"Oh sugar, don't you cry. Oh child, wipe the tears from your eyes. You know I need you to be strong, and the day is as dark as the night is long. Feel like trash, you make me feel clean. I'm in the black, can't see or be seen. Baby baby baby, light my way." ~u2

Okay, here's my U2 post.
I am currently running on three hours of sleep and a long day at work, so don't expect brilliance right now.
I do want to write about Snow Patrol and the great evening I had, but I'll get back to that some other time.

*Nic and I got to Giants Stadium for the U2 concert at 9:00am. We had GA tickets so we had to get in line in order to get a good spot on the field. We were numbers 162 and 163 in line (the line had begun at 3pm the day before). In line we played cards for a few hours, I read, and we ate a lot of junk. Around 6:00pm we finally got into the stadium. It was a mad dash; I wish I had filmed it (I was too busy running, though). A huuuuge crowd of people running across a football field is quite a sight to see. I felt like a superstar athlete charging onto the field before a big game. I got into the pit and managed to grab us two spots along the back rail in the pit, which was exactly where we wanted to be. The front wouldn't have been ideal because the stage is really high so you can't see much (especially when you're short), so we chose a spot where we were right along the walkway, had a good view of the main stage, and still had the amazing energy that can only be found in the pit.

*Muse was the opening band and they were good. They're much bigger in Europe than they are here (they sell out stadiums in Europe), and I think they're on their way to catching on in America.

*U2 came on at 9:00pm. Their setlist was a little disappointing to me, although I was happy about a few things. Once you've seen them live a lot, you get sick of hearing the same songs. I understand that they have to play the classics at every show ("One," "Where the Streets Have No Name," "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"), but they recycled way too many songs from the Vertigo tour that I didn't need to hear again. They have such a massive catalog of music from which to draw, and I wish they'd vary it up a little more.
*I was thrilled to hear "Your Blue Room," although most people didn't seem to know it. It was also nice to hear "New Year's Day" and "Desire."
*I found it funny that they launched into "Beautiful Day" immediately after it started raining (luckily the rain didn't last). These funny umbrellas were brought onstage when it began to rain.
*The claw is amazing. Pictures do not do it justice. It's absolutely massive.
*I was so relieved that they did "Ultraviolet." I LOVE that song; it was my favorite song of the night. They've been playing it at every show on this tour, but I was afraid that with my luck it would be the first time they skipped it. They didn't.

The worst part of the evening was getting home. It took three hours (that's why I only got three hours of sleep). It was a 10-minute bus ride to get to the stadium, but it took 3 hours to get home. Ridiculous. And I love how most articles about the concert are about the train problems.
Train in Vain: U2 Fans Stranded for Hours After Concert
NJT Officicals Expect More Delays After Concert

Brooklyn Vegan has some great pictures here:
U2 played Giants Stadium - pics, reviews, the setlist & lots of angry people stuck waiting in train stations
And the New York Times has a nice review:
U2 in the Round, Fun with a Mission

I took a video of Ultraviolet:


I uploaded pictures here so feel free to check that out, but here are some of my faves:










Finally, the setlist:
U2 @ Giants Stadium - 9/23/09 - setlist
1. Breathe
2. Magnificent
3. Get On Your Boots
4. Mysterious Ways
5. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
6. She's The One / Desire (snippet)
7. Elevation
8. Your Blue Room
9. Beautiful Day / Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough (snippet)
10. No Line On The Horizon
11. New Year's Day
12. Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of
13. The Unforgettable Fire
14. Mofo (snippet) / City Of Blinding Lights
15. Vertigo
16. I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight
17. Sunday Bloody Sunday
18. MLK
19. Walk On / You'll Never Walk Alone (snippet)
20. One / Amazing Grace (snippet)
21. Where The Streets Have No Name / All You Need Is Love (snippet)
encore:
22. Ultra Violet (Light My Way)
23. With Or Without You
24. Moment of Surrender

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On a completely unrelated note (I'm thinking of it because Grey's Anatomy returns tonight), Ellen Pompeo (Meredith) had her baby and named her Stella Luna. How adorable is that?! I love that name.