U2 Live: 24 Years and Counting

Happy Weekend all! Started this post on Friday, but got a bit long and needed to finish this today.

I got tickets this past week during the U2 ticket pre-sale for U2.com members. Got some pretty good seats for their show at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville, Va., in the fall -- see seating chart below. Pretty psyched about the tickets, but will be quite awhile until showtime.


This will be my 7th time seeing U2 and looking back at the years... Wow, how the time and chapters in my life have passed. It didn't really hit me until I typed out the years that I saw them in concert -- 1985, 1987, 1992, 1997, 2001 and 2005.

Hey, found the set lists online - the Web is amazing...

1985 - Unforgettable Fire Tour
Saw them at the Philadelphia Spectrum, former home of the Flyers and Sixers. What's missing in the set list below is the band broke into "Amazing Grace" at one point. My sister Linda, who was also in attendance, mentioned that was one of her favorite parts of the show. Lone Justice opened and this would be one of many concerts I saw there including Peter Gabriel, The Cars (w/ Wang Chung), INXS (w/ Ziggy Marley) and The Cure.

04/22/1985 -- The Spectrum - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
11 O'Clock Tick Tock, I Will Follow, Seconds, MLK, The Unforgettable Fire, Wire, Sunday Bloody Sunday, The Cry, The Electric Co. / Happy Christmas (War Is Over) (snippet), A Sort Of Homecoming, Bad, October, New Year's Day, Pride (In The Name Of Love) encores: Knockin' On Heaven's Door, Gloria, 40

1987 - Joshua Tree Tour
Saw them at JFK Stadium, where the Wachovia Center now stands and the same stadium that hosted Live Aid two years earlier. Bruce Springsteen joined them for a song. Bono, whose arm was in a sling following an onstage fall a couple shows earlier, asked the crowd "Who wants to play my guitar?" That's when Bruce walked on stage.

09/25/1987 -- John F Kennedy Stadium - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Where The Streets Have No Name, I Will Follow, Trip Through Your Wires, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For / Exodus (snippet), MLK, The Unforgettable Fire, Bullet The Blue Sky, Running To Stand Still, People Get Ready, In God's Country, Exit / Riders On The Storm (snippet) / Van Morrison's Gloria (snippet), Sunday Bloody Sunday, Help, Bad, October, New Year's Day, Pride (In The Name Of Love)
encores: With Or Without You, Party Girl, Stand By Me, 40
comment: Stand By Me is performed with Bruce Springsteen.

1992 - Outside Broadcast Tour
This was either September 2 or 3 at the old Vets Stadium, but I think it was the 3rd - don't have the ticket stub to check. I loved that they performed "The Fly" when I saw them in 2005, but this performance with the enormous video screens projecting behind them was amazing. I'm sure it must have lit up the sky for miles!

09/03/1992 -- Veteran's Stadium - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Zoo Station, The Fly, Even Better Than The Real Thing, Mysterious Ways / Love To Love You Baby (snippet), One / Unchained Melody (snippet), Until The End Of The World, New Year's Day, Whiskey In The Jar, Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World, Angel Of Harlem, When Love Comes To Town, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, Satellite Of Love, Bad / Rain (snippet) / All I Want Is You (snippet), Bullet The Blue Sky, Running To Stand Still, Where The Streets Have No Name, Pride (In The Name Of Love)
encores: Desire, With Or Without You / Shine Like Stars (snippet), Love Is Blindness, Can't Help Falling In Love

1997 - Popmart Tour
I lived in Boston at the time and saw them at the old Foxboro Stadium. This is another one I can't recall exactly which show I went to - either July 1 or 2. They don't change their set lists all that much, not to mention it's been awhile. I believe it was the 2nd, because I remember this being their last show for that leg of the tour.

07/02/1997 -- Foxboro Stadium - Foxboro, Massachusetts, USA
Mofo, I Will Follow, Gone, Even Better Than The Real Thing, Last Night On Earth, Until The End Of The World / Break On Through (snippet), New Year's Day, Pride (In The Name Of Love), I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For / Stand By Me (snippet), All I Want Is You, Staring At The Sun, Suspicious Minds (Edge Karaoke), Miami / My Mammy (snippet) / Cuba (snippet), Bullet The Blue Sky / The Message (snippet) / America (snippet) / The Minstrel Boy (snippet), Please, Where The Streets Have No Name / Playboy Mansion (snippet)
encores: Discothèque / That's The Way (I Like It) (snippet) / Discothèque Howie B Hairy B Mix (snippet), If You Wear That Velvet Dress, With Or Without You / Shine Like Stars (snippet), Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me, Mysterious Ways, One, MLK, Rain
comment: Suspicious Minds is performed by Edge with the Fun Lovin' Criminals.

2001 - Elevation Tour
This one I was able to confirm the date with my ticket stub! This was a great show at the former First Union Center (later renamed Wachovia Center). The band walked on stage with the house lights up, which to me made it seem more real - just four guys from Ireland who play music together. But when the lights go down and they start to play, they may as well be 400 ft. tall! Here's a review of the show from Spin magazine.

06/11/2001 -- First Union Center - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Elevation, Beautiful Day / Night And Day (snippet), Until The End Of The World, Mysterious Ways / Sexual Healing (snippet), In My Life (snippet) / , Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of, Kite, Gone, New York, I Will Follow, Sunday Bloody Sunday / Get Up Stand Up (snippet), In A Little While, Desire / Van Morrison's Gloria (snippet), Stay (Faraway, So Close!), Bad / Wild Horses (snippet) / 40 (snippet), 40 (snippet) / , Where The Streets Have No Name, Pride (In The Name Of Love)
encores: Bullet The Blue Sky, With Or Without You, The Fly, One, Walk On

2005 - Vertigo Tour
This show blew me away! They played one of my favorites that they hadn't played in years, "The Electric Co." David Bowie was in attendance, reportedly along with many other celebs, but didn't get to see any of them. They broke into a cover of Bowie's "Jean Genie" and gave a "tip of the hat" to the Ramones as well. They bookended the show by playing "Vertigo" twice, but I didn't mind. Great, great show!

05/21/2005 -- Madison Square Garden - New York, New York, USA
City Of Blinding Lights, Vertigo / Rockaway Beach (snippet), Elevation, The Cry, The Electric Co. / Send In The Clowns (snippet) / I Can See For Miles (snippet), An Cat Dubh, Into The Heart, Beautiful Day / Blackbird (snippet), Miracle Drug, Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own, Love And Peace Or Else, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Bullet The Blue Sky / When Johnny Comes Marching Home (snippet) / The Hands That Built America (snippet), Running To Stand Still, Pride (In The Name Of Love), Where The Streets Have No Name, One
encores: Zoo Station, The Fly / The Jean Genie (snippet), Mysterious Ways, Original Of The Species, All Because Of You, Yahweh, Vertigo

2009 - 360° Tour
This year's show isn't for six months!

At least I have the Dave Matthews Band coming up in a little more than a week, also in Charlottesville. I'll be heading up there and catching the show with Ol' Lazy Acres. The night before we'll be a celebrating my 43rd year -- look out Richmond!

- Salud!