U2 new album "Songs of Experience" coming December 1st, plus 2018 tour.*

I told a few people I'd gone to the show and all of them said, "Oh, I didn't know U2 were touring." Some of them had seen the last two tours. So for whatever reason, word isn't quite out there.

U2 are doing what many groups do now for pricing: dynamic pricing. They throw the tickets up with extremely high price tags, then they wait to see who will bite. As showtime draws closer, they lower the price as much as need be. Except for the floor. Those are reasonably priced and thus sell out right away.

 

I thought there were only 2 Boston shows? I am going to the 2nd and I don't see a third anywhere on their website.

 

I just looked and don't see it either.

 

I do remember the first part of this i&e tour getting much more fanfare and hype, even the Joshua Tree tour. I agree, that whatever their tactics were, or maybe it is because those tours were very recent as well, this tour doesn't seem to be hyped up as much for the general public.

 

I may be mistaken - thought I read they were playing three consecutive nights.

 

US sold out Europe right away 2015/2017/2018. Not the case of the other side of the Atlantic.

 

Caught the tour in Nashville last night, my tenth U2 show going back to the original Joshua Tree tour. It was very good and I'm glad we traveled for it, though it was also the most uneven U2 show I've seen. Stop here if you don't want to see spoilers.
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On the good side:
- Hearing Acrobat live for the first time was brilliant. It was an excellent version, and the MacPhisto tie-in was great.
- Likewise, I Will Follow and Gloria still feel as fresh and revelatory as the first time I heard them.
- A revamped Sunday Bloody Sunday, an acoustic Staring At The Sun (Bono: "I don't remember writing this one"), Until The End of the World, and Pride were also highlights.
- Bono's voice sounds magnificent, clearer and raspy than the shows I saw on 360 and SOI.
- They don't get enough credit for the money and effort they put into the lighting, set design, and technology. It was truly fantastic at times.
- I admire them to committing to the new record, but...

Less-than-good:
- ...the new material is a clear step down in quality from their best work. The new songs sound better live than on record -- I'm not a fan of the OneRepublic-y mainstream production -- but they're still just ok songs in my book.
- Trying to merge the SOI/SOE theme, current political events, the hits that have nothing to do with either of those things (Beautiful Day, Vertigo, Elevation), big stage and small stage songs, and songs that utilized the middle screen and animations vs. ones that didn't led to a really uneven set. My favorite moments were on the small stage when they just appeared as a four-piece rock band minus the bells and whistles.
- There's not a lot of joy on stage, and it makes me wonder if there's credence to the rumor that they've had to tour more heavily of late because of their Live Nation deal.
- Vocals aside, Bono is clearly compromised from his recent health scares. We were on the floor near the small stage, and he really has trouble moving these days. It's a noticeable decline from the 360 tour. He put on a good show, but he seems weary.
- Some of the political messaging feels gratuitous. I'm quite liberal, but even I don't need to see images of white supremacists marching in Charlottesville. Bono's constant pleading that America is this great idea and that we're better than this feels pretty out-of-touch in a "all you need is love, man" way.

My main takeaway is that it feels very much like a farewell tour. There's the SOI/SOE telling-their-story theme and ending the show with 13, a lullaby for the band's kids, as Bono walks off the small stage into the crowd while the light bulb from the SOI tour hangs over top. There's Bono thanking the crowd for the "great life you've given us." There are the MRI images and sounds projected on the middle screen, rumored to be from Bono's near-fatal incident. There's Bono introducing Edge, Adam, and Larry multiple times in a way that just felt like he wanted to make sure the crowd thanked them one last time. And there's Acrobat, the great white whale of U2 setlist followers, being played every night.

While I suppose this isn't a glowing review, I am really glad I went and I had fun despite some of my critical comments. It's an impressive show, they always play well, and there were some genuinely moving and funny moments. I highly recommend it if you're on the fence.

 

Great review. Which I could have made the trip.

Did you happen to run into our mayor and his wife?

 

Thanks! Ran into them before the JT30 show in Cleveland last summer, but not this time.

 

I can’t win!!!! Pru Center show in NJ. I made a promise to myself long ago - never miss them when they come around. Always an amazing show musically, and a spectacle in every way.

 

If this tour isn't generating instant USA sellouts, the explanation is obvious: barely 8 months ago U2 was playing sold out stadiums across the country on the Joshua Tree anniversary tour.

It also doesn't help that the new album stiffed.

 

Don't read too much into the "great life.." quote - he's been saying that for several tours now....

 

Considering Bono fell off the stage in Chicago earlier this week, maybe that had something to do with him not moving well? Shoot, I am 15 years younger than him, still in pretty good shape, and can't imagine doing a concert days after taking a tumble like that.

 

Thanks for the great write up! I've been meaning to post my thoughts from the second L.A. show but have been too lazy...

 

True. In the context of the other things, though, it feels different. My wife noted that maybe they just want to close up this biographical SOI/SOE chapter of the band and move on, so it's possible I'm reading too much into some random things. I know it's unlikely that this is the end, but they seem creatively and physically spent to me.

Thanks for the kind words, I'm glad you all dug the review.

 

I'm enjoying the SoE album, growing more into the material still.

How many years of woodshedding/recording/produce/redo,etc... did this all consume?

I would have taken a breather after JT30 run ended, i am not the guys in U2.

 

Last night U2 popped by Third Man Records in Nashville, TN, and recorded a new version of “Love is Bigger Than Anything in its Way” for a future release on limited vinyl. The video was live streamed on Facebook, with the note, “When you think you’re done, you’ve just begun…’ Down at Jack White’s @thirdmanrecords in Nashville, recording a live version of ‘Love is bigger than anything in its way…’ Special limited edition vinyl coming soon.

 

Interview with Adam about the tour: U2's Adam Clayton Talks 'Experience' Tour, Possible Plans for 2019

 

Nice article. I like that the Apollo show will be a different set than the current tour. Since they don't really change the set-list for the regular shows, hopefully this will fill the needs to hear some different stuff in broadcast quality.

 

You be mistaken!

They did add a July show in Connecticut, though - that one caught me by surprise when I happened to see it on TM. I don't think I ever got a U2.com email announcing it!

 

Looks like they recorded Red Flag Day too: U2 on Twitter

When/where can I preorder that vinyl!?

 

Look forward to hearing more about a release or LE vinyl available this year.

 

Enjoying the new "Love is Bigger..." remix.

 

Isn't this the band that claimed that 2nd shows in same cities in 2015 would be completely different sets?

I'll believe the Apollo show has a different set when it happens. Until then, it's Malibu Stacy with New Hat!

 

I was mistaken once before, maybe even twice...

Mohegan Sun is a smaller and more intimate venue too. We caught Depeche Mode there last fall and I was surprised how close we were to the band, even rear floor seating!