white people invade MARTA (or, going downtown for the u2 concert)

[my chickenshit pansy ass didn't bring my camera, even though just about everyone else did. so thanks to chap's photostream for pics from last night. props for getting them up so quickly!]

last night rocked big-time. thanks again to mpg for the phat tickets. what a wedding gift!!!

having listened to institute, the opening act, online, we decided they were largely forgettable and skipped their set. no loss.

u2 continued their practice of having a fairly stripped down set. zootv was over the top and pop mart was outrageous (bono commented that it almost bankrupted them), elevation was practically a practice in minimalism. the vertigo set was a bit more done up, with a cool curtain and the now-familiar stage within a stage set up.

here's the set list:

Main Set: City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, Elevation, I Will Follow, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, Beautiful Day, Happy Birthday, Original of the Species, Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own, Love and Peace or Else, Sunday Bloody Sunday - Rock the Casbah, Bullet the Blue Sky, Miss Sarajevo, Pride, Where the Streets Have No Name, One, MLK

Encore(s): Until the End of the World, Mysterious Ways, With or Without You, The First Time (acoustic), Stuck In a Moment You Can't Get Out Of, Bad

having dead-center seats provided all kinds of great views. as always, bono connected with the crowd so well. his tribute to his dad before 'sometimes you can't make it on your own' was really touching. not to get too cheesey here, but it made me think about how many ways there are to see u2's songs. when i was younger, i really heard the defiance in songs like acrobat, sunday bloody sunday and 40. in college i really heard the heartbreak of songs like so cruel, please, and love is blindness. now, i really hear bono's relationship with his father on so many of the songs.

two encores!?!?! can you beat that?

the only disappointment was not getting to hear 40. mrs. wintermute was thrilled that they played stuck in a moment both nights (rarity on this tour). they did stripped down version, with the edge on acoustic guitar and no drums or bass.

no matter how many times i've heard it on the radio and now seen it concert, the old-standby's are just incredible: sunday bloody sunday, where the streets have no name, i still haven't found what i'm looking for, and one.

heading down to the concert it was amusing to see the giant white invasion of abercrombie-clad clones on marta (atlanta's transit system).

thanks again, mpg for the tix!