U2 Rocks The World On You Tube

I wanted to go to the Rose Bowl to see U2. So did 100,000 other fans. I've been to the venue for the actual Rose Bowl football game and its always a traffic nightmare. You have to go early and leave early and I'm not paying the big bucks to see U2 and miss the encores! Fortunately on the day of the show I received notice that the concert was going to be broadcast live on You Tube. My Sunday started at 7am while I drank coffee and watched the thrilling Liverpool v Man United soccer match. Then came the NFL games, both on TV and the radio while riding my bike at the beach. Then it was playoff baseball, Sunday night football and finally around 9pm U2 hit the stage.

If I'd been at the Rose Bowl all day I would've been drinking beers and grilling up a storm. Thanks to You Tube and the band I caught the show at home eating popcorn and drinking rum and cokes. While the video quality varied throughout the two hour concert, the sound was consistently crisp and clean. U2 started out with three songs from their latest album "No Line On The Horizon." I love the record (see my earlier post from March) and enjoyed the live versions of "Breathe," "Magnificent" and the title track. Then came the hits. I always thought "Beautiful Day" was a bit lightweight but this version rocked hard and Bono threw in a snippet of "God Only Knows" for the SoCal Beach Boys fans like myself.

U2 didn't play "Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" when I last saw them in San Diego in 2005 but they did this time. Watching the crowd sing and Bono strut about the gigantic stage made me wish I was there. On You Tube I had a sense of the enormity of the now famous "Claw" stage but it was hard to appreciate the awesome structure on my computer screen. I saw enormous video screens and the bridges over the crowd that appeared out of nowhere. Bono and The Edge reminded me of Mick and Keith of the Stones as they pulled off an acoustic take of "Stuck In The Middle" like they were playing in an intimate club. Bono's voice had sounded a bit ragged on their Saturday Night Live appearance a few weeks ago but was in pristine shape on this cool evening. "Elevation" rocked and rolled as the crowd went crazy singing along. "The End Of The World" is another concert highlight that sounded better than ever but after that came my favorite: "The Unforgettable Fire," perhaps U2's "prettiest" song while challenging Bono's vocal range.

U2 was tearing it up as they hit their stride with "City of Blinding Lights" and "Vertigo." I was dancing around the house at 11pm on a Sunday night, so glad I didn't have to worry about the drive home. I was getting emails from friends all over, including Australia where it was Monday afternoon. It was truly a global experience from a truly global band.

My only quibble was the set closer: "Walk On." I like the tune but it was a let down after the driving force of the previous tunes. The encore, which I would have heard while racing to my car if I was there, did not disappoint. I knew they had to do "One" and "Where The Streets Have No Name" and "With Or Without You." Yet it was the last song, the best from the new album, "Moment of Surrender" that was the perfect nightcap on a long and fun day.

Thanks to U2 and You Tube, I saw an incredible show for free and so did 10 million other fans on seven continents, a You Tube record. However, I knew that to fully enjoy this "360 Tour" I really had to be there. So when I woke up on Monday and found out U2 had scheduled a show at Angels Stadium in Anaheim for June 6, 2010, I immediately booked a hotel room right next to the stadium. That way my friends and I can tailgate by the pool and walk to the show!

Of course, once U2 gets rolling, they keep thinking bigger and bigger. They will play a free concert in Berlin to help the city celebrate 20 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall. Music network MTV said the Irish rockers will perform in front of the Brandenburg Gate on Nov. 5 during the MTV Europe Music Awards. The show will be beamed into the awards ceremony at Berlin's O2 World arena. On October 30th they'll be at Madison Square Garden for the 25th anniversary concert for the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame. I hope they find time to get some rest before next June!