With a feverish anticipation, New York finally sated its U2 thirst with the first two of eight nights at Madison Square Garden on their “Innocence And Experience Tour” about which Jim Farber wrote the following in the New York Daily News: “Having caught a show on every U2 tour since they first played New York in 1980, I’d rank the new one just below their storied performances of the “Joshua Tree” era.”
I certainly hope so because the setlist isn’t very hot at all, way too much of the less than wonder Songs Of The Innocence, which, apparently, increases greatly.
Ben Ratliff in the New York Times claimed “Bono delivered speeches, interior dialogues and eventually pitches for his anti-poverty and AIDS prevention organizations, ONE and (RED). But the concert was an achievement, integrated and sure-footed”
And our own Ken Davis, who is working up a review himself, said “U2 never fails to amaze. Great music, creative set design.”
I am looking forward to seeing them next Sunday but the setlist gives me pause, I mean, how many damn new ones can they include without derailing the gig? If they were pushing a better album maybe… We get six songs off the new one… as in SIX SONGS. 25% of the set.
The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone)
The Electric Co.
(with “Send in the Clowns”, “I Can See for Miles” & “On Broadway” snippets)
Vertigo
(with “God Save the Queen” snippet)
I Will Follow
Iris (Hold Me Close)
Cedarwood Road
Song for Someone
Sunday Bloody Sunday
(acoustic, without final verse; with “Johnny Comes Marching Home” snippet)
Raised by Wolves
(with “Psalm 23” snippet)
Until the End of the World
(with “Love and Peace or Else” snippet)
The Fly
(Remix)
Invisible
Even Better Than the Real Thing
(Fish Out Of Water Remix)
Mysterious Ways
(with “Burning Down the House” and “Young Americans” snippets)
Elevation
Ordinary Love
(acoustic)
October
(First time live since November 11, 1989)
Every Breaking Wave
(acoustic)
With or Without You
(with “In The Garden” snippet… more )
City of Blinding Lights
Bullet the Blue Sky
(with “19” snippet)
Pride (In the Name of Love)
(with “The Hands That Built America” segue)
Encore:
Beautiful Day
(with “I Remember You” snippet)
Where the Streets Have No Name
(with “Mother and Child Reunion” intro and “California (There Is No End to Love)” snippet)
One
(with “Invisible” snippet)
