U2 Concert Review

While I don't necessarily have a bucket list of bands/performers I want to see live in concert, if I did, U2 would be on this list. U2 is currently on a tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of the release of The Joshua Tree, so despite the fact that I vowed never go to FedEx Field again, I traveled there to see U2 in June. (For the record, I said I would never see a Redskins game at FedEx again. It's extremely inconvenient to get there, parking and refreshments are extraordinarily high, and it's owned by Dan Snyder. Also for the record, for the U2 concert, it was still extremely inconvenient to get there, but I parked in a non-FedEx Field lot and didn't buy any food or drink at the stadium.)

* There were two songs that I wanted to see U2 perform live more than any others: Sunday Bloody Sunday and New Year's Day. U2 opened with these two songs, so I decided that it was time to leave on a high note.



* I'm sure that you're shocked that I didn't actually leave after two songs. U2 performed four songs on the "small" stage and then transitioned to a gigantic stage to play The Joshua Tree album in its entirety.

* Hot take: Side A of The Joshua Tree album (cassette!) with Where the Streets Have No Name, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, With or Without You, and Bullet the Blue Sky is great. Side B is meh. From top to bottom, the All That You Can't Leave Behind album with Beautiful Day, Elevation, Walk On, and Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of is better than The Joshua Tree. Hot take complete.

* I saw The Rolling Stones in San Diego in 1998 and remember thinking that they were old (yet were still amazing live). At the time of that show, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were 54, Ronnie Wood was 50, and Charlie Watts was 56. Meanwhile, U2 is actually older now than The Stones were then as Bono and Adam Clayton are 57 and The Edge and Larry Mullen Jr. are 55.

* Does The Edge ever not wear a hat? Does he sleep in one and shower with a hat too?

* So despite leaving more than two hours before the start of the concert, we didn't make it to our seats until part-way through The Lumineers set. Therefore, I never saw The Lumineers perform Ho Hey, also known as the only song that I know by them. I did hear Ho Hey twice on the radio the day after the concert, so I'll call it even.

* I'm not taking credit for this observation, but Adam Clayton has an Anthony Bourdain look to him.

* U2 has such a deep catalog. I was (and am) happy that they played Elevation, Beautiful Day, One, Vertigo, and Pride (In the Name of Love) but it would have been cool if they also played Mysterious Ways and Desire. Again, really, really deep catalog.

* Overall, I really enjoyed the show. Yes, Bono talks a lot between songs about a wide variety of topics, but you know that coming in.

* Here's The Washington Post's review of the show. A lot of people didn't like it along with a few songs. The Baltimore Sun reviewed the show too.

* Oh, I was able to take this picture at FedEx Field for free. Thanks, Dan Snyder!

Finally, here are some videos from the show:

Sunday Bloody Sunday


(Another view of Sunday Bloody Sunday)


New Year's Day


Where the Streets Have No Name

Sean on Pop Culture

I like to think that I am not only aware of but knowledgeable about pop culture. For example, Jessica Simpson let me know that she is pregnant (again!) before announcing it to the world. I also subscribe to Entertainment Weekly which I enjoy for the pictures, I mean, interesting articles. However, based on EW's recent Best & Worst of 2012 edition, there are a few things that seem to be missing from my pop culture world.

- Channing Tatum appeared in approximately 129 movies in 2012. I saw none of them.

- Carly Rae Jepsen is 27. 27! She doesn't look like she can drink legally, even in Canada with a lower drinking age. In case you're wondering, Jepsen is older than Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Robert Pattinson and Lindsay Lohan.

- Frank Ocean may have been the top musical artist in 2012 and he's nominated for 6 Grammy Awards. I don't think I have heard one of his songs.

- The Master and Zero Dark Thirty are both strong contenders for Best Picture at The Oscars. I don't know anyone that has seen either of these movies. (Yes, I realize that Zero Dark Thirty just got released nationwide recently.)

- The Lumineers are from Denver. My guess was that they were from Ireland or the UK.

- I have not seen The Avengers or any movie featuring any character from the movie including the Iron Man films.

- Calvin Harris is from Scotland. My guess was that he was from Denver.

- Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn was one of the biggest books of 2012. Again, I don't think I know anyone that has read this.

- Finally, it took me a long time to realize that Downton Abbey was not Downtown Abbey. Maybe I'll start watching this show in 2013.