o show

I've been holding off on writing about the U2 concert in São Paulo, partly because I was waiting for "K" to send the pictures to Brasileiro (still hasn't happened) and partly because it was just so freaking good, I don't really know what to say about it.

Music might be the one thing I really take seriously. A really, really good concert is one that makes me feel something. Something besides "aw, pretty music." The first time I heard Chanticleer perform Biebl's "Ave Maria" live, at My First Graduate Alma Mater, the purity of tone, the perfection of the harmony carried me away. I had tears in my eyes. Ok, and all down my face. Aaaand on whatever tissues I could find in my pockets.

So this concert was like that, only I could jump up and down and scream and sing along and I didn't have any tissues. They played in Morumbi Stadium, home to one of São Paulo's three soccer teams. K, F, Brasileiro, Brasileira, and I (and some other friends of theirs) all had general admission tickets, so we were standing on the field. The military police estimated the crowd inside at 80,000, with another 20,000 outside trying to get tickets.

And, basically, we all jumped up and down and screamed. Early in the evening, Bono very carefully read something in Portuguese off a piece of paper, and the crowd went ca-raaaaazy. The wife of a coworker of Brasileiro and Brasileira's translated for me: "Last night we played for all of Brazil [the televised concert]. This is our private party." And it felt that way. They're enthusiastic people, the Brazilians. I mean, being in a stadium with 80,000 people singing along to "Sunday Bloody Sunday"? And every other song, too? Wow.

Brasileiro knew "Where the Streets Have No Name" was one of my favorites, so he lifted me up on his shoulder when it started. And with just that extra two feet, I could see across this vast blue sea of heads to the band, as if they were right in front of me. It was the best concert I've ever been to. And U2 isn't even my favorite band. They just really, really know what to do with a stadium.

Here's the set list:

City of Blinding Lights (we hadn't found Brasileiro and everybody yet, and I was annoyed that we were still wandering through the crowd after the show had started instead of standing somewhere where we could see. but then we found them and I was happy.)
Vertigo
Elevation
Until the End of the World
New Year's Day
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
Beautiful Day
The First Time
Desire (by special request from a girl named Desiré, who got pulled up on stage, Bono and Edge pulled an acoustic version of this song out of their butts - first time they'd done it on the tour)
Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
Love and Peace or Else (off the new album - turns out to be much better in concert)
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Bullet the Blue Sky (also better in concert)
Miss Sarajevo
Pride
Where the Streets Have No Name (yay)
One (this was Brasileiro & Brasileira's wedding song and she was SO happy)

Encores:

Zoo Station
The Fly
Mysterious Ways
With or Without You
Yahweh
All I Want Is You - Love Rescue Me

Here's a link to an article in Portuguese about the show. Oh, that article reminds me, I think I forgot to write about Franz. They were really loud and fun. That's my six-word review of the opening act. Also, because I have no pictures, here's a link to a bunch of pictures people took at the concerts. And the set list from U2tours.com, in case you don't want to take my word for it, with links to more pictures and reviews.