The number of days until the end of coal (152,078). The number of people infected with HIV/AIDS (33,652,710). The number of abortions performed in 2011 (22,785,419). These were just a few of the statistics that were available for U2 fans before the Irish band came on stage at their Busch Stadium concert on July 17.
Bono, the lead singer of U2, has become just as well known for his advocacy of causes as for his band. As a result, the concert had many references to these causes throughout the show.
The concert had a theme of outer space exploration. Their stage resembled a strange spaceship with a green claw-like design. Likewise, the show started with David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” playing from the sound system.
Some of the highlights included “Mysterious Ways” and “I Will Follow,” which received raucous cheering from fans.
This concert was not the first time U2 has been to St. Louis. The band first came in 1981 to Washington University’s Graham Chapel. Bono even brought the set list from that night and read aloud the songs they played. They played “Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” joking that not much had changed in those 30 years.
One of the most touching parts of the show was the song “Beautiful Day,” which was dedicated to Gabby Giffords, the Arizona Congresswoman who was the victim of a shooting attempt this past January. The song began with a video of her husband, Space Shuttle Commander Mark Kelly, saying, “Tell my wife I love her very much, she knows,” and singing a verse of the song.
Ben Kruse, a junior in the John Cook School of Business, appreciated the integration of video into the concert. “The astronaut [Mark Kelly] was great. It really brought ‘Beautiful Day’ to something higher.”
Their newer song “Vertigo” was also very popular, particularly because it showed off some of the 360 degree screen’s capabilities. The screen was lengthened to go from the top of the 167-foot stage to just above the heads of the performers.
The band’s advocacy for democracy colored the final songs. The band began “Sunday Bloody Sunday” with images of flags of countries in North Africa and the Middle East, as well as images from the revolutions of the past few years such as Egypt, Libya, and Iran.
Aung San Suu Kyi, the Burmese political prisoner, appeared on screen to talk about the great work done by Amnesty International and the One Campaign, whose logos and booths were present throughout the area before and during the concert. She introduced “One,” which had the crowd singing along even after more than three hours in the July heat.
The last songs of the main portion were a rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” which led into their own “Where the Streets Have No Name.” Although “Hallelujah” is slightly overplayed, the band pulled it off well.
The encore started off with a strange animation of space aliens coming from the concert, but it was short enough that it was not distracting. U2 then played “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me” and “With Or Without You.”
The last song of the night was “Moment of Surrender,” which began with a mention of the work going on to rebuild Joplin and the tragedy that happened there.
The advocacy of causes throughout the show worked surprisingly well. If it were any other band, the show would have been excessive, but U2 seems to make excess and theatrics work well. Overall, the show was well worth the admission for a sold-out crowd.
