SKYDOME, TORONTO
OCT. 26TH & 27TH
The greatest rock band in my opinion landed in Toronto this past
weekend. Over 100,000 fans waited in anticipation to fill the
Skydome over those two magical evenings. And magic is certainly
what they got.
When the lights went down and d.j. Howie B of Glasgow, Scotland,
started to play "Popmusik".... the crowd screamed, knowing what
or who was about to take their place on the stage just moments
from then. Suddenly a spotlight turned on and postioned itself
at the back of the Skydome! U2 was walking through the crowd
to the stage!!! Fans grabbed and pulled at the band as they
fought their way to large golden arch. I could not believe my
mind. I was about to witness the greatest band preform their
music the way they want it to be heard.
They openned with a track from their new album "POP" called
"Mofo". That song was as personal to the audience at that moment
as it is to the singer himself.... Suddenly we were made to feel
a part of the band. But then again it was people like myself
who have made it possible for U2 to stage such incredible concerts.
The stage set was nothing like I have ever seen before. A giant
golden arch with a orange basket like thing spanning the opening.
Behind the arch was a football sized T.V. screen awaiting its
chance to fill the viewer with images and colour. And to the
right of the stage a giant swizzle stick, complete with a very
large olive surrounded by two orbitals. And of course beneath
that was, what has become U2's signature, a giant Lemon. Little
did we know, but that lemon was to become the worlds largest
discoball, and provide transportation for the band to the end
of the walkway that extended from the stage, to preform the first
single of the album "Pop", "discotheque" and after that one of
their most well know hits....."With or Without you".
Quite possibly, one of the highlights of the show for myself was
the acoustic set which highlighted "Staring at the Sun" and
a song that the band claimed they havent played since the concert
in Sarajevo, "Sunday Bloody Sunday". U2 played many old tunes
over the past two nights including "Pride In the Name of Love",
in which the crowd was encouraged to join in by the bands lead
singer Bono, and a more upbeat version of "Where the streets have
no name".
On night two, one lucky fan was pulled up on stage by Bono and
had a mountie hat placed on her head and danced around with the
singer. This all going on to the tune of "Miami". How many
of us women, wished we were her at that moment?
The encore featured the song from the "Batman Forever" soundtrack
"Hold me, Thrill me, Kiss me, Kill me" while cartoon images from
the video of that song danced on the screen. And then the song
"Mysterious Ways" from the album "Achtung Baby" was preformed
with such energy and enthusiasm, that U2 had everyone in the
crowd dancing. And the concert ended with the hit single "One"'
from that same album.
Popmart was by far the best concert I have ever been to. If you
have never seen U2 live, I highly suggest that you do, even if
you arnt the biggest fan. The images that I witnessed on Oct.26th and 27th will stay in my mind forever........
~B.G.
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