U2 Vertigo Concert Review

Just got back from U2's Vertigo concert in San Jose . U2's performance was equivalent if not better than the Elevation Tour concert that I went to four years ago. I left the concert feeling that I want to go see them perform once again.

For those of you who are still looking to buy tickets, I highly recommend getting the lower level section seats that are either next to or behind the stage. In my opinion these are the best seats that are available since you are actually located very close to the band and you can actually see their faces. In addition, it is a rounded stage and Bono and the Edge often times will come face the fans behind the stage and they have access to get pretty close to them as well.

Several highlights that are worth mentioning:

• Bono shared his experience about meeting Pope John Paul II at his private summer residence in Rome back in 1999. He then proceeded to take out this necklace from his pocket and hang it around the mic stand, stating that the Pope had given that to him. He dedicated the song "Miracle Drug" to those who are very sick and to the doctors who save many people's lives.
• They showed a clip of a young woman reciting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in a disembodied voice, notably "Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person." and "No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms."
  
• Bono talked about the battle that we are facing now in year 2005. He said to forget about the civil rights and all the other things in the past. We should now fight for humans to be treated equally. He then made everyone in the audience take out their cell phones and hold it up in the dark, which I thought made a really cool scene. He said that each and every one of us has the power to make a difference by voicing our opinion to the government.
• The last song was "40" from the album "Under a Blood Red Sky." The band left the stage one after the other with the entire audience singing "How long....to sing this song...." repeatedly until they all disappeared.

My only disappointment was that I got stuck sitting right next to these two druggies. They were smoking pot during the entire concert! Other than that, the rest of the audience were great; About 95 percent of the people were on their feet during the entire show and even this 90 year old grandma in front of me was seen enjoying the music and bobbing her head up and down.