I had mixed feelings about the U2 concert. Not that I have mixed feelings about the band’s performance or about U2 as a band. I genuinely believe that there are few bands on earth who put on a better live performance. No other band that I can think of has such a rare combination of spirituality, political conscience, and great rocking music. Bono has charisma; there is no doubt about it. The concert itself had a few wrinkles. Bono forgot the words to “Yahweh” and “Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses,” causing the Edge to start over (both songs started with acoustic guitar). There were also some strange lyrical changes, but nothing that bothered me too much. The sound and lighting was fantastic. My mixed feelings came from the events of the day. Earlier on Sunday, as my last blog entry records, my grandmother passed away. So many of my memories of the concert and some of the better songs in the performance are always going to be laced with a bitter sweetness. In fact, I was hiding my tears from Michelle and the kids when they played “Sometimes You Can’t Make it on Your Own.” I don’t think there was anything particularly resonating about the lyrics, but the song is simply beautiful and beautifully painful.
While I thoroughly respect Bono’s Christian witness--I believe he is the closest thing that we have to modern prophet--I did notice that he was noticeably silent about the war in Iraq. In fact, when the band played “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” I was looking forward to shouting out “No More! No War!” Bono has led such chants during this song at other concerts in previous years. In fact, there were times where Bono was fueling U.S. patriotism--something that was a bit unsettling to me. I got the feeling that Bono was in quite a different place. His thoughts were more turned toward Africa and his home country of Ireland, places about which he was very hopeful. In fact, Bono’s mood was one of gratitude. This grateful attitude probably emerged from the fact that last Sunday night was the 29th anniversary of the band’s initial meeting. His gratitude, however, was always reaching out toward the world through the many humanitarian causes that he represents. Appropriately the concert ended with “40,” a song and psalm that moves from thanksgiving to lament “How long to sing this song?”
I thoroughly enjoyed the concert. I was glad that I got to share it with my entire family. There are a number of things that we all like to do together. Listening to U2 is one of those things. It was great to see Stephen and Adam’s faces light up when U2 came out, to see their awe at a crowd that was so connected to the music that they enjoy. With my grandmother’s presence in her death, it really made the concert a generational affair.
Posted by Frank Yamada at September 28, 2005 06:08 AM