Words & Photos by Rod Snyder

U2 was in town for their first of 2 shows in Philly. The band focused on their newer material, mostly from the album Songs of Experience, of which they played 8 tracks. They sprinkled the rest of the set with songs from their catalog, but nothing from Joshua Tree. Since the band toured for Joshua Tree‘s anniversary last year, all songs were left off the set. It was kind of nice and refreshing in a way. How many times can you hear “Where the Streets Have No Name” or “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”?

But other fans weren’t so forgiving, and I can understand that. I would have liked to hear deeper cuts or some other seldom played, older material. All in all, the band put on a great show. Always on top of technology and stage design, there is an app to be used while viewing the show as it’s in progress. It works with the screens and Bono’s jacket, and augments reality a bit. I didn’t have it to try it out, but I saw lots of people using it during the show.

The band played about half the show on the main stage, then moved to the “E Stage” set up at the other end of the venue. A brief cartoon story of the band played on the big screen, while “Hold me,Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me” played in the background. Under the cover of darkness, the band got ready for the stage, Bono in particular transformed in MacPhisto, a character he created during the Zoo TV Tour in 1993. They played 6 songs there, before moving back to the main stage to finish the main set with the extremely catchy “American Soul” from their latest release “Songs of Experience”, and “City of Blinding Lights”.

The eXPERIANCE + INNOCENCE Tour, goes until November, with the last show in Dublin, Ireland.

Setlist:

Love is all we have left
The blackout
Lights of home
I will follow
Gloria
Beautiful Day
The ocean
Iris (hold me close)
Cedarwood Road
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Until the end of the world

Stage Change
Hold me, thrill me, kiss me, kill me

Elevation
Vertigo
Desire
Acrobat
You’re the best thing about me
Staring at the sun

Pride (In the name of love)
Get out of your own way
American soul
City of blinding lights

Encore:
One
Love is bigger than anything in it’s way
13 (there is a light)




TheWaster.com | Philly
6.16.18