U2 eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE Tour 2018

'Staring At The Sun' at MSG

Second night in New York City. Post your reviews.

'To the ones 
Staring at the sun
Afraid of what you'll find
If you took a look inside.
Not just deaf and dumb, 
Staring at the sun
I'm not the only one 
Who'd rather go blind….'
 

When & Where
Tuesday June 26th 2018, second night at Madison Square Garden, NYC. Show number 25 of #U2eiTour.

Set List
Gloria returns for night 2 in NYC and we get a few teasing lines from 'Landlady' just ahead of YTBTAM. Here's the full set list. 

In The Press
Another great review highlighting the U2eiTour run in NYC via crypticrock.com.  

'It could take a lifetime to earn experience, but wouldn't it be something if you could recapture the innocence of your youth somewhere along the way? Such is the question raised with U2's latest album, 2017's Songs of Experience. An album that thematically follows up 2014's Songs of Innocence, Songs of Experience is more or less not supposed to be the end of the tale, but the idea that after naturally shedding our innocence – due to missteps, life lessons, and heartbreak – we can hope at some point to rediscover it later on. Heavy and compelling, U2 have excelled through the years at bringing subject matter, even at its darkest, to the way of a brighter light. Many listeners have indulged in what the accomplished Irish rock band has offered through the years – from the times of 1980's Boy to 2000's All That You Can't Leave Behind and beyond. Through it all, and there has been plenty to take in over the course of the past 4 decades, one of the key factors to U2's standout success has always been the live performance… on Monday, June 25, 2018, the excitement arrived in New York City when U2 took over Madison Square Garden. Very generous to the New York City and its surrounding areas, the band first made a visit to Long Island on June 9th, then hosted a special show at the  famous Apollo Theater in Harlem on the 10th, before returning on the 25th, 26th, as well as July 1st to play The Garden.
...Yes, the production and layout was magnificent – no doubt taking hours of tedious preparation and preceded planning. The best way to describe it is to say that the gents in U2 are never in the same place throughout the show's entirety; they are often so spread out, it is a wonder how they keep the music sounding tight and crisp as if they were right next to one another. Even more impressive, U2 has been highly successful through the years at somehow shrinking massive arenas that hold 18,000-people-plus down to that of a much smaller space. Essentially, they bring the show to the you, exploring nearly every nook and cranny, leaving little empty space between themselves and the audience... Many bands of U2's fame, and there are few, often stick to a best-of list for their tours, but this band has the guts to perform new material with ease. A blessing because most fans would not be so patient enough nor have the attention span to sit through nearly 2 hours of mostly new material, but U2 fans are of a different breed.
With the luxury of artistic freedom, U2 very much put together a Songs of Experience themed performance, opening with the album's lead track "Love Is All We Have Left," going into others including "The Blackout," "Lights of Home," and later on, an acoustic rendition of "You're the Best Thing About Me," before "Get Out of Your Own Way," "American Soul," "City of Blinding Lights," "Love Is Bigger Than Anything in Its Way," bookending the night with album closer, "13 (There Is a Light)." Marrying the concept of Songs of Experience with Songs of Innocence, tracks like "Iris (Hold Me Close)," a tribute to Bono's mom, and "Cedarwood Road," about the place he grew up, also found their way into the setlist, mixing in quiet well. 
...The bottom line is, after all these years, U2 still has something to say, and in terms of their live concerts, very much something to show. If you take away the lights, effects and inventive stage setups, you still have a band that is powerful but also vital in the modern entertainment world. That is why U2 remains at the forefront of Rock-n-Roll fame, and just glancing around the broad age gap of spectators in the audience, they also continue to reach all generations….'

On The Socials 
@BigRedDiver (via Twitter) 'I hope the smiles we saw on stage carried on after. @U2 absolutely CRUSHED their #U2NYC2 show. Lads, this fan is truly & deeply grateful for the joy I get to share & be a part of with you & 20,000 of our closest #U2community.'

@IreVertigo (via Twitter)'Irish lad, flying from Japan to New York for an unforgettable show tonight and my first U2 concert! Cheers @U2! Here's hoping you come to Tokyo soon!'

@peacewillfollow (via Twitter)'Pride has this newfound, deep relevance that blows me away on this tour. The footage of Charlottesville before the song begins angers me that we're not further ahead than this in 2018 America. Those images are NOT America. There is good and it's worth fighting for.'

u2_panama (via Instagram)'Our dear #Bono, So happy for this Experience. To be in a great city as New York City. With the best band in the world who has the best fans ever!! It was a #beautifulday and you saying hi to all of us.'

Experience(s) Of The Day
Encounters with the singer. celspipics (via Instagram) ''Bono stopped by and shook hands before #U2 #MSG2 #u2eitour on 6/26/18... He stopped for a little girl to sign her shirt so that's how I told him to please come back to Hawaii, and he said "I'd like that." My question got acknowledged by Bono so I'm a happy clam. The five and a half hour wait paid off. #fangirl #newyork'

@ilebowitz77 (via Twitter)  'today's my dads birthday and he loves @U2 literally more than anything (except me of course) and today, after waiting almost his entire life, he FINALLY met Bono. i'm so happy for him because after being a lifelong fan, he finally got to meet'

What did Bono Say?
"From the sides to the back - it's a Tuesday night, we're going up!" (intro to I Will Follow)

"See the world in green and blue… Patti Smith, right in front of you… take a look at you… New York in the sunshine… beautiful!" (during Beautiful Day)

"I was there in Charlottesville… with the Nazi flags and the KKK … it was I (who) spray-painted the first lady's coat… I told her it was all the rage… The name's Macphisto… It's a wonderful time to be me… pitting the left and the right against each other… liberals offended by… everything… ooh the sentimental snowflakes! Conservatives offended by… nothing… except perhaps the idea of giving up their assault weapons.. that would be awful! You cannot make this shit up… and, for the educated classes on the island of Manhattan… just remember… it's when you don't believe that I exist, that's when I do my best work" (intro to Acrobat, as 'Macphisto').

U2.com / Zootopia Review
Zootopian dmway was in the house. 

'I got home a little over 90 minutes ago - one of the two best "impulse-buys" I have ever had that involved a concert (I went to a Stevie Wonder concert in Philadelphia about 9-10 years ago at the last moment that also turned out to be a really great idea - yes, U2 deserves to be mentioned with Mr. Wonder). Gloria - enough said. Spoken version of "Landlady" during his "phone call home" - so convincing that I thought what turned into the customary YTBTAM would be the debut of "Landlady" - keep your ears open, Europe... …I rank planning 3 U2 shows in 6 days among my best ideas ever'. 

If you were at the show tonight, add your own photos and reviews here. 

And don’t forget -  #WomenoftheWorldTakeOver.  
Ahead of the show, why not... SING IT. RECORD IT. POST IT.
Sing the song, share it online. Join the movement.