U2 Played The Meadowlands

By Joe Housel - U2 returned to the Meadowlands last night after a year-long postponement due to Bono’s back surgery before the original concert date in 2010. The band continued their now 3-year long “360 Tour” behind 2009’s No Line on the Horizon. The proposed set design allowed the band to give the allusion of intimacy while performing in stadiums across the globe. The stage was surrounded on all sides by the audience and featured a claw-like supporting rig enclosing the 3,800 square feet, 360 degree, wrap-around HD screen. Lord only knows the daily production costs and time it takes to construct this monstrosity but you couldn’t help but be impressed with the manifestation of it all.

Former NYC darlings, Interpol, provided an excellent opening to the show. The band looked fresh and ran through a tight 10-song set that focused heavily on their first two albums, 2002’s Turn on the Bright Lights and 2004’s Antics. Their customary all black attire might not have been suiting to the 90 degree weather but Paul Banks’ vocals were strong and the band planned with purpose regardless of the crowd’s obvious disinterest. I admittingly gave up on Interpol after being slightly disappointed with 2007’s Our Love to Admire but will never doubt them as a talented live act.

After a lengthy setup, David Bowie’s Space Oddity chimed over the PA system to announce the spectacle was underway. U2 came out strong ripping through four tracks off 1991’s surreal Achtung Baby. Given my bias towards that album, I couldn’t think of a more perfect opening with the highlight easily being The Fly. From then on, U2 breezed through their never changing set list with all the greatest hits you could expect while sprinkling in a few new tracks for good measure. Special highlights included U2 dusting off the title-track to the bizarre but underrated Zooropa album recorded while on tour in 1993 as well as their single to the Batman Forever Soundtrack, Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me.

Given the proximity to the legendary Asbury Park, Bono’s inter-song chatter was heavily focused on Bruce Springsteen and the recent passing of the E-Street band saxophonist Clarence Clemons which brought out the “best” in the pro-New Jersey crowd. Overall, the band certainly performed with high energy and genuinely seemed happy to be there even after 110 previous shows worldwide.

Having already seen U2 at the old Giants stadium in 2009, I can say without a doubt last night was the exact same show with an almost identical feel but in the end, who cares? Fans aren’t going to see U2 or The Rolling Stones world tours in order to see how the new material plays out live. You go for the greatest hits and hope to be dazzled by show-stopping stage theatrics. After close to 3 hours of nostalgic music, as long as you drowned out a few Amnesty International plugs and Bono’s preaching about the political unrest in Burma (Note: I’ll see you in hell), it turns out that New Jersey was the place to be last night.