Kristofer Shadows
There are times in our lives when certain occasions and events occur where our attendance is non-negotiable – nothing else matters, no obstacles are too large, and no hurdles are too high. It is rare, but it does happen. Typically, these events involve family or lifelong friends. Sometimes when we are fortunate, it includes both. I was able to experience one such event on Friday, September 29th, 2023 in Las Vegas. The interesting thing is that the family members and friends in which the celebration honored I have never met personally, but they are truly a part of my life in a way that very few personal friends and family are. The occasion I’m speaking of was the opening night of the U2 residency at The Sphere, a 17,000-seat capacity, 2.3 billion dollar entertainment venue shaped like Earth where the inside feels like a massive planetarium. I will address the show in a moment, but I really want to take a minute to describe what the experience was like in this venue.
The first thing that strikes you when walking into The Sphere (besides the hundreds of vendors) is how truly massive and unique in a “one-of-a-kind” way this arena is. Typically, ushers and ticket takers will greet concertgoers with a “Enjoy The Show” or something to that nature. With The Sphere, I was greeted with “Embrace The Experience.” I know that sounds trivial, but for me it really set the tone for what I was about to enter in to. Walking to my ridiculously expensive seat in the second row of the “nosebleed” section, it occurred to me how on top of the stage I was. In most arenas and venues, the seating goes out; in this place, it goes up… way up (think “Thunderdome”) almost to the point that it’s a little unnerving at first. A tiny bit of vertigo kind of set in until I got accustomed to the altitude, but that faded pretty quickly.
The second thing I noticed was that inside you can definitely see the roundness of the space. It’s not like the outside was round and the backdrop behind the stage was flat. No.. it was completely round – to the left, to the right, and over to top; again, like a planetarium. And lastly, which is not so great, the seats were very… very narrow and with little walking space between the rows – IMAX movie theater-like walking space.
Before I dive in, a little perspective is important. If unfamiliar with U2, this Irish band from Dublin was formed in 1976. Paul Hewson (aka Bono), David Howell Evans (aka The Edge), Larry Mullen Jr., Adam Clayton, and Ivan McCormick were schoolmates heavily inspired by the sounds of The Clash and Sex Pistols. As the story goes, a 14-year-old Larry Mullen Jr. posted a flyer looking for bandmates. Originally a 5-piece, these lads originally called themselves “The Larry Mullen Band”, then shortly thereafter “Feedback”, then “The Hype”, and eventually “U2”.
Let’s be clear, these boys were in no way musical savants. As all of them have stated on numerous occasions through the decades, they were literally just learning how to play their instruments, especially Ian who couldn’t get the hang of learning guitar, lost interest, and quit after just a few weeks – poor Ian (there’s a lesson to be learned here). But the other four kept at it, got better – a lot better – started doing shows, started writing songs, and in 1979 got their first record deal with CBS / Island Records which yielded the EP Three. Why “Three”? Because there were only three songs; clever.
Obviously, Three didn’t blow the doors off anyone, but a storm was just brewing and on October 20th, 1980, Boy would hit the shelves and things would never again be the same. Featuring songs like “A Day Without Me” and “I Will Follow”, you could begin to really hear the sound of this band, especially The Edge’s signature guitar style. Of course, this was only the beginning. Although Boy only reached #63 on the US Billboard charts, it’s worth noting that the album made Rolling Stone’s list of the top 500 greatest albums ever recorded.
After extensive touring throughout Europe and the United States promoting Boy, the new “Fab Four” went back into the studio to record their first number-one album, War, which included massive hits like “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” “Two Hearts Beat As One,” and “New Year’s Day.” At this point, the U2 rocket ship was definitely in orbit, but still only scratching the surface of what was to come.
While touring and promoting War, the band made a stop in Denver, Colorado to perform at the world-famous Red Rocks Amphitheater. The charisma and raw energy of this band’s live performance was caught on tape as well as video, and in 1983 was released as Under A Blood Red Sky in audio and VHS format. Although only reaching #28 in America, it did reach number two in the United Kingdom. One can assume that America just wasn’t quite ready for U2… but I certainly was. This live album is what drew me to this incredible and important band.
“There’s been a lot of talk… way too much talk about this next song. This is not a rebel song; this is Sunday Bloody Sunday” Bono announced to the crowd, then, Larry Mullen Jr. immediately dove right into the signature hi-hat / snare groove which is instantly recognizable to anybody who knows the song. So, here I go… just thinking about this album as well as the song, and remembering the MTV video brings me to tears. Call it nostalgia, call it a significant moment in my life, but it’s really more about remembering a first love that never left and how much that love has meant throughout my literal lifetime.
Following the War tour, U2 immediately went back to work on their fourth studio album The Unforgettable Fire released in 1984, followed by The Joshua Tree in 1987, Rattle and Hum in 1988, and finally the reason we’re all here…Achtung Baby in 1991. This finally brings us to “The Show” portion of this commentary (for lack of a better word).
Since the beginning, U2 has represented social consciousness, the corruption and wars that were happening in their home country, and bringing awareness to things like world hunger and racism. However, Achtung Baby took a very different direction. As so accurately stated on the Wikipedia site, “Achtung Baby is darker, more introspective, and at times more flippant than their previous work. The album and the subsequent multimedia-intensive Zoo TV Tour were central to the group’s 1990s reinvention, by which they abandoned their earnest public image for a more lighthearted and self-deprecating one.” It also marked U2’s second consecutive #1 US album release.
COVID sucked (and still does). 2021 marked the 30th anniversary of Achtung Baby which should have been celebrated then… at The Sphere. But along with the pandemic came work restrictions, shortage of materials, and a limited workforce which delayed the opening to last Friday night. However, as the cliche goes, good things come to those who wait. Concerning this event, that is an astronomical understatement. After a dance party hosted by DJ Pauli “The PSM” Lovejoy, U2 hit the stage at approximately 8:40 p.m. West Coast time.
There is no way words can describe what I witnessed just within the first 90 seconds of the stage lights coming on. Remember earlier when I mentioned that The Sphere is like a massive planetarium? Imagine seeing a concert in that atmosphere, where the video screen is literally all around you. For everyone and anyone who was there that night, we can all say that none of us have ever seen anything like this because frankly, there is nothing like this in the world; The Sphere is the first and only of its kind.
Reflecting back to 1991, I was in Austin, Texas seeing U2 on their Zoo TV Tour. It was promoted as a multimedia music event which had never been done prior to then. U2’s point was to go over the top with the media explosion that was happening with the newly popular “home computer” and the 24-hour news cycle. Again, this was 32 years ago and U2 wanted to make a point: that too much of a good thing is never a good thing. Little did they know what was on the horizon and how true that would be. Compared to this performance, the 169,000 speakers, and visual blitz The Sphere would deliver, the Zoo TV tour was a mere Commodore 64. Featuring and celebrating the Achtung Baby album, it was sensory overload in the most glorious way.
The band opened their set with “Zoo Station,” “The Fly,” “You’re The Real Thing,” and “Mysterious Ways.” It was at this point that Bono looked behind him and said to the drummer, “Who the hell are you??” Sitting in Larry’s chair was Dutch drummer Bram VanDen Berg who, coincidentally, was celebrating his birthday. Happy birthday, Bram… as your gift you get the very best seat in the house! An emotional Bono stated that for the first time since 1976, there was somebody different behind him due to Larry Mullen recovering from back surgery. Imagine that… after 47 years of playing music with someone, there’s now a different rhythmic vibration coming at you. Yes, Bram played the music perfectly, but sonically it wasn’t the same. Not bad, just different. The next song was “One (Love),” which was perfect considering how this family misses and loves Larry, especially on September 29th.
I could go on and on about the varying degrees and waves of emotion I experienced that night at The Sphere. Throughout their set, Bono would thank seemingly everyone who has had any hand in their success, spoke emotionally of Jimmy Buffett and the sadness of his passing, and the overwhelming appreciation the band has had for their manager, Paul McGuinness. This obviously is not customary for a rock show, but again… this was no ordinary rock show. And let’s be honest… they’re probably aren’t very many tours left in these guys; father time is truly undefeated, which brought me to a revelation: this concert, this event, this performance was more than just a celebration of a record released 32 years ago; more than just a band from Dublin, Ireland who has had the longevity the likes that we will probably never see again; more than just an over-the-top multimedia experience. This was, in the simplest and most purest form, a beautiful retrospective of a lifetime committed to love, passion, and being together as a family… and I felt that in a very big, intense way.
After covering the entire track list from Achtung Baby, the band performed various hits from The Joshua Tree forward, leaving behind songs from The Unforgettable Fire, Boy and War. That’s okay… I caught those songs performed live when they came through Dallas on the 30th anniversary of The Joshua Tree album… I’m good. They ended the night with “Where The Streets Have No Name,” “With Or Without You,” and “Beautiful Day” during which the backdrop was a massive, crystal clear image of the Las Vegas strip during the day and up above were varying images of birds, insects, snakes, and other animals.
After months of waiting, travel obstacles, and money well spent, it was finally over; Christmas had passed and we were all left with the warmth and glow of the memories. My wife, partner in crime, and lifetime bosom buddy, Cheri, and I just stood there for about 5 minutes after the lights came on and reflected, absorbed, and embraced what we had just experienced.
I certainly hope I have conveyed the importance, magnitude, and majesty U2 has held for me throughout my life and what that band has meant to me personally. Thank you, Paul, David, Larry, Adam, and yes Bram… you have meant the Sphere-sized world to me, and to all of us.
