Around the corner of my life is a little crevice called sanity.
When does too much happen? You are about to witness the answer to that question. In an effort to document all of my musical adventures, I started this blog.....when I am done writing this weekend I will once again experience the overload I placed on myself.
Now, let me also share my life belief:
Life is here to build memories and experiences
As you will witness, both are present in the last few months. Slowing down is a good experience too. I will never complain about my life and what it has brought, but sometimes you need to slow down and look back in order to truly respect those experiences and self archive those memories. Don't want the bucket to get too full without inventorying those entities and tucking them away in the proper mental scrapbook.
Imagine to yourself having free range of the floor and stage area. Well we couldn't imaging it and yet it happened.
On night two we were in the Red Zone, which was a unique area just off the side of the outer stage. Little did we know, this would also allow us to roam through the inner stage, back stage area and experience U2 360 in a whole new way.
Here is a video of when they walked on the stage. (Just watch the first few seconds, I kept recording and didn't know it.)
All night long they played a few different tunes, add a bit of a twist, improvised a few steps and stayed with the core of the performance. The next few videos show just these steps along the way. (Notice the crowd interaction tonight. It was even better than the night before.)
Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For with a little Stand By Me ending!!!!
I'll Go Crazy, If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight
MLK (with a little of Pride ending.)
Here is the Set List for Night 2:
Main Set: Breathe, No Line On The Horizon, Get On Your Boots, Magnificent, Beautiful Day - Here Comes the Sun, Mysterious Ways, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For - Stand By Me, Angel of Harlem - Don't Stop Til You Get Enough, In A Little While, Unknown Caller, The Unforgettable Fire, City of Blinding Lights - Rain, Vertigo, I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Pride, MLK, Walk On - You'll Never Walk Alone, Where the Streets Have No Name, One
Encore(s): Ultraviolet, With or Without You, Moment of Surrender
Comments: Bono dances with a female fan from Chile during Mysterious Ways. U2 makes another connection with the Intl. Space Station, where the astronauts have a special message for the Dublin crowd: 'Hello Dublin, what's the craic?' Fans up front notice Bono in tears after Streets.
Here are a couple of pictures through the night:
Here are a few more shots throughout the night. We wrapped up a 21 year long venture to go see U2 in Ireland in pure style. Pure style, we will never, ever, ever will forget this weekend.
Let me start by saying, one more amazing night for U2. Highlights of the night include; the purest crowd interaction I have ever heard. (If you have ever wondered if the Irish sing all the time, they certainly do at a U2 concert. It was unreal.) When they pulled out Bad, you have got to be kidding me. What an experience, that is all I can say, over and over and over.
Here is a bit of the opening night. What an experience.
Then U2 played a little acoustic set, which included some good mix. Check out a sample of Stuck In A Moment.
Here is the Set List:
Main Set: Breathe, No Line On The Horizon, Get On Your Boots, Magnificent, Beautiful Day - Blackbird, Elevation, Desire, Stuck In A Moment, The Auld Triangle, One, Until the End of the World, The Unforgettable Fire, City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Pride, MLK, Walk On - You'll Never Walk Alone, Where the Streets Have No Name, Bad
Encore(s): Ultraviolet, With or Without You, Moment of Surrender
Comments: Bono and Edge sing an acoustic 'Stuck', followed by 'Auld Triangle', a traditional Irish song (also acoustic). After the song, Bono lavishes praise on the hometown crowd. During the encore break, a computerized voice recites a bit of the WH Auden poem, 'Funeral Blues.'
Also, some random pictures.
Raining during the opening act:
Proof of how clean this area is, how about Smoking Wardens at concerts:
Glasvegas, last song of their set. Passionate little Scots:
Bono walking the outer stage, where we will be tonight:
Upon touching down in Ireland, our taxi cab driver started up with asking why we were in town. (The Custom's Officer hit it right on the head like we were some transparent teenagers.) We are in town to watch the hometown boys play a gig in a few days!!!!!
The driver got excited and had to share that he was at the first ever U2 concert and pointed out that it took place kitty corner from our hotel at the below location.
If you ever wonder if U2 owns this town, there are posters everywhere announcing their return to the area. Here is an example down one of the shopping districts.
Finally, everywhere you go there is someone playing music. I think we could move here today!!!!
Round two of The 2009 Anderson Concert Series takes us to Ireland, homeland of a small little quintet from Ireland. More to come as the week kicks off....Wednesday morning. I can't stand it, may not sleep for the next 5 days.
You have got to be kidding me. We witnessed the greatest concert I have seen at Red Rocks and it just happens to be WILCO. Rare crowd, excellent seating, amazing friends, oh....and WILCO was completely on.
We went early to get close seats and pulled up to the parking lot with maybe 10 cars parked. The rain was coming down so hard, we couldn't see out the window. The rain quickly converted to hail and then stopped. It was a beautiful night, one like no other. The heaven split open and the moon, the stars and a touch of clouds streaked across the fresh sky. The setting couldn't have been chosen from a Rolodex of screen savers. Just serene.
This concert was on the brink of their new album, WILCO the Album. The new songs came to life in a live setting. As always, Nels kicked in a bit of psychedelic rock to the mix. The band members were certainly in sink all night, Jeff doing quirky thinks on the stage including dedicating Man Who Loves You to his wife and then mocking himself a bit. Not one single complaint about the night. Not one.
Set List:
1. Wilco (The Song) 2. I Am Trying To Break Your Heart 3. Bull Black Nova 4.You Are My Face 5. One Wing 6. A Shot In The Arm 7. At Least That's What You Said 8. Deeper Down 9. Impossible Germany 10. It's Just That Simple 11. Can't Stand It 12. Jesus, Etc. 13. Shouldn't Be Ashamed 14. Hate It Here 15. Handshake Drugs 16. You Never Know 17. Walken 18. I'm The Man Who Loves You 19. Everlasting Everything
Encore 1: 20. Ashes Of American Flags 21. California Stars (with Okkervil River) 22. Misunderstood 23. Spiders (Kidsmoke) 24. Hummingbird
Encore 2: 25. The Late Greats 26. Heavy Metal Drummer 27. Hoodoo Voodoo 28. I'm A Wheel
The opening of 2009's concert season for the Anderson family has just been kicked off with a BANG!!!! I wish EVERYONE could have been there, that means ALL of you.
Highlights - WILCO the Song, Jeff banter (as always), Jeff's kids playing on stage, pinnacle moment was definitely Misunderstood. Please see below:
