U2 is currently on the road on a massive stadium tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of The Joshua Tree album. Wednesday night found them in the heart of the Silicon Valley at Levi’s Stadium in front of a sold-out crowd, certainly a far cry from the Cow Palace where they played just over 30 years ago.
The 50,000 or so fans that packed Levi’s Stadium seemed patient, yet celebratory, as they waited for U2 to finally take the stage after Mumford & Sons opening set. At 8PM sharp, Larry Mullen finally emerged onto the massive stage, made his way down the ramp to the Joshua Tree-shaped extension, quietly sat behind his kit, and launched into the familiar rat-a-tat-tat of “Sunday Bloody Sunday.” The crowd erupted as, one by one, The Edge, Bono, and Adam Clayton each made the same walk.
Playing in the middle of the general admission crowd, U2 kicked off the evening with a handful of classics from the War and The Unforgettable Fire albums, creating a surprisingly intimate experience for those on the field while still captivating those in the nosebleeds as they were blasted with dramatic lighting from all sides as fog wafted around them.
The core of Wednesday show came in the form of a front-to-back run through of The Joshua Tree which the band ushered in by strolling together up the ramp to the main stage and pausing under the massive screen lit with a giant Joshua tree.
In spite of the size of the stage which stretched the width of the field, the band largely stayed together, clustered around Larry’s drum riser as the production crew made full use of the video screens. While the band sounded fantastic throughout the set, “Exit” was a true highlight. Ushered in by a video aimed at Trump, Bono went into full-on preacher mode delivering his most impassioned performance which ended with him screaming into the camera at the end of the stage extension. Just wow.
U2
U2
U2
With The Joshua Tree performance complete, the band took a bow and left the stage but the show was far from over. Two minutes later they were back with “Beautiful Day,” the somber imagery on the big screen replaced with blazing colors for an uplifting set that concluded with an unreleased song off the band’s upcoming Songs of Experience album called “The Little Things That Give You Away.”
If you happened to talk to someone who attended the show, you may hear the occasional gripe about the lines and the traffic, but there are a few things that everyone will agree on. First, U2 remains a formidable live act and there’s a very good reason why they are one of the biggest bands in the world today. Secondly, The Joshua Tree album not only holds up after 30 years, it remains incredibly relevant.
U2
U2
U2
U2
U2
U2
U2
U2
U2
U2
U2
U2
U2
U2
U2
U2
U2
U2
U2
U2
U2
U2
U2
SETLIST
Sunday Bloody Sunday
New Year’s Day
A Sort of Homecoming
Bad
Pride (In the Name of Love)
THE JOSHUA TREE
Where the Streets Have No Name
I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For
With or Without You
Bullet the Blue Sky
Running to Stand Still
Red Hill Mining Town
In God’s Country
Trip Through Your Wires
One Tree Hill
Exit
Mothers of the Disappeared
ENCORE
Beautiful Day
Elevation
Ultraviolet (Light My Way)
One
Miss Sarajevo (Passengers cover)
The Little Things That Give You Away
