Concert Review: U2 at Scottrade Center

The old saying ‘Good things come to those who wait’ proved to be true on Friday night, as nearly 20,000 U2 fans finally got to see their favorite band.

For many of the fans in attendance, the show was 7 months in the making, as the band was originally supposed to play St. Louis in September of 2017. The show was cancelled due to civil unrest in St. Louis. Alas, Bono and his crew made it to the Lou’ and did not disappoint.

While it wasn’t the “Joshua Tree Tour,” the “Experience and Innocence Tour 2018,” rolled into town and it was quite the spectacle. Playing for over 2 hours, the band used music, as well as a giant screen in the middle of the Scottrade Center to get several politically charged messages across to the energized audience. In fact, messages such as, “Give peace a chance,” “None of us are equal until all of us are equal,” and “Don’t shoot,” were just a few that scrolled across the screen before the show even began.

During the song “Staring at the Sun,” images of neo-Nazis were shown on the screen. Images of woman and minority marches were shown during “Pride (In the Name of Love,” which ended with a photo of Dr. Martin Luther King, which caused the crowd to erupt with cheers.

The band did a wonderful job mixing new material from 2017s “Songs of Experience” album with older material such as “Desire” and “Sunday Bloody Sunday.”

The band, which is known for its elaborate shows didn’t disappoint, as the stage design was nothing short of extraordinary. While there was a stage at front of arena, a video wall was the incredible centerpiece that consisted of double-sided panels which was in the center of the arena. There was a moving walkway which led to another small stage on the opposite end of the arena. The band played on both ends of the arena, as well as in the middle of the walkway throughout the show.

While the show was nothing short of spectacular, the sound was the only complaint of the evening. While not sure if it was the bands fault or Scottrade Center, Bono was almost inaudible at times when he spoke to the crowd. The band made no mention of it and it never seemed to improve throughout the evening when Bono spoke to the audience. Several concert-goers mentioned this one small issue. For a band that prides itself on being very hands on with performances and the sound of live shows, it’s hard to think this was an error from U2. Even so, no one in the crowd let this small issue put a damper on what is so far the best live show of 2018.

U2’s encore consisted of “One,” which all the lights in the arena were turned out, as Bono said the song was a prayer. Following “One,” the band played “Love is Bigger Than Anything in Its Way,” and closed with a quiet, yet seemingly fitting song, “13 (There is a Light).” A large lightbulb hung at the end of the arena, swinging back and forth while Bono left the stage quietly to end the show. While that may seem like a lame ending to a concert, it seemed like a fitting, yet thoughtful way to end a stellar show by one of the biggest bands in the world.

U2’s “Experience and Innocence Tour 2018” gets an A.

Photos By Reema Shah.