There were no giant screens, hanging hydraulic automobiles, or 40-foot mirrorball lemons, and most of the hit songs were played with the house lights on. But the self-proclaimed “best band in the world,” U2, played the concert of a lifetime in the Great Northwest … twice.
Playing to sold-out crowds in Tacoma, Wash., on Thursday and Portland on Sunday, Bono Vox, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. walked, danced and sprinted around the huge, heart-shaped catwalk, which extended halfway into the crowd from the stage. It was all to the delight of the 300 fans who showed up at six in the morning, myself included, for the chance to be admitted inside the catwalk and stand only inches away from the rock-and-roll legends.
The band got down to the basics of stage production, at least compared to their famous “Zoo TV” and “Popmart” tours of the 1990s. No one cared. The concerts were not about the show, but the passion and soul of the music that has carried a meaning for the last 20 years. A sea of cigarette lighters provided all the lighting needed.
The set lists included U2’s early hits “I Will Follow” and “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” current radio singles “Beautiful Day” and “Walk On,” and everything in between from their brilliant 20-year career. “Bullet the Blue Sky” was jazzed up with a little bit of Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” and David Bowie’s “Young American.” Bono and The Edge performed a cover of Elvis Presley’s “Unchained Melody” in Tacoma, while in Portland, Bono devoted “One” in honor of Joey Ramone, who passed away earlier that day.
“We’re one, we carry each other/Joey Ramone, my big brother!” he lamented.
In between songs, and during them as well, Bono mingled with the fans, pulling star-struck, wide-eyed girls up onto the catwalk to dance and sing along with him. However, the Portland show got out of hand when fans managed to pull Bono off the catwalk and onto the floor headfirst — a six-foot fall. While Bono was being rescued from the mob by security, Adam, Larry and The Edge kept the show going with “The Fly.”
The band has remained down-to-earth, despite their worldwide fame. After Bono pulled up in his jet-black Lincoln limousine in Portland, I and 15 other lucky concertgoers got the chance to discreetly meet and chat with him for more than 15 minutes. It was a special moment for me. It’s true, the band is all about the fans.
U2’s “Elevation Tour 2001” is supporting their 12th studio album, “All That You Can’t Leave Behind.” It has been viewed as a return to the band’s roots and their best album since “Achtung Baby” in 1991.
British singer P.J. Harvey opened both nights and energized the crowd with a mix of alternative and grunge rock, but it was evident that the fans came ready for U2, as a majority of the seats remained empty until U2 took the stage.