Music

My Year of Concerts™: U2

December 18, 2023

MyYearOfConcerts has come to an end! And I suppose there’s some poetry in the fact that it ended with the band that was a huge part of my life for 30+ years…the band that gave me a world of friends I cherish to this day…the band that made me a published author…etc.

I saw U2 on Friday and Saturday down at the Sphere in Vegas.

I went cold turkey on U2 (and U2 fandom, for that matter) back in 2019. I left fandom entirely and stopped listening to U2 songs — a hard break in the name of taking care of my mental health. I very cautiously started listening to them again about six months ago — my #U2rehab as I’ve called it on Twitter. As recently as 5 days ago, I wasn’t sure I wanted to see them live.

So, after a 4-year break, to say this weekend was complicated would be an understatement. I could probably write 2,000 words or record a 2-hour podcast episode on the whole experience, and that might not even cover the concerts themselves.

In lieu of that, the short recap is as follows: The visuals were often stunning and the sound in the Sphere was the best I’ve ever heard. The band brought me to tears a couple times each night, but overall I thought the shows were underwhelming. Aside from looking at a couple setlists, I had avoided all spoilers leading up to this weekend. I had some expectations of what a show built around my favorite album should be like…and it wasn’t like that at all.

The best part of the weekend was reconnecting with some longtime friends I hadn’t seen in years and making some new friends, too. Quality time with Sherry, Becky, and Dan was very good for my mental health.

In the end, going to Vegas and seeing these shows was a Good Thing.

So #MyYearOfConcerts is over, but I already have tickets for five shows in 2024, so…… #MyLifeOfConcerts? 🙂

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