Set up for the concert took nearly a week and I wanted to see the people and trucks and equipment and everything else used to put this massive tour on, so went to the Rose Bowl on Saturday to take it all in minus the 96,000 or so people who would be there on Sunday.
We took a drive up into the nearby hills to get a full view of the stadium and the out-of-this-world stage. Here's how it looks from up high:
Our group arrived at the stadium after 2 on Sunday to take advantage of the Picnic in the Park that had been set up. This fenced-in area featured big screen TVs playing all the football games, video games, a DJ, a live band, punting contests and lots of food. It was a really nice area to relax in and people watch for a few hours.
We made it into the stadium a few minutes before the Black Eyed Peas went on. While this group wasn't the first choice for a lot of fans, I was excited for the performance. I like quite a few BEP songs and listen to Fergie's "The Duchess" a lot, so was totally surprised and happy when she started signing "Big Girls Don't Cry" about halfway through the set.
The biggest surprise of the set came toward the end when Will.I.Am introduced very special guest Slash. Even the people who were checking their watches to see how much longer the BEP set would last jumped to their feet to cheer on the local guitar hero.
I will freely admit I got a bit choked up when Slash took the stage. The first time I went to the Rose Bowl for a concert was to see Guns n Roses, I was 15, had won the tickets from Pirate Radio, and my brother and I got to go unattended. It was one of the best shows I've ever been to and last night I was looking across at the section we sat in.
When Slash broke into the now-classic opener for "Sweet Child o' Mine," I was cheering and pumping my arms and wiping away the tears. I still don't know why I was reacting that way, I think it was joy and nostalgia and surprise and a dozen other things all rolled together. It was a great moment.
BEP finished with "I Gotta Feeling," which got the crowd so pumped up. In between sets, I got a few minutes to catch up with a dear friend who was sitting a few rows ahead of us. She was my partner in crime during the Vertigo tour and we may be joining forces again next year.
It was soon time for U2 to take the stage. I knew all the cues this time, and it seemed most of the audience did as well. The familiar opening to David Bowie's "Space Oddity" chimed out and the crowd roared. Smoke started pouring out of the stage's spire and the countdown began on the video screen.
Last night I had a seat about three-quarters up on Edge's side so had a great view of the stage and its various moving parts. I could see Larry walk up to start the show, pounding out the opening beats to the glorious "Breathe," my favorite song on "No Line on the Horizon." The set list was really similar to what I got a few weeks ago in Raleigh, but it's a strong set, a nice mix of the old and the new, an odd gem or two thrown in ("In a Little While"! "The Unforgettable Fire"!) so I was perfectly happy.
Some of the visual aspects of the show did change, though. First, the stage looked taller and skinnier than it did in Raleigh. I figure the legs must be adjustable to fit into the various stadiums the band has played around the world, so last night it looked like they pulled everything in a bit and lifted it up.
There were also new video pieces playing during the night. The show was being broadcast live to every corner of the Earth via YouTube so times and maps would be shown throughout the set. For the song "Unknown Caller," a song not played in Raleigh, the band had asked fans around the world to record videos of them singing various parts of the song, so those videos were integrated into a map, the singing faces arranged to make up the continents these fans represented. It looked really cool and I'm sure all those fans are excited to not only be part of a show seen in-person by 96,000 people, but my millions more online and millions more beyond that when the show is released on DVD in the near future.
How many people is 96,000? A lot!! I'm not a festival person so haven't ever experienced a crowd that large. Everywhere I looked, there were people, and the majority of them were on their feet all night, singing, clapping, dancing, cheering. It should look pretty impressive on DVD, it did in person.
The show ended like I knew it would with the glorious "Ultra Violet," featuring Bono in his light-up jacket, hanging from a swinging mic, a glowing "With or Without You" and "Moment of Surrender," a song that proves what an amazing talent Edge is as he smoothly switches between keyboard and guitar. And his guitar playing on that, on every song, was so great. He's getting better and better with every tour, more electric, more funky, more bluesy, more energetic, more joyful. Can't wait to hear what he has in store for us next year.
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