U2 in Chicago

[Awake]

Got back from this show earlier this afternoon, and I have to gloat at getting to see this show. :p

The support band sucked major ass, but everything else about the show was great. The lights - courtesy of Willie Williams, as usual - were fantastic, a cross between Elevation-style atmospherics and PopMart OTT glitz; the sound was awesome (loud, but not overwhelming, and amazingly clear given the size ofthe venue) and the band played great. And they played Zoo Station!!! I nearly wet myself!

Setlist:
City Of Blinding Lights
Vertigo / Stories For Boys (snippet)
Elevation
The Cry
The Electric Co. / Bullet With Butterfly Wings (snippet)
An Cat Dubh
Into The Heart
Beautiful Day
New Year's Day
Miracle Drug
Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
Love And Peace Or Else
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Bullet The Blue Sky
Running To Stand Still
Pride (In The Name Of Love)
Where The Streets Have No Name
One

Encore 1:
Zoo Station (!!!)
The Fly
Mysterious Ways

Encore 2:
Party Girl
All Because Of You
Original Of The Species
Vertigo (yes, again)

A good start that rapidly bottomed ut (whatever its other strengths, some of the Boy material just dragged in this setting), and then headed vertically upwards from the moment they launches into New Year's Day. Hearing Adam's Peter Hook-esque lead on Streets ringing around the cavernous arena was positively euphoric. :p

[ChrisMcCoy]

Hey, sounds like a great show.
Just curious, was there any keyboard rig onstage from what you could see ? Anyone playing keys on any of the songs, or did it appear that there might have been something happening behind the scenes, ie offstage keyboardist or even a sequencer?
C.

[Awake]

Hey, sounds like a great show.
Just curious, was there any keyboard rig onstage from what you could see ? Anyone playing keys on any of the songs, or did it appear that there might have been something happening behind the scenes, ie offstage keyboardist or even a sequencer?There were definitely keyboards in the show, but not on-stage. I believe that the keys are "live but off-stage" - certainly if you look at the Elevation Boston DVD carefully, in the documentary, you can see the offstage keyboard player (playing a Korg Trinity, I believe) getting ready, and they have a guy listed in the Vertigo tour program as "keyboards & programming". So with those two things in consideration - and taking into account that I think U2 would FAR prefer to have a keyboard player than be chained entirely to a sequencer - I think that it's a guy playing keys, just off (or possibly under) stage.

I'm also willing to take a stab that he's got a Roland Super JV in his rig, because the piano in City of Blinding Lights sounded very familiar.

[ChrisMcCoy]

There were definitely keyboards in the show, but not on-stage. I believe that the keys are "live but off-stage" - certainly if you look at the Elevation Boston DVD carefully, in the documentary, you can see the offstage keyboard player (playing a Korg Trinity, I believe) getting ready, and they have a guy listed in the Vertigo tour program as "keyboards & programming". So with those two things in consideration - and taking into account that I think U2 would FAR prefer to have a keyboard player than be chained entirely to a sequencer - I think that it's a guy playing keys, just off (or possibly under) stage.

I'm also willing to take a stab that he's got a Roland Super JV in his rig, because the piano in City of Blinding Lights sounded very familiar.

Wow, looks like they totally bypassed DC *my area*, and will head straight to philly and on up the coast through NJ, NY and finally to Boston.
By Super JV, do you mean the 1080 or 2080? I'm trying to trade in my 880 on a 1080 right now. (Have a bid in on ebay....already have the Vintage synth expansion card, so I'm excited about that one!).
Maybe a trip to Philly in my future, or maybe they'll post a later summer date for DC...I'll have to wait and see....

[Awake]

Wow, looks like they totally bypassed DC *my area*, and will head straight to philly and on up the coast through NJ, NY and finally to Boston.
By Super JV, do you mean the 1080 or 2080? I'm trying to trade in my 880 on a 1080 right now. (Have a bid in on ebay....already have the Vintage synth expansion card, so I'm excited about that one!).
Maybe a trip to Philly in my future, or maybe they'll post a later summer date for DC...I'll have to wait and see....I meant the 1080 - I want one as well. ;) Back in my previous band - which is an ever-increasing number of years ago, now - there was a song the keyboard player / writer demoed that had this very clear, striking piano sound, and I asked him if he'd bought a Korg, because it sounded like it should be from a Trinity. He said nope, it's from the 1080.

[ChrisMcCoy]

I meant the 1080 - I want one as well. ;) Back in my previous band - which is an ever-increasing number of years ago, now - there was a song the keyboard player / writer demoed that had this very clear, striking piano sound, and I asked him if he'd bought a Korg, because it sounded like it should be from a Trinity. He said nope, it's from the 1080.

picked one up on e-bay friday...my lucky day !

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7321041893

[Awake]

Awesome deal, Chris! :)