between... it was all amazing. This band is so tight, I'm not sure they even need to rehearse anymore. It's like instinct. And the sounds they make... just the four of them. It's huge! And I always forget how political their concerts are. They played just about all of their anti-war songs, they played a video with a woman reading the United Nations Human Rights, African flags were displayed in lights during Where the Streets Have No Name, they asked the audience to text message the One.org campaign to end world poverty, he made a statement about the Pope and ended the show by placing a rosary he recieved from the Pope on the mic stand. No other band that I know of has the ability to be so outspoken and so touching and so fucking rocking. Here's the set list:

Main Set: City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo - Stories for Boys, Elevation, Cry - The Electric Co., The Ocean, New Year's Day, Beautiful Day, Miracle Drug, Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own, Love and Peace or Else, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Bullet the Blue Sky - Hands That Built America, Running to Stand Still, Zoo Station, The Fly, Mysterious Ways

Encore(s): Pride, Where the Streets Have No Name, One - Unchained Melody, All Because of You, Yahweh, 40