Good Bye Anaheim

Two nights of Anaheim and that’s all she could take. U2 packs up and hits the road today on to Baltimore, MD.

Memphis Mullen hits the road too early this am, traveling all the way to the east coast. The ride will be filled with memories and great tunes of the shows past. 6 shows down and well a couple more to go. While road tripping to every show across America seems so Jerry Garcia like this adventure is more about getting the ultimate fan book right. Making that connection between music, fans and of course the band. U2 has the connection when you strip all of the trappings of the machine ( nameless ) that creates the new image of U2.

Most fans will agree that U2 in some ways with the new “machine” has lost its touch with its fans,last nights show the boys took a helicopter in to the venue and a runner afterwards left some fans with a sour taste.  Its not the bands idea of how to arrive to a venue. So who is the machine, well you have think about the 360 deal that they signed years ago to understand who the machine is and how they operate. Maximum impact marketing for maximum returns for shareholders. Nothing wrong with that. Nothing at all. Just remember the fans are the ones that keep the lights on.

Anaheim II had a bit of surprise visit from “The Fly” and the setlist seemed to be a setup for Glastonbury wtith the mix of Actung Baby songs. “The Fly” was last performed on December 9th 2006 in Hawaii. Streets moved up early in the set and a couple of other little changes. Bono and the boys paid tribute to The Big Man  Clarence Clemons who pasted away the day earlier.  Bono sang a couple of lyrics from Jungleland a Springsteen fan favorite.

At its best moments — and there were so, so many — the show instantly brought back that magical feeling of old U2 shows, be it with the sublime beauty of “Miss Sarajevo,”, the always spine-tingling “Where The Streets Have No Name,” a glorious “Moment Of Surrender,” the anthemic “Walk On,” and the thrilling call to yesteryear, “I Will Follow,” from their debut album, 1980’s Boy.

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about the production, though, is that the much documented and hyped four-tentacled structure engulfing the band and those closest in the pit actually does succeed in giving off the feeling of intimacy. Yes, while in a stadium setting and among 70,000 fans, at times if felt as if it was just the band and its music — an apt reminder of why U2 earned the title of biggest band in the world.

We will see you in Baltimore. Thanks Anaheim fans we had a great time.