OT: U2 opening Vegas Sphere tonight! (Anyone else going?)

[PiscatawayMike]

The day U2 fans have been waiting for is finally here!

Tonight, U2 (sans Larry Mullen Jr., who is dealing with a back injury; Bram van den Berg will fill in during the band's run of dates through December) plays the opening night at Sphere in Las Vegas. Sphere is the modern wonder everyone in Sin City has been talking about for years.

I'll be going to one of the shows next month. Anyone else going to attend a gig during the band's residency?

Long-time U2 fan. First time I saw them live was at the Meadowlands in 1987. I saw them 3x on The Joshua Tree tour. Haven't missed a tour since. Altogether, I've seen 'em about 25x.

 

[29PAS]

If I lived there or nearby, I’d probably go see U2 but grudgingly since I can't stand Dolan.

 

[AdventureHasAName]

There's a theater inside the sphere?

 

[RUdude]

i have a tour of the sphere next week...

 

[Knight Shift]

The day U2 fans have been waiting for is finally here!

Tonight, U2 (sans Larry Mullen Jr., who is dealing with a back injury; Bram van den Berg will fill in during the band's run of dates through December) plays the opening night at Sphere in Las Vegas. Sphere is the modern wonder everyone in Sin City has been talking about for years.

I'll be going to one of the shows next month. Anyone else going to attend a gig during the band's residency?

Long-time U2 fan. First time I saw them live was at the Meadowlands in 1987. I saw them 3x on The Joshua Tree tour. Haven't missed a tour since. Altogether, I've seen 'em about 25x.

U2 went downhill fast after Joshua tree. Bono became a boring poseur. Sorry to rain on the parade. Love that flag. I thoroughly enjoyed Boy, October, War, The Unforgettable Fire and the Joshua Tree.

The Edge is great. He should have found a better lead singer and rhythm section.

 

[PiscatawayMike]

U2 went downhill fast after Joshua tree. Bono became a boring poseur. Sorry to rain on the parade. Love that flag. I thoroughly enjoyed Boy, October, War, The Unforgettable Fire and the Joshua Tree.

The Edge is great. He should have found a better lead singer and rhythm section.

No worries! No one attending any of the shows cares about your opinion!

 

[Knight Shift]

No worries! No one attending any of the shows cares about your opinion!

Are you saying I am all that they can't leave behind? Please take pictures and give a review. Very interested in the venue. Also wondering how they are live nowadays. I think The Edge is fantastic. Forgot that Larry Mullen Jr is not playing drums for the shows.

 

[NewJerseyGuy]

U2 went downhill fast after Joshua tree. Bono became a boring poseur. Sorry to rain on the parade. Love that flag. I thoroughly enjoyed Boy, October, War, The Unforgettable Fire and the Joshua Tree.

The Edge is great. He should have found a better lead singer and rhythm section.

This

Btw
Haven't kept up with new U2 music or listened to them much since the nineties. Here's their new one and having just listened for the first time, sounds like they ripped off the best part from Blondie -- Call Me! Hahaha

Can you hear it?

 

[PiscatawayMike]

Here's their new one and having just listened for the first time, sounds like they ripped off the best part from Blondie -- Call Me! Hahaha

Can you hear it?

Gotta admit... you're going to listen for a Blondie influence with any song with the word Atomic in the title!

 

[BigEastPhil]

Gotta admit... you're going to listen for a Blondie influence with any song with the word Atomic in the title!

Atomic = great underrated New Wave Blondie tune !

 

[mdk02]

U2 went downhill fast after Joshua tree. Bono became a boring poseur. Sorry to rain on the parade. Love that flag. I thoroughly enjoyed Boy, October, War, The Unforgettable Fire and the Joshua Tree.

The Edge is great. He should have found a better lead singer and rhythm section.

Enjoyed "Magnificient"

BTW. You know the difference between Bono and God?

 

[RU at the shore]

U2 went downhill fast after Joshua tree. Bono became a boring poseur. Sorry to rain on the parade. Love that flag. I thoroughly enjoyed Boy, October, War, The Unforgettable Fire and the Joshua Tree.

The Edge is great. He should have found a better lead singer and rhythm section.

Omg what a douche

 

[GoodOl'Rutgers]

Omg what a douche

For stating an opinion that differs from your own?

Okay... I have an opinion about your post. Can you guess what it is? I bet you can.

 

[Knight Shift]

Omg what a douche

GFY. Take a look in the mirror with your arms around Bono.

https://www.google.com/search?channel=fenc&client=firefox-b-1-d&q=bono+is+a+douche#ip=1

 

[Knight Shift]

Enjoyed "Magnificient"

BTW. You know the difference between Bono and God?

Careful. There is only one other God!
Can't question ex FDNY Buscemi.

 

[Knight Shift]

 

[Will Scarlet]

Have tickets in December. Would love to read your observations!

 

[DHajekRC84]

BTW. You know the difference between Bono and God?

I don't but when my wife sees my boner she does say "Oh God"

 

[mdk02]

Careful. There is only one other God!
Can't question ex FDNY Buscemi.

God doesn't walk around Dublin thinking he's Bono.

 

[Knight Shift]

God doesn't walk around Dublin thinking he's Bono.

Careful, you may get called a douche by a douche lover. My statements above stand. They had a great run, and then Bono became a caricature and intolerable. Their rhythm section is hands down one of the weakest rhythm sections for a multiplatinum rock band. The Edge is fantastic.

 

[Morrischiano2]

i have a tour of the sphere next week...

Please post about your experience!

 

[PiscatawayMike]

Have tickets in December. Would love to read your observations!

If you have a Facebook account, join the "U2 at the Sphere" group. It is on tonight!

 

[PiscatawayMike]

Live feed from the cheap seats!

 

[bac2therac]

U2 went downhill fast after Joshua tree. Bono became a boring poseur. Sorry to rain on the parade. Love that flag. I thoroughly enjoyed Boy, October, War, The Unforgettable Fire and the Joshua Tree.

The Edge is great. He should have found a better lead singer and rhythm section.

Sorry Actung Baby was brilliant..too bad you missed out

 

[RU848789]

The day U2 fans have been waiting for is finally here!

Tonight, U2 (sans Larry Mullen Jr., who is dealing with a back injury; Bram van den Berg will fill in during the band's run of dates through December) plays the opening night at Sphere in Las Vegas. Sphere is the modern wonder everyone in Sin City has been talking about for years.

I'll be going to one of the shows next month. Anyone else going to attend a gig during the band's residency?

Long-time U2 fan. First time I saw them live was at the Meadowlands in 1987. I saw them 3x on The Joshua Tree tour. Haven't missed a tour since. Altogether, I've seen 'em about 25x.

They were my favorite band from their start in 1980 (79 really) through about 1985. Saw their first tour in the US in 1981 at the Fastlane (and it wasn't full), then saw them once each on the October tour (Tower Theater in Philly), the War tour (the pier in NYC), the Unforgettable Fire tour and then my last time seeing them, at Byrne Arena in 1987, I believe, after Joshua Tree came out.

In the early/mid-80s before they were huge, I used to be like a U2 disciple, always asking people to listen to them and telling everyone they'd be the biggest band in the world. If only I could've bought stock in them, lol. Still love their music, especially the pre-1990 stuff, but moved on to other music mostly. Would be kind of fun to see them again though.

 

[Kbee3]

The day U2 fans have been waiting for is finally here!

Tonight, U2 (sans Larry Mullen Jr., who is dealing with a back injury; Bram van den Berg will fill in during the band's run of dates through December) plays the opening night at Sphere in Las Vegas. Sphere is the modern wonder everyone in Sin City has been talking about for years.

I'll be going to one of the shows next month. Anyone else going to attend a gig during the band's residency?

Long-time U2 fan. First time I saw them live was at the Meadowlands in 1987. I saw them 3x on The Joshua Tree tour. Haven't missed a tour since. Altogether, I've seen 'em about 25x.

I've always loved U2's music. But I have a hard time taking a band seriously when I hear the word "residency".

 

[PiscatawayMike]

I've always loved U2's music. But I have a hard time taking a band seriously when I hear the word "residency".

I have no problem with residencies. Great way for bands up in age to keep performing. Life on the road is brutal.

 

[MulletCork]

Venue looks wild enough but is this actually singing ?

 

[NewJerseyGuy]

Sorry Actung Baby was brilliant..too bad you missed out

For me, no.

I would have considered U2 one of my favorite bands until Achtung Baby.

Saw them in a terrible and terribly self-indulgent giant stadium concert on the Achtung Baby tour and dropped them right then and there. Lost interest.

Enjoyed a hit here and there after that, like Beautiful Day, but not a fan after Achtung.

Also annoyed when Apple put one of their awful later albums on everyone’s iPhones for free. Yuck

 

[bac2therac]

For me, no.

I would have considered U2 one of my favorite bands until Achtung Baby.

Saw them in a terrible and terribly self-indulgent giant stadium concert on the Achtung Baby tour and dropped them right then and there. Lost interest.

Enjoyed a hit here and there after that, like Beautiful Day, but not a fan after Achtung.

Also annoyed when Apple put one of their awful later albums on everyone’s iPhones for free. Yuck

I will agree with post Pop U2 in the 2000s as they became caricatures of themselves but Actung Baby was a shift in sound that had to happen to keep them relevant in the 90s. Mysterious ways will always remind me of my time at RU. There is a reason U2 kept going while hair bands and even Bon Jovi faded in the 90s

 

[Knight Shift]

How was it?

 

[PiscatawayMike]

How was it?

I was in Vegas last week. I was originally only going to attend one show on Wed. Oct. 18. However, my brother and I won a nice chunk of change in the casinos so instead of giving it back, while out there, we bought tix for the Friday Oct. 20 show, too.

Sphere (not The Sphere... they make sure to get that across to visitors) lived up to its advance billing.
I'm not sure I can adequately describe what I heard and witnessed. It was sensory overload... but in a good way.

All the images and the way they were displayed were unlike anything I've ever experienced before.
The sound was phenomenal. Every song was a 10 audio-wise, but Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses gets an 11. Everything came together making the performance of that song the highlight of Wednesday evening, at least for me.

A couple of tidbits for anyone attending a future show: the seats in the 300 and 400-level are extremely steep. I sat in the 300s on Wednesday. Unlike most concerts, hardly anyone stood up/danced because the steepness and height made many attendees feel a bit queasy and uneasy when standing. Also, the seats provide hardly any legroom. Anyone over 6-feet tall will be cursing the seats and the stupid cup holders, which take up prime space in the seating area.

On Friday night, my experience was quite different. The performance felt more like a concert instead of a show. Unlike the seating up top, seats in the 100-level are not steep at all and there is plenty of legroom. Fans felt comfortable enough to stand up and dance throughout the evening.

Here are some photos (all are from Friday except the last two):

 

[PiscatawayMike]

Over the years, you may have spotted my U2 flag in the yellow lot...