U2 eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE Tour 2018

Jun 21 2018
Boston, MA, US / TD Garden
25

‘Until The End of the World’

'In my dream, I was drowning my sorrows
But my sorrows they'd learned to swim
Surrounding me, going down on me
Spilling over the brim
Waves of regret and waves of joy.
I reached out for the one I tried to destroy.
You, you said you'd wait till the end of the world...'

‘Until The End of the World’ on the opening night in Boston.

When & Where
Thursday June 22nd 2018, TD Garden, Boston, MA. Opening night on the longest day, show 22 of #U2eiTour.

Set List
Cry out during Pride to 'one boy caught at a border fence'… and Gloria returns after missing one show. Here's the full set list

In The Press
Jason Greenough for Vanyaland
'Over the course of their 40-plus years as a band, U2 have pretty much done everything there is to be done. But hot damn do they keep finding new and creative ways to make their fans fall in love with them all over again. Case in point: Thursday night (June 21), their first of two nights at Boston's TD Garden.  The Irish rock legends ushered in summer with a blistering set of new material, a few deep(-ish) tracks, and only a handful of their most precious staple tunes as Bono and crew set out to tell the "deeply personal story about a boy searching for his manhood" on the Innocence + Experience Tour. (Spoiler: The "boy" in the story is Bono.) The quartet continued to boost their already awe-inspiring and widely-acclaimed light show and visual game, as they began the night with two tracks off of their most recent effort Songs of Experience — "Love Is All We Have Left" and "The Blackout" — whilst suspended above the stage inside an 80-foot long two-sided video screen that served as both a social awareness bulletin board and a visual storytelling tool. The crowd was digging what the band had in store from the very first note of the evening, but something has to be said for the absolute eruption that ensued as The Edge, who was more active than usual as Bono's right-hand man, blared the opening riff to "I Will Follow" once the band made their way out of the screen and onto the main stage.  Judging by the obviously weathered, but still-present, raw power of Bono's operatic vocals, and the musical stamina of his cohorts, it may come as sort of a surprise that each member of the band is pushing 60 years old. Even so, the band did not show their age, as much as they further showcased their instrumental expertise and creative confidence by smashing through a handful of songs, including "Beautiful Day," "Iris (Hold Me Close)," and "Cedarwood Road," before doling out a dose of the reality of growing up in 1970's civil war-torn Ireland, with an intense, Irish-flag-light drenched rendition of "Sunday Bloody Sunday". Following a short intermission that was filled in with a comic book version of the band's journey from Dublin to the states (set to "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me") the band re-emerged to christen the "E" stage at the other end of the floor with "Elevation" and "Vertigo". It was before the latter that Bono explained, in a storyteller's fashion like he had done periodically throughout the evening, that it's a track that marked a chapter in the band's career where "it started to get to our heads," as he put it. Further tapping into the hits vault, the boys from Dublin belted out "Desire" as a disco ball hung from the ceiling and turned an already aesthetically pleasing show into a full-on party scene. Donning a top-hat and eye shadow, Bono brought back his Zoo TV-era alter ego, MacPhisto, to play "Acrobat," which the frontman tagged with a hauntingly fitting spoken rendition of the first verse of the Rolling Stones classic "Sympathy For The Devil." He added a little creative license for an updated second verse: "I was there in Charlottesville/With the Nazi flag/And the KKK/And I sprayed painted/The first lady's jacket/But she still wore it anyway/You can't make this shit up." It was obvious that the band wanted to experiment with a number of creative and visually-pleasing aspects throughout the evening, and did so much so, that it's nearly impossible to effectively describe on a computer screen what transpired and how. If nothing else, that confidence in experimenting, in addition to revisiting early-'90s nostalgia showed, yet again, that the ascension from innocence to experience has made them more thorough, more exciting, and more creatively powerful in their approach. As drummer Larry Mullen Jr. and bassist Adam Clayton made their trek back to the main stage, Bono and The Edge stayed back on the "E" stage to pop off a socially-charged acoustic duet of "Staring At The Sun" as a montage displaying the behavior of modern-day Nazis garnered equal parts boos and applause, assumedly for the same reason... Thursday night showed that age has treated U2 very well, but experience has treated them even better.

On The Socials 
@BDub1966 (via Twitter) 'Thanks @U2 for another homecoming show @tdgarden that shook our souls and blew the roof off! See you tomorrow for night two. Ill never forget #Acrobat.'

@deadrndishwtr (via Twitter) 'Fav moment tonight in Boston when #Bono as #Mephisto said "I spray painted her jacket and she wore it anyway. You can't make this shit up!"'

@ReginaIBCLC (via Twitter) 'Amazing how well Pride is working. Very powerful combined with Staring at the Sun. #Boston was electrified by it.'

jenavsu2 (via Instagram)'My Irish heart has loved U2 for 20+ years now. My original boy band. My 8th show tonight. Things change, but I still love them like I did when I was 13.'

@tanyaemery (via Twitter) 'The best show I have ever seen. So many goosebumps, a few tears. Unbelievable.'

Experience(s) Of The Day
When the singer pulls the girl standing next to you up on to the stage.. and you remember to video it for her. 

jennifer.hawker (via Instagram). ''Will jig for U2! This gal Michelle, who was standing so close behind me I swore Bono was looking at me when he came over to get her out of the crowd, had the thrill of a lifetime last night. I am so glad I happened to catch her right after the show for a pic and to get her contact info so I can send her the full clip which is a tad longer than IG will let me post here'

And, when you think you spot yourself, (or part of yourself!) on the official @U2 instagram photo.  
dreamoutloud2 : Ha! I think that's my hand giving the peace sign!! '

What did Bono Say?
Before the final song of the night, Bono sent birthday wishes to Irish Poet Paul Muldoon and recited his poem Hedgehog.

The snail moves like a
Hovercraft, held up by a
Rubber cushion of itself,
Sharing its secret

With the hedgehog. The hedgehog
Shares its secret with no one.
We say, Hedgehog, come out
Of yourself and we will love you.

We mean no harm. We want
Only to listen to what
You have to say. We want
Your answers to our questions.

The hedgehog gives nothing
Away, keeping itself to itself.
We wonder what a hedgehog
Has to hide, why it so distrusts.

We forget the god
Under this crown of thorns.
We forget that never again
Will a god trust in the world.

'Giselle and Tom right in front of you' Beautiful Day shoutout to model Gisele Bündchen and her partner New England Patriots Quarterback Tom Brady 

U2.com / Zootopia Reviews
Nawlins. 'Uhhhhmazing!!! Blew the roof off the DC show!  So glad to see them this tour in 3 different cities.'

emily_carcerano.  'It was incredible. So much energy. Best crowd I've seen so far in my shows other than Montreal. Can't wait to do it again tonight. ❤'

And if you were at the show, add your own photos and reviews below. 

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. 

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    U2 eXPERIENCE - Live in Berlin Trailer
    Comments
    25
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    cjdolan
    LARRY MULLEN JR QUARTET
    I wore this to the concert in Boston!
    joncol
    2 days in boston
    although we had nosebleeds for this show, everything aligned for this perfect shot. what a great night, and a wonderful show. one day i hope i can thank them for the years of inspiration and energy.
    ramblinghorse
    Best show I've ever seen!
    Been waiting for this show all year! it was quite literally the best show I've ever seen!! You guys sound at the top of your game and I was blown away by the captivating storytelling, visuals and of course your energy and unbelievable music!!!! Even my overly critical boyfriend was blown away! I can't tell you what it meant to me to be in that audience last night and to witness your unbelievable gifts and talents. You have made this woman from Rhode Island so so happy! #U2 #U2eiTour
    mondane
    Oh What a Show!
    Once again, U2 delivered on an epic level! The whole production was incredible... great mixture of songs with outstanding production... I seen U2 over 28 times and they still deliver...Keep Dreaming Out Loud...
    EFG
    Amazing Night in Boston!
    I have never missed a U2 tour since 1984...the band never disappoints! This show was one of the best yet!! Until the End of the World and Staring at the Sun -- amazing to hear these live again!
    NoraB
    What a night that ranged 40 + years
    Wow! The boys continue to keep their shows fresh even while visiting the past to talk about the present. And, it must be said coming from someone who turned 60 May 11, the guys all look fabulous.
    Clodagh
    This!
    Amazing concert last night!!!
    lennypappas1
    awesoneness
    so glad to hear them rock out Gloria, hoping tonight is a Red Flag Day
    JessLee
    wine
    sorry about shouting out "I love you Bono" 55 thousand times!!! (wine) I do though! GREAT SHOW! Glad to share it with my brother!
    tamoran
    Montana fans
    Last leg to Boston for the show!!
    MRyan6692
    Play Red Flag Day Please
    Looking forward to my 48-hr U2 Staycation in Boston the next two days and the shows on Thursday and Friday. Hoping to hear “Red Flag Day” at least one of the two nights.
    carolyngaither
    Houston 2 Hyannis
    Headed your way Boston! Starting our Cape Cod vacay off right w a night at The Gahden! Counting the hours! see you there! x
    jdbeutler
    My 20th U2 show ever!
    Taking a shot in the dark here, but my Girlfriend Kristina will be in attendance this night after losing her beloved dog. She is an enormous fan and she's in a lot of emotional pain, and I know it would mean the world if there could be even just some small dedication to her or to anyone who's lost an animal that means the world to them. Thank you and much love!
    morten_jensen
    All the way from Denmark
    Finally got tickets, last show I saw was in Copenhagen 4th of august 1997. If going to Boston is what it takes, then I go and here I come.... Any chance that "Where the streets have no name" could be on the setlist? Would love that. Looking foreward :-).
    EFG
    @sisterlove
    The songs are in her eyes! You see it when she smiles!
    dforty
    sister love
    See you June 21st! Any chance you could play Miracle Drug for these two?
    lipo65
    Finally!
    Tried to see U2 in Boston on St. Patricks Day in 1992 but couldn't get tickets. I think we just ended up at the Littlest Bar instead and listened to Van Morrison all night. Flying back for this show and it's a homecoming of sorts for me. I was a young thing in my 20s then and now, well... a fan still young at heart! Time doesn't stand still for sure, but I'm keeping the music with me. Look forward to seeing you! Maybe we can dance?
    keyo32198
    ticket inquiry
    Will any shows be added? Looking to bring my girls this time. Hoping to get some fairly decent seats. My U2.com membership seems to have gotten me fairly bad seats. I used to get incredible seats with my subscription to Hot Press in the 80's!
    MassMick
    Think
    Everyone contemplating how many multiple shows there will be use your Noggin... Maximum two shows are built into every date how can they play five shows in Boston if they have to be in New York in 4 days after coming from some other city that will sell more than one show also there are no back-to-back shows anymore always a day in between so get on your boots and put on your thinking cap
    mrgriffith
    another NE date!!
    looks like some days off after and before, I'd say at least 2 shows here and $100.00 a tix.
    SeanMcNally
    How many nights in Boston this time?
    Can we assume you'll be parked at TD Garden for at least a week? Guessing/hoping 4-5 shows? SO much better seeing you in an arena instead of a stadium, really looking forward to this already!
    Cmcdonagh77
    Pricing
    Just wondering what the pricing will be ?
    doughty22
    Scooter0622
    Back in Boston at the Garden, perfect!!
    SoupRQT
    READY FOR WHAT'S NEXT!
    Nothing like U2 at the Gahden! Welcome 'home' again, lads; because, "We are all from Boston tonight", right? Can't wait. -Beth W.
    Tyta
    IloveU2
    I love you guys...please, come to Brasil with this tour! pleaseee
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